Floyd v. Waiters

831 F. Supp. 867, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11869, 1993 WL 326074
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Georgia
DecidedAugust 20, 1993
Docket3:91-mc-00002
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 831 F. Supp. 867 (Floyd v. Waiters) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Floyd v. Waiters, 831 F. Supp. 867, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11869, 1993 WL 326074 (M.D. Ga. 1993).

Opinion

ORDER

OWENS, Chief Judge.

Before the court is a motion for summary judgment filed by defendants Massey, Hagler, Nicholson, Tinker, and Bronson. After careful consideration of the arguments of counsel, the relevant case law, and the record as a whole, the court issues the following order.

FACTS

In February, 1989, defendant William Booker, a security guard for the Bibb County Board of Education (“Board”), falsely imprisoned and assaulted plaintiff Carla Floyd, a fourteen-year-old middle school student. Approximately one week later, Booker kidnapped and raped Carla Floyd’s twin sister, Carol Floyd.

Both of these crimes occurred at the “Playhouse,” a house on Toombs Street in Bibb County, Georgia. Defendant Iris Waiters, the Security Supervisor for the Board, operated the Playhouse and invited various security guards to join the “club.” Waiters, Booker, and other guards used the house for occasional card games, beer drinking, and illicit sex. The Playhouse was used for these activities for over a decade, until it was disbanded in 1989, when Booker’s crimes were discovered.

The Board has maintained a security force since 1967. Defendant Waiters was first hired as a Board security guard in 1971 and was promoted to Security Supervisor in 1973. He was terminated from this position in March, 1989, following his arrest for obstruction of justice in relation to Bookers’ crimes against the Floyd girls.

Defendant John Nicholson was Waiters’ immediate supervisor at the time of thesé incidents and held the title of Director of Operations. His title has since been changed to Assistant Superintendent for Facilities. He has held this position sinee'August, 1987. His predecessor, defendant Harry Tinker, held the position of Director of Operations from 1976 until his retirement in 1987.

Defendant Thomas Hagler served as Superintendent of Schools for the Bibb County Public School System from 1981 through 1991. Defendant Stephen Massey was the President.of the Board at the time at which this action was filed. Defendant Kenneth Bronson is currently employed by the Board as a Campus Police Officer. He formerly held the title of Security Officer.

The evidence shows that in 1984 and 1985, some female students made complaints to Tinker and Waiters that Booker had made suggestive comments to them. The girls were subsequently questioned about their complaints, but no further inquiries were made. Booker was never reprimanded for this conduct.

In addition, Booker was arrested in 1985 for aggravated assault. After an argument with his mistress, he fired his gun through *870 the door of her home, and she filed charges. Waiters and Tinker were aware of the arrest and began an investigation. However, they terminated the investigation after Booker’s mistress dropped the charges.

Also, during this time period, there were rumors that Booker was having sex with minor females. These rumors were never substantiated, and neither Waiters nor Tinker conducted any investigation into them. Plaintiffs have produced no evidence of any complaints about Booker’s behavior after 1985.

It is undisputed that neither Waiters nor Tinker reported any information about Booker’s prior activities to either a higher-ranking administrative official or any member of the Board. There is also no evidence that any administrative official other than Waiters, Booker, and other security guards was aware of the existence of the Playhouse.

Plaintiffs Carla and Carol Floyd, through their next friend, filed this lawsuit on February 5, 1991. In their complaint, they have alleged civil rights violations against defendants Hagler, Nicholson, Bronson, Tinker, Booker, and Waiters, individually and in their official capacities. Defendant Massey has been sued in his official capacity only. Plaintiffs have also filed claims under Title IX and state law against defendants.

Because all defendants have been sued in their official capacities, the Board is a municipal defendant in this ease. It has filed a motion for summary judgment on all official capacity claims. This motion has also been filed on behalf of defendants Hagler, Nicholson, Tinker, and Bronson, in their individual capacities.

DISCUSSION

In this case, plaintiffs are seeking to hold the Board liable as a municipality for the civil rights violations alleged in the complaint. In addition, plaintiffs have filed civil rights claims against defendants Hagler, Nicholson, Tinker, Bronson, Waiters, and Booker, in their individual capacities. Finally, plaintiffs have alleged claims under Title IX and state law against defendants.

I. MUNICIPAL LIABILITY UNDER § 1983

Plaintiffs have raised two grounds upon which to base municipal liability in this case. They first contend that the Board is liable because defendants Waiters, Nicholson, and/or Tinker had “final policy-making authority” in supervising the Board security force. Second, plaintiffs contend that the alleged civil rights violations in this case were caused by long-standing customs or practices of the Board.

A. Policy-Making Authority

Under this theory of liability, “a municipal official who has ‘final policymaking authority’ in a certain area of the city’s business may by his or her action subject the government to § 1983 liability when the challenged action falls within that authority.” Brown v. City of Fort Lauderdale, 923 F.2d 1474, 1480 (11th Cir.1991). Whether an official has final policy-making authority is a question of state law to be decided by the court. Id.; see also Mandel v. Doe, 888 F.2d 783, 793 (11th Cir.1989).

Plaintiffs contend that defendants Waiters, Tinker, and/or Nicholson had final policy-making authority with regard to the Board security department. With this authority, these defendants allegedly established customs or practices within the security force that caused the civil rights violations against plaintiffs.

This argument has no merit. Plaintiffs have presented no evidence that any of these defendants had final policy-making authority with regard to security matters. On the contrary, under the Board bylaws, the Board has final policy-making authority over all “organization, management and control of the Bibb County Public Schools.” Board Policy 8100; see also Ga. Laws 1872, p. 388.

Moreover, the bylaws expressly state that the Board “determines policy, delegates executive, supervisory and instructional authority to its employees, and appraises the results achieved in light of the goals of the school system.” Board Policy 8300. Thus, the undisputed evidence shows that the *871 Board has final policy-making authority over all school matters.

In addition, the chain of command within the Board establishes that Waiters, Nicholson, and Tinker did not have final policy-making authority.

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Bluebook (online)
831 F. Supp. 867, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11869, 1993 WL 326074, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/floyd-v-waiters-gamd-1993.