JF ex rel. DF v. Carmel Central School District

168 F. Supp. 3d 609, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27044, 2016 WL 866958
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMarch 2, 2016
Docket13-cv-8830 (NSR)
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 168 F. Supp. 3d 609 (JF ex rel. DF v. Carmel Central School District) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
JF ex rel. DF v. Carmel Central School District, 168 F. Supp. 3d 609, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27044, 2016 WL 866958 (S.D.N.Y. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION '& ORDER

NELSON S. ROMÁN, United States District Judge

Plaintiffs JF and DF bring this action against Defendants Carmel Central School District (the “School District”), Ryan Dali, Kevin Carroll, and John Fink alleging violations of the due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d, as well as state law claims for breach of contract, negligence, assault, and battery.

Defendants now move for summary judgment on Plaintiffs’ federal claims and request that this Court decline to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over the remaining state law claims. For the following reasons, Defendants’ motion is GRANTED and the Court declines to exercise jurisdiction over the remaining state law claims.

BACKGROUND

• The following facts are taken from the Complaint and the parties’ respective Lo[613]*613cal Civil Rule 56. I submissions, exhibits, and affidavits.

At the time the Complaint was filed, DF was a sophomore at Carmel High School in Carmel, New York (Compl. ¶¶ 3-4.) DF is African-American. (Id. ¶ 80.) JF is DF’s father. (Id. at ¶ 2.) Ryan Dali was a social studies teacher at Carmel High School at the time of the events in question. (Id. ¶ 5.) During the same time period, Kevin Carroll and John Fink were the Principal and Assistant Principal of Carmel High School, respectively. (Id. ¶¶ 6-7.)

The events at issue occurred on or about September 24, 2012 and February 26, 2013. Plaintiffs also reference additional events in their opposition papers and related submissions that occurred after the filing of the Complaint. The relevant events are summarized below.

1. The Events of September 24, 2012

On September 24, 2012, DF and another student, JM, were involved in a fight at Carmel High School. Although DF claims that JM initiated the fight by shoving him, DF admits that he threw the first punch, hitting JM in the face. (Pis.’ 56.11 ¶¶ 172-18; Declaration of Maurizio Savoiardo, Docket No. 35 (“Savoiardo Deck”), Ex. E, at 96:12-13.)

The fight arose “over a girl” named Nicole, who DF previously dated. (Savoiar-do Deck, Ex. E, at 75:10-15; Pis.’ 56.1 ¶ 12.)3 DF sent text messages to JM at some point prior to the fight, instructing JM to “[t]ell your girl don’t disrespect me ... or we’re going to have problems.” (Savoiardo Deck, Ex. E, at 79:13-18.) DF does not recall, however, why he felt disrespected by Nicole. (Id. at 78:5-9.) In those same text messages, DF threatened to harm JM in various ways; threatened to steal his belongings; and attempted to extort money from him in exchange for not seriously harming him. (See Savoiardo Deck, Ex. M (DF wrote: “u deserve a good ass kicking”; “ima break ur bones”; “u either getting ur ass kicked or coughing up 500dollars two options pick now”; “I been waiting to beat that ass how they gonna like u with 2 teeth”; “I’m taking ur shoes phone chains everything breaking ur shit lil bitch”.))4

After the fight was broken up, Assistant Principal Fink escorted DF back to his [614]*614office. (Pis.’ 56.1 ¶ 19.) Once there, Fink asked DF what happened; why it happened; if DF was ok; and if DF wanted to see the nurse. (Id. ¶ 22.) Although the parties dispute whether DF admitted to Fink that he searched for JM and instigated the fight, (id. ¶23), and whether DF stated that the fight would not be over until he put JM in the hospital, (id. ¶ 26), DF admitted that he sent threatening text messages to JM prior to the fight. (Pis.’ 56.1 ¶ 24; see also Savoiardo Deck, Ex. E, at 79:13-18, Ex. M.)5

Fink then decided to search DF and his backpack, purportedly as a result of DF’s continued threats to harm JM. (Pis.’ 56.1 ¶ 52.)6 After searching DF’s backpack, Fink informed DF that he was going to search his person. (Pis.’ 56.1 ¶ 54.) DF protested, at which time Deputy Sheriff Claire Pierson, the Carmel High School Resource Officer, informed DF that she and Fink had the right to search him. (Id. ¶¶ 51, 57, 58.) At this point, Pierson claims that DF handed her a pair of pliers from his pocket. (Id. ¶ 59.) DF claims that Pier-son shoved her hand into his pocket and removed the pliers. (Id. ¶ 60.)

DF was ultimately suspended for five days for assaulting JM. (Pis.’ 56.1 ¶¶ 107, 68.) JM was not suspended, as the School District determined he was not at fault. (Id. ¶ 69.)

2. The Events of February 26, 2013

On February 26, 2013, DF was searching Carmel High School for his cellular phone. (Id. ¶¶ 80, 83.) DF attempted to enter a class in which he was not currently a student, but was stopped by Ryan Dali, a teacher who was on hall monitor duty at the time. (Id. ¶¶ 80-81.) Dali asked DF whether he was a student in the class and DF responded that he was not. (Id. ¶¶ 82-83.) Dali then instructed DF to return to his current class. (Id. ¶ 84.)

DF refused to return to class, prompting Dali to position himself between DF and the classroom door. (Id. ¶ 85.) The parties dispute whether Dali then shoved DF multiple times or merely put his arm in between DF and the door. (Id.) Next, Dali purportedly informed the class’ teacher, Ms. Flynn, not to let “this boy” — referring to DF — into the classroom. (Id. ¶ 88.) DF asserts that Dali called him “boy” in a pejorative and discriminatory manner. (Compl. ¶ 41.) When Dali attempted to close the door after speaking to Ms. Flynn, DF stuck his foot in the doorway to keep it open. (Pis.’ 56.1 ¶ 89.)8 Dali then purport[615]*615edly “guided” DF back with his arm to shut the door. {Id. ¶ 90.) DF jumped back and told Dali to take his hands off of him. {Id.)

Principal Carroll interviewed Ms. Flynn after the incident, who stated that she did not see Dali touch DF in any way or speak inappropriately to him. {Id. ¶¶ 91-93.)

3. The Events of March 11, 2014

On March 11, 2014, JM sent DF a text message in which he used a racial slur to refer to DF. {Id. ¶ 94.) After receiving the text message, DF entered the classroom in which JM was sitting and punched him. {Id. ¶ 96.) DF was suspended for five days for punching JM; JM was suspended for two days for using a racial slur. {Id. ¶¶ 97-98.)

4. Events Involving Ms. Romanovsky

Two incidents involving DF’s science teacher, Ms. Romanovsky, are at issue in this matter. The dates on which these incidents occurred are not clearly stated in the parties’ submissions.

First, Romanovsky purportedly accused DF of cheating because DF finished his exam before every other student in his class. {Id. ¶¶ 70-71, 146.) Despite her accusation, DF passed the class and was never disciplined for cheating. {Id.)

Second, DF claims that Romanovsky would not let him go to the bathroom during class, while permitting other students to do so. {Id.

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168 F. Supp. 3d 609, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27044, 2016 WL 866958, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jf-ex-rel-df-v-carmel-central-school-district-nysd-2016.