Doe v. St. Francis School District

834 F. Supp. 2d 889, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 139797, 2011 WL 6026612
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedDecember 5, 2011
DocketCase No. 09-C-0545
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 834 F. Supp. 2d 889 (Doe v. St. Francis School District) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Doe v. St. Francis School District, 834 F. Supp. 2d 889, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 139797, 2011 WL 6026612 (E.D. Wis. 2011).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF LAW SUPPORTING THE COURT’S SEPTEMBER 30, 2011, ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT ST. FRANCIS SCHOOL DISTRICT’S AND INTERVENORDEFENDANT COMMUNITY INSURANCE CORPORATION’S MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT (DOCS. 63, 68)

C.N. CLEVERT, JR., Chief Judge.

On September 30, 2011, this court granted two motions for summary judgment filed by the St. Francis School District and Community Insurance Corporation (“CIC”) seeking dismissal of the plaintiffs’ remaining claims against St. Francis and CIC, and Kelly Sweet’s indemnification cross-claim against CIC. The reasoning underlying that decision is set forth below.

SUMMARY JUDGMENT STANDARD

Summary judgment is appropriate if there are no disputed issues of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(a); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). In deciding a motion for summary judgment, the court must view all facts and draw all inferences from those facts in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Schuster v. Lucent Technologies, Inc., 327 F.3d 569, 573 (7th Cir.2003). However, the non-moving party may not simply rest on its allegations; rather, it must come forward with specific facts that would support a jury’s verdict in its favor. Van Diest Supply Co. v. Shelby County State Bank, 425 F.3d 437, 439 (7th Cir.2005). The non-moving party must show that the disputed fact is material, or outcome-determinative, under applicable law. Local 1545, United Mine Workers v. Inland Steel Coal Co., 876 F.2d 1288, 1293 (7th Cir.1989). However, credibility determinations “are jury functions, not those of a judge.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 254, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

Mindful of this standard, certain proposed findings of fact proffered by plaintiffs were determined by this court to be legal conclusions, and, therefore, disregarded. Specifically, plaintiffs’ expert, Dr. Marc Ackerman stated: “I have been asked to comment on whether the information which District officials had before March 9, 2008 showed a known or obvious risk of sexual misconduct by Ms. Sweet, such that the officials had actual knowledge of Ms. Sweet’s conduct.” (Ackerman Decl. Ex. 2, p. 2.) This statement by Dr. Ackerman is nothing more than a recitation of the first element for a Title IX sexual harassment claim, which requires (1) actual knowledge and (2) deliberate [892]*892indifference. Also, Dr. Ackerman- concluded, in part, that “The school district’s failure to take any action following the additional reporting by Ms. Gridley on February 25 shows a total disregard for the safety and welfare of NR Doe.” (Ackerman Decl. Ex. 2, p. 5.) As with Dr. Ackerman’s earlier statement, this opinion expresses a legal conclusion within the province of this court. Further, determining whether a defendant has displayed deliberate indifference to a plaintiffs rights is distinctly the province of the fact-finder at trial. In addition, Dr. Ackerman is the sole source to state that “Talking to Ms. Sweet and asking her if there was a problem, and relying on her denial without doing anything else, was negligence on the part of Terry Balster and Carol Topinka.” (Ackerman Deck Ex. 2, p. 5.) Because it would be improper to rely on Dr. Ackerman’s conclusions of law, the court disregarded plaintiffs’ Proposed Findings of Fact ¶¶ 75-80, as well as any other proposed finding resting solely upon Dr. Ackerman’s legal conclusions.

The court also notes that several briefs were filed improperly. They contained arguments that are extraneous, in part or in their entirety, including plaintiffs’ brief opposing CIC’s summary judgment motion on Sweet’s cross-claim (doc. 77), Sweet’s brief opposing St. Francis School District’s summary judgment motion on plaintiffs’ claims (doc. 89), Sweet’s response to St. Francis School District’s amended proposed findings of fact (doc. 90), and St. Francis School District’s reply to Kelly Sweet’s response to St. Francis School District’s amended proposed findings of fact (doc. 102). To clarify, St. Francis moved for summary judgment against plaintiffs for the claims to which CIC joins as St. Francis’s insurer, and CIC moved for summary judgment against Sweet’s cross-claim.

FINDINGS OF FACT

The undisputed facts establish that plaintiffs are a minor student, NR Doe, and his parents. (Am. Compl. ¶¶ 1-2.) At all relevant times, NR Doe was a seventh and eighth grade student at Deer Creek Middle School in the St. Francis School District. (NR Doe Dep. at 18; Am. Compl. ¶ 10.) St. Francis is organized under Wisconsin law and is within the jurisdiction of this court. (Am. Compl. ¶ 3.)

Defendant Kelly Sweet is a teacher formerly employed by St. Francis at the Deer Creek Middle School. (Sweet Dep. at 8, 116-7.) She was suspended by St. Francis on March 17, 2008, and her employment was formally terminated by the School Board for the School District effective August 25, 2008. (Sweet Dep. at 116-7.) While employed by St. Francis, Sweet taught classes attended by NR Doe. (NR Doe Dep. at 19-20.)

In October 2007, NR Doe broke his leg and could not participate in physical education class. (NR Doe Dep. at 26.) When the rest of the class went to physical education, NR Doe reported to Sweet’s classroom. (NR Doe Dep. at 31-2.) Sweet was known to NR Doe’s family, having coached his sisters. (NR Doe Dep. at 60-1.) When NR Doe was picked up from school, Sweet carried his bags and books to his mother’s car. She also spoke with NR Doe’s mother regularly. (Gridley Deck ¶ 9; Sweet Dep. 23-4.) NR Doe’s parents were appreciative of Sweet’s help. (NR Doe Dep. at 61.)

Sweet and NR Doe interacted several times outside of school hours, including an occasion when NR Doe and six other students painted Sweet’s classroom (NR Doe Dep. at 32-4.), and when Sweet and NR Doe went to dinner and attended a Milwaukee Buck’s basketball game in Febru[893]*893ary 2008, with the permission of NR Doe’s parents (NR Doe Dep. at 45-8; Sweet Dep. at 23.). Sweet coordinated the classroom painting through text messages, and communicated verbally regarding the Milwaukee Bucks game.1 (NR Doe Dep. at 37, 45-8; Sweet Dep. at 23.) The text messages became inappropriate after NR Doe and Sweet attended the Milwaukee Bucks game. The exchanges included apparent requests to be each other’s boyfriend and girlfriend and related messages. (NR Doe Dep. at 48-50.)

Apparently, NR Doe and Sweet exchanged text messages from February until at least March 9, 2009. (NR Doe Dep. at 48-50.) Through text messages and without the knowledge of NR Doe’s parents, NR Doe and Sweet arranged to go to dinner and to her apartment.2 (NR Doe Dep. at 58-60.) However, on March 9, after Sweet picked up NR Doe at his home, in her personal vehicle, they decided that dinner could wait, and drove to her apartment. (NR Doe Dep. at 64-65.)

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834 F. Supp. 2d 889, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 139797, 2011 WL 6026612, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/doe-v-st-francis-school-district-wied-2011.