John Griffin Headrick v. Aaron Brown, Scott Lutton, Kerry Deyoung, Daniel Jones, John Does(s)

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Washington
DecidedNovember 24, 2025
Docket2:25-cv-00372
StatusUnknown

This text of John Griffin Headrick v. Aaron Brown, Scott Lutton, Kerry Deyoung, Daniel Jones, John Does(s) (John Griffin Headrick v. Aaron Brown, Scott Lutton, Kerry Deyoung, Daniel Jones, John Does(s)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
John Griffin Headrick v. Aaron Brown, Scott Lutton, Kerry Deyoung, Daniel Jones, John Does(s), (E.D. Wash. 2025).

Opinion

1 2 FILED IN THE 3 U.S. DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON Nov 24, 2025 4 SEAN F. MCAVOY, CLERK 5 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON 6

7 JOHN GRIFFIN HEADRICK, #997137 NO. 2:25-CV-0372-TOR 8 Plaintiff, ORDER ON DEFENDANTS’ 9 MOTION TO DISMISS v. 10 AARON BROWN, SCOTT 11 LUTTON, KERRY DEYOUNG, DANIEL JONES, JOHN DOES(S) 12 Defendants. 13

14 BEFORE THE COURT are Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 3), 15 Plaintiff’s Motion to Remand (ECF No. 5), Plaintiff’s Motion to Amend (ECF No. 16 6), and Plaintiff’s Motion for an Extension to Reply to Defendants’ Motion to 17 Dismiss (ECF No. 13). These matters were submitted for consideration without 18 oral argument. The Court has reviewed the record and files herein and is fully 19 informed. For the reasons discussed below, Defendants’ Moton to Dismiss (ECF 20 No. 3) is GRANTED, Plaintiff’s Motion to Remand (ECF No. 5) is DENIED, and 1 Plaintiff’s Motion to Amend (ECF No. 6) is DENIED, Plaintiff’s Motion for an 2 Extension to Reply to Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 13) is DENIED.

3 BACKGROUND 4 This case arises from claims of Eighth Amendment violations for cruel and 5 unusual punishment, reckless disregard or deliberate indifference, negligence, and

6 assault and battery. ECF No. 1-2 at 10-21. Plaintiff alleges these claims stem 7 from the use of a chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (“CS”) grenade in an 8 unauthorized training exercise that exposed Plaintiff to harmful conditions and 9 lasting effects. ECF No. 1-2 at 5-29, 32. Plaintiff claims that Defendants acted

10 purposely when they conducted this training, and the uncontrollable wind blew the 11 gas into the HVAC system that connects to the prisoners’ cells. ECF No. 1-2 at 8- 12 10. Plaintiff continues he was not let out of his cell or able to decontaminate until

13 at least four hours later. ECF No. 1-2 at 14. Furthermore, he researched the 14 effects and realized this was likely causing some of his symptoms. ECF No. 1-2 at 15 15-16. Plaintiff contends Defendants acted with reckless disregard and deliberate 16 indifference toward him by failing to circulate air, failing to allow him to leave his

17 cell, failing to decontaminate his cell, and failing to inform him of the harms of the 18 gas, among other things. ECF No. 1-2. 19 Additionally, Plaintiff attached a letter from the Washington Department of

20 Corrections that stated there was an AHCC correctional staff training in the early 1 morning hours. ECF No. 1-2 at 32. The letter continues that it included CS use, 2 which is commonly used in training. Id. However, there was a shift in wind from

3 outside the training location that drifted towards the T Unit. Id. In response, they 4 shut down unit air handlers to prevent further exposure and changed the filters 5 before turning them back on. ECF No. 1-2 at 32. The letter provides common

6 symptoms of secondary exposure and that a small number of incarcerated 7 individuals reported these or similar symptoms but that there were no serious 8 injuries. Id. Those reporting symptoms were being assessed by the medical staff. 9 ECF No. 1-2 at 32. Plaintiff filed a complaint with the Department of Enterprise

10 Services, Office of Risk Management and his tort claim was denied. ECF No. 1-2 11 at 31. 12 In 2024, Plaintiff filed a claim under similar facts and the same claims

13 against the same defendants in Headrick v. Brown et al, 2:24-cv-00366-TOR. In 14 this case, the Court dismissed Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint and found that 15 Plaintiff’s federal claims did not state a claim. Id. In the Court’s Order for 16 Dismissal, the Court dismissed Plaintiff’s claims without prejudice to allow

17 Plaintiff to file his state law claims appropriately in the state court. Id. The Court 18 found any further amendment of Plaintiff’s Complaint would be unavailing. Id. 19 Subsequently, Plaintiff filed his claims at the Spokane County Superior Court but

20 left the federal claims in his complaint. ECF No. 1-2. 1 On September 19, 2025, Defendants removed this case to federal court under 2 federal question jurisdiction because Plaintiff, proceeding pro se, alleged violations

3 of the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and reckless disregard. ECF 4 No. 1-2 at 13-16, 19-21. On September 26, 2025, Defendants filed a Motion to 5 Dismiss claiming failure to state a claim among other issues. ECF No. 3. On

6 October 8, 2025, Plaintiff filed a Motion to Remand and Motion to Amend his 7 Complaint. ECF Nos. 5; 6. On November 19, 2025, which was three days after 8 the scheduled hearing date on the motion, Plaintiff filed a Motion for Extension of 9 Time to Reply to this motion and subsequently filed his response. ECF Nos. 13;

10 14. 11 Plaintiff filed his Motion to Remand stating he did not allege a claim under 12 federal law. ECF No. 5. Plaintiff alleges Defendants misconstrued his cruel and

13 unusual punishment claim as federal when instead it was meant as a state law 14 claim under Washington’s Constitution. ECF No. 5. Accordingly, Plaintiff moved 15 to amend his complaint to appropriately reflect this. ECF No. 6. 16 DISCUSSION

17 A. Motion to Amend & Remand 18 Under 28 U.S.C. § 1331, a federal court has original jurisdiction. Original 19 jurisdiction is present in federal court for “all civil actions arising under the

20 Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States.” Negrete v. City of Oakland, 46 1 F.4th 811, 816 (9th Cir. 2022) (quoting 28 U.S.C. § 1331). This is met if the 2 claims asserted arise under federal law. Negrete, 46 F.4th 811 at 816.

3 Regarding the complaint and claims, “the plaintiff is ‘the master of the 4 complaint.’” Holmes Grp., Inc. v. Vornado Air Circulation Sys., Inc., 535 U.S. 5 826, 831 (2002) (quoting Caterpillar Inc. v. Williams, 482 U.S. 386, 398-399

6 (1987)). A party may amend his pleading once as long as it is either “(A) 21 days 7 after serving it, or (B) if the pleading is one to which a responsive pleading is 8 required, 21 days after service of a responsive pleading or 21 days after service of 9 a motion under Rule 12(b), (e), or (f), whichever is earlier.” FED. R. CIV. P. §

10 15(a)(1). Otherwise, the party will either need the opposing party’s permission or 11 leave of the court. FED. R. CIV. P. § 15(a)(2). The Court may grant leave to amend 12 when justice so requires it. Hall v. City of Los Angeles, 697 F.3d 1059, 1073 (9th

13 Cir. 2012). 14 A motion to remand based on a defect, not including subject matter 15 jurisdiction, shall be filed within thirty days after the notice of removal was filed 16 under section 1446(a). 27 U.S.C. § 1447. However, if the Court lacks subject

17 matter jurisdiction, the district court may remand the case, as long as it is before 18 final judgment. Id. 19 Pro se pleadings are liberally construed to “afford the petitioner the benefit

20 of any doubt.” Watison v. Carter, 668 F.3d 1108, 1112 (9th Cir. 2012) (quoting 1 Hebbe v. Pliler, 627 F.3d 338, 342 (9th Cir. 2010)). This is especially important 2 for cases arising out of civil rights violations. Ferdik v.

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Bluebook (online)
John Griffin Headrick v. Aaron Brown, Scott Lutton, Kerry Deyoung, Daniel Jones, John Does(s), Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/john-griffin-headrick-v-aaron-brown-scott-lutton-kerry-deyoung-daniel-waed-2025.