J.A. ex rel. Swain v. Talladega City Board of Education

41 F. Supp. 3d 1302, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113483, 2014 WL 4185137
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Alabama
DecidedAugust 15, 2014
DocketCase No. 1:14-CV-0889-VEH
StatusPublished

This text of 41 F. Supp. 3d 1302 (J.A. ex rel. Swain v. Talladega City Board of Education) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
J.A. ex rel. Swain v. Talladega City Board of Education, 41 F. Supp. 3d 1302, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113483, 2014 WL 4185137 (N.D. Ala. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

VIRGINIA EMERSON HOPKINS, District Judge.

I. Introduction

On May 12, 2014, Plaintiff J.A., a minor, by and through his mother and next friend, LaShawn Swain (hereinafter referred to as “Student”), initiated this action against multiple defendants. The action stems from Student’s suspension from the Talladega City High School on or about January 17, 2014. (Doc. 1).

Student filed an amended complaint (Doc. 23) on July 11, 2014, that named seven defendants.1 The claims included in this verified pleading are; Count One for assault and battery against Mr. Miller; Count Two for assault and battery against the BOE; Count Three for negligent supervision against the BOE; Count Four [1306]*1306for outrageous conduct against Mr. Miller; Count Five for outrageous conduct against the BOE; Count Six for violation of substantive due process rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the BOE; Count Seven for violation of § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 against the BOE; and Count Eight for violation of Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act against the BOE. (See generally Doc. 23 at 7-37).

Pending before the court is Plaintiffs Amended Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction (Doc. 13) (the “Injunction Motion”) filed on June 6, 2014. The Injunction Motion requests that this court:

[Ejnter a Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction enjoining Defendant Talladega City Board of Education and its agents, employees and/or servants from continuing any punishment or sanction against Plaintiff J.A. on account of him having been assaulted and/or abused by Defendant Charles Miller and subsequently having acted in self defense, on account of Defendant Board and/or its agents, employees, and/or servants violating his Fourteenth Amendment rights, and from interfering with his education, including the following:
a. prohibiting Plaintiff J.A. from attending his regular classes and instead requiring him to attend an alternative education program (if any program at all), where he does not have access to teachers; and
b. prohibiting Plaintiff J.A. from participating in various school and extracurricular activities, including but not limited to basketball and other athletic competitions.

(Doc. 13 at 21).

On June 9, 2014, the court entered an order that denied the ex parte temporary restraining part of the Injunction Motion and deferred ruling on the preliminary injunction portion until after Defendants had received proper notice of Student’s lawsuit and his related request for injunctive relief. (Doc. 14 at 5-6). Defendant opposed the Injunction Motion on July 30, 2014. (Doc. 32). Student filed his reply on August 6, 2014. (Doc. 36). Finally, Defendants file a hearing brief (Doc. 43) on August 12, 2014.

Also pending before the court are Student’s Motion for Leave To File Supplemental Witness List for Preliminary Injunction Hearing (Doc. 40) (the “Supplemental Motion”) filed on August 11, - 2014, and Defendants’ Motion To Exclude Testimony of Barry G. Dickey (Doc. 42) (the “Dickey Motion”) filed on August 12, 2014.2

The court held a hearing in Anniston, Alabama, on Tuesday, August 12, 2014, beginning at 2:00 p.m. Prior to the hearing, the parties reported to the court in their Report of Parties’ Planning Meeting that:

The parties are unable to jointly agree on a discovery plan due to the pendency of the underlying juvenile criminal proceeding. The parties request the direction of the Court in the creation of a discovery plan and corresponding pretrial deadlines.

(Doc. 28 at 2 ¶ 3). During the hearing, Student explained that he desired to obtain injunctive relief in the form of an [1307]*1307order that vacated the BOE’s decision to suspend him as a result of the altercation that occurred with Mr. Miller and that permitted him to return to and complete his education at Talladega High School, subject to certain conditions applicable to this readmittance.3

Consistent with the oral rulings made in open court and as further amplified below, the Supplemental Motion is DENIED, the Injunction Motion is DENIED, and the Dickey Motion is TERMED as MOOT.

II. Standard for Preliminary Injunction

A preliminary injunction is an “extraordinary and drastic remedy” that should be granted only if the moving party has clearly established: (1) a substantial likelihood that plaintiff will prevail on the merits; (2) a substantial threat that plaintiff will suffer irreparable injury if the injunction is not granted; (3) that the threatened injury to the plaintiff outweighs the threatened harm the injunction may do to the defendant; and (4) that granting the preliminary injunction will not be adverse to public interest. See Cunningham v. Adams, 808 F.2d 815, 818-19 (11th Cir.1987) (setting forth injunctive elements); see also United States v. Lambert, 695 F.2d 536, 539 (11th Cir.1983) (same); McDonald’s Corp. v. Robertson, 147 F.3d 1301, 1306 (11th Cir.1998) (same); Kaisha v. Swiss Watch International, Inc., 188 F.Supp.2d 1350, 1353 (S.D.Fla.2002) (same). The moving party carries the burden of persuasion as to each of these four elements. See United States v. Jefferson County, 720 F.2d 1511, 1519 (11th Cir.1983), reh’g denied, 724 F.2d 978 (11th Cir.1984) (“The preliminary injunction is an extraordinary and drastic remedy not to be granted unless the movant ‘clearly carries the burden of persuasion’ as to the four prerequisites.” (quoting Canal Authority v. Callaway, 489 F.2d 567, 573 (5th Cir.1974))); see also Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, B.V. v. Consorcio Barr, S.A, 320 F.3d 1205, 1210 (11th Cir.2003) (same); McDonald’s Corp., 147 F.3d at 1306 (same).

When analyzing the first two elements, the review “require[s] a delicate balancing of the probabilities of ultimate success at final hearing with the consequences of immediate irreparable injury which could possibly flow from the denial of preliminary relief.” Schiavo ex rel. Schindler v. Schiavo, 403 F.3d 1223, 1241 (11th Cir.2005) (internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting Siegel v. LePore, 234 F.3d 1163, 1178 (11th Cir.2000) (en banc)).

Granting a motion for a preliminary injunction is “the exception rather than the rule.” Lambert, 695 F.2d at 539 (quoting Texas v. Seatrain International, S.A., 518 F.2d 175, 179 (5th Cir.1975)).

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Bluebook (online)
41 F. Supp. 3d 1302, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113483, 2014 WL 4185137, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ja-ex-rel-swain-v-talladega-city-board-of-education-alnd-2014.