Doe v. Unified School District 259

240 F.R.D. 673, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16817, 2007 WL 619505
CourtUnited States District Court for the District of Arkansas
DecidedFebruary 26, 2007
DocketNo. 05-1151-JTM
StatusPublished

This text of 240 F.R.D. 673 (Doe v. Unified School District 259) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States District Court for the District of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Doe v. Unified School District 259, 240 F.R.D. 673, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16817, 2007 WL 619505 (ard 2007).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

MARTEN, District Judge.

Plaintiffs filed the present action requesting class certification. Plaintiffs allege that Unified School District 259 (hereinafter “USD 259”) violated Title IX and 42 U.S.C. § 1983. After reviewing the fully briefed motion and hearing oral argument, the court denies plaintiffs’ motion for class certification.

Plaintiffs’ complaints originated when the students attended a private, back-to-school party off school grounds in August 2004. At the party, an altercation occurred between the students and one male student (hereinafter “S.S.”) 1. On the following Monday after the party, the plaintiffs obtained a state court Protection From Stalking Order against S.S. Additionally, plaintiffs contacted South High School Assistant Principal Jennifer Sinclair. At the meeting, the plaintiffs told Ms. Sinclair about S.S.’s actions at the party and S.S.’s actions from the preceding school year. Plaintiffs had not complained about S.S. to [675]*675Ms. Sinclair during the prior school year, but they do claim that they complained of S.S.’s behavior to Assistant Principal Terry Laudermilk and chemistry teacher Kelly Owens during the 2003-2004 school year. Mr. Laudermilk and Ms. Owens deny receiving any complaint of sexual harassment from the plaintiffs.

Plaintiffs seek to certify the following class: “(1) All females, formerly, currently or who in the future may be a student at any school within USD 259 since January 1, 1997.” Memorandum in Support of Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification (Dkt. No. 63), pg. 37.

I. Factual Background:

A USD 259:

USD 259, the largest school district in the state of Kansas, utilizes one hundred learning centers/schools for the education of 48,-865 students in the city of Wichita. USD 259 is comprised of eleven high schools: East, Heights, Metro-Boulevard, Metro Meridian, Metro Midtown, North, Northeast Magnet, Northwest, South, Southeast, and West.

The USD 259 Board of Education (hereinafter “BOE”) adopted a policy entitled “Sexual Harassment of Pupils,” which states:

USD 259 will not tolerate sexual harassment of any pupil by another pupil, employee or others. Violation of this policy shall result in disciplinary action against any pupil or employee involved, including possible expulsion of the pupil and termination of the employee. Others who violate this policy shall be reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action and may be prohibited from being on school property and/or attending school activities. Administrators who fail to follow the policy or fail to investigate complaints shall also be disciplined.

Defendant’s Response to Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification (Dkt. No. 71), pg. 6. The policy extends “to protect the pupil while the pupil was engaged in any school activity under the control or operation of USD 259.” Id. at 9. The Deputy Superintendent has administrative responsibility for the policy. At the time plaintiffs complained to USD 259, Mark Evans was the Deputy Superintendent. Mr. Evans held this position until July 1, 2005.

USD 259 also provides yearly sexual harassment training for its employees, and it gives middle school and high school students a brochure entitled “Harassment — What Secondary Students Should Know: A Simple Easy to Understand Explanation of Harassment and Its Effects on Students” (hereinafter “Brochure”). The Brochure defines harassment as:

... verbal or physical behavior that puts another person down or shows hostility towards another group or group of persons based on their race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age or disability. Harassment is: Creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive school environment. Unreasonably interferes with an individual’s school performance. Affects an individual’s educational opportunities.

Id. at 11. The Brochure also instructs students to “Keep written records of the incidents ... Save any notes or pictures your receive from the harasser. Give these to a parent, a principal or trusted adult.” Id. at 12.

USD 259 also provides posters noting that “this is VIOLENCE too ... bullying, insults, rumors, threats, sexual harassment and trash talk. Preventing violence is everyone’s responsibility.” Id. at 17 (emphasis in original).

In 2001, USD 259 contracted with McGrath Systems, Inc. to provide training, and purchased the McGrath Sexual Harassment Training Course and Investigation manual for $13,500. Mary Jo McGrath conducted sexual harassment training in the same year which consisted of “two full days of a tremendous amount of information” for all district principals. Id. at 24.

Debbie McKenna was Supervisor of Safe and Drug Free Schools for defendant on December 8, 2005. She testified that beginning in 2001, she had the job responsibilities of what would be a Title IX Coordinator. On March 1, 2006, Ms. McKenna’s title changed to “Title IX Director.” She is regularly iden[676]*676tified as a resource person for sexual harassment investigation or training issues.

USD 259 requires that principals and administrators receive annual sexual harassment training from Ms. McKenna and Human Resources using the “training of trainers model.” Ms. McKenna and HR train the principals who then return and train their staff at their schools. Id. at 27. During the training, Ms. McKenna and her staff give an overview of Title VII, Title IX, and other applicable laws to staff and administrators. Additionally, the training provides a definition for sexual harassment, instructions on how to determine what constitutes unlawful harassment, and early warning signs that unobserved sexual harassment is occurring.

Students at South High School are instructed on the BOE sexual harassment policy by: (1) class assemblies on the first day of school where school officials explain the policy and ramifications for violating the policy; (2) discussions during the first week of school with teachers who explain the sexual harassment policy; (3) brochures that teachers distribute to students for discussion in small group settings of approximately twenty-five students; (4) pre-enrollment meetings, where guidance staff talk about harassment with all students in a small group setting; and (5) meetings with counselors throughout the school year when problems arise or as required by individual teachers.

B. Plaintiffs and Proposed Class Representatives:

Proposed class representatives in the present case include sisters, Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2. Jane Doe 1 was born on November 7, 1987. Jane Doe 2 was born on August 29, 1988. Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 were scheduled to graduate from Northwest High School on May 25, 2006. Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 lived in the Goddard School District during portions of their sophomore year, junior year, and senior year in high school. Jane Doe 1 attended South High School during her freshman year (2002— 2003), sophomore year (2003-2004), and six days into her junior year (2004-2005). Jane Doe 2 attended South High School during her freshman year (2002-2003), sophomore year (2003-2004), and two or three days of her junior year (2004-2005).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

General Telephone Co. of Southwest v. Falcon
457 U.S. 147 (Supreme Court, 1982)
Amchem Products, Inc. v. Windsor
521 U.S. 591 (Supreme Court, 1997)
Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc.
523 U.S. 75 (Supreme Court, 1998)
Rutter & Wilbanks Corp. v. Shell Oil Co.
314 F.3d 1180 (Tenth Circuit, 2002)
Bryant v. Independent School District No. I-38
334 F.3d 928 (Tenth Circuit, 2003)
Monreal v. Runyon
367 F.3d 1224 (Tenth Circuit, 2004)
Rex v. Owens
585 F.2d 432 (Tenth Circuit, 1978)
Hanlon v. Chrysler Corp.
150 F.3d 1011 (Ninth Circuit, 1998)
Trevizo v. Adams
455 F.3d 1155 (Tenth Circuit, 2006)
Marcus v. Kansas, Department of Revenue
206 F.R.D. 509 (D. Kansas, 2002)
Stubbs v. McDonald's Corp.
224 F.R.D. 668 (D. Kansas, 2004)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
240 F.R.D. 673, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16817, 2007 WL 619505, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/doe-v-unified-school-district-259-ard-2007.