Jones v. Bay Shore Union Free School District

947 F. Supp. 2d 270, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 74713, 2013 WL 2316643
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedMay 28, 2013
DocketNo. 12-CV-4051 (JS)(GRB)
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 947 F. Supp. 2d 270 (Jones v. Bay Shore Union Free School District) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jones v. Bay Shore Union Free School District, 947 F. Supp. 2d 270, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 74713, 2013 WL 2316643 (E.D.N.Y. 2013).

Opinion

[273]*273 MEMORANDUM & ORDER

SEYBERT, District Judge.

Currently pending before the Court is Defendants Bay Shore Union Free School District (the “District”), Peter J. Dion (“Dion”), Evelyn Bloise Holman (“Holman”), -and Robert Pashken’s (“Pashken” and collectively, “Defendants”) motion to dismiss the Amended Complaint. Aso pending before the Court is Plaintiff Charles W. Jones’ (“Plaintiff’) cross-motion to amend. For the following reasons, Defendants’ motion to dismiss is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART and Plaintiffs cross-motion to amend is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART.

BACKGROUND 1

Plaintiff commenced this action on August 14, 2012 against Defendants alleging claims pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for violations of Plaintiffs constitutional rights secured by the First and Fourteenth Amendments and for deprivation of Plaintiffs equal protection and due process rights secured by the Fourteenth Amendment. Plaintiff also claims that Defendants deprived him of his rights secured by the New York State Constitution. Finally, Plaintiff claims that Defendants “intentionally sought to humiliate plaintiff and cause him emotional distress by falsely alleging wrongful conduct by plaintiff which purportedly occurred over two decades ago, and by defendants’ other wrongful conduct.” (Am. Compl. ¶ 48.)

Plaintiff is a resident in the District and his daughter attended Bay Shore High School. (Am. Compl. ¶¶ 8, 19.) In or about 1998, Plaintiff formed a not-for-profit corporation called Long Island Community Advocates Coalition, Inc. (“LICAC”) which advocates for minority children in the District. (Am. Compl. ¶¶ 10-11.) Through his association with LICAC, Plaintiff has become known as an outspoken critic of the District, particularly after a meeting between Plaintiff and Defendant Dion in 2011 during which Plaintiff provided Dion with a national report regarding disproportionate punishment given to minority students. (Am. Compl. ¶¶ 17-18.)

Plaintiff alleges that Defendants have retaliated against Plaintiff as a result of his criticism of the District. (Am. Compl. ¶ 19.) For example, in December 2011, Plaintiff informed Dion that he would like to speak at an upcoming Board of Education meeting regarding a minority parents organization. (Am. Compl. ¶ 20.) Thereafter, Plaintiff received a letter from Dion, on behalf of the District and reflecting a policy adopted by Defendant Holman, stating that Plaintiff was not permitted on District property. (Am. Compl. 111121-22.) According to Plaintiff, this “policy” was the result of accusations by Defendants that Plaintiff had engaged in inappropriate conduct while he was employed by the District over twenty years ago. (Am. Compl. ¶¶ 19, 25.) The District subsequently revised its policy to allow Plaintiff on District property if he had advance permission from Dion. (Am. Compl. ¶ 24.) However, no other residents are subject to such a policy. (Am. Compl. ¶ 24.)

In addition to this policy, Plaintiff alleges other discriminatory and retaliatory conduct by Defendants. In or about February 2012, Plaintiffs daughter, Damalii, was involved in an altercation with another female student. (Am. Compl. ¶ 27.) Plaintiff claims that the District, Dion, and Pashken retaliated against Plaintiff when [274]*274Pashken gave Damalii a principal suspension without a prior meeting with Plaintiff and Dion subjected Damalii to a superintendent suspension. (Am. Compl. ¶¶ 26, 28.) At the superintendent’s hearing, Plaintiff “was threatened that if he did not consent to a suspension for the remainder of the school year, the School District would not provide Damalii with home instruction, as was the School District’s customary practice, and she would not receive her high school diploma.” (Am. Compl. ¶ 29.) Plaintiff did not consent, and the District relied on the consent of Damalii’s mother, who was not Damalii’s custodial parent. (Am. Compl. ¶ 30.)

[275]*275A. First Amendment Retaliation

Plaintiff alleges that Defendants retaliated against him for expressing criticism of the District by prohibiting Plaintiff from entering District property or attending Board meetings, accusing Plaintiff of having engaged in inappropriate conduct while employed with the District approximately twenty years ago, and disproportionately punishing his daughter.

Generally, a private citizen bringing a First Amendment retaliation claim must allege that “(1) he has an interest protected by the First Amendment; (2) defendants’ actions were motivated or substantially caused by his exercise of that right; and (3) defendants’ action effectively chilled the exercise of his First Amendment right.” Curley v. Vill. of Suffem, 268 F.3d 65, 73 (2d Cir.2001). Defendants primarily argue that Plaintiff has not sufficiently alleged any “actual chill.” Even if Plaintiff has asserted actual chill, however, Defendants further argue that Plaintiff cannot show that Defendants’ actions were substantially motived by Plaintiffs speech. Finally, Defendants also challenge one of the bases for Plaintiffs retaliation claim, arguing that Plaintiff cannot state a retaliation claim based on the discipline of his daughter. The Court will address each of these arguments in turn.

1. Actual Chill

“Where a party can show no change in his behavior, he has quite plainly shown no chilling of his First Amendment right to free speech.” Id. Defendants maintain that there has been no change in Plaintiffs behavior because he continues to criticize the District, and his Complaint specifically includes allegations that Plaintiff “regularly appears on a television program on public access, often commenting on issues facing the School District” and “often speaks at community meetings regarding racial issues within the School District.” (Am. Compl. ¶¶ 13-14.)

Plaintiff responds that there has been a change in his behavior, and therefore an actual chill, because he no longer attends Board meetings. (Pl.’s Opp., Docket Entry 17, at 11 (“[SJince Jones could not attend the December 14, 2011 meeting, and has not attended any school board meetings since, his First Amendment rights were actually chilled.”).) However, the Amended Complaint does not include any allegation that Plaintiff has not attended Board meetings since Defendants’ conduct. Rather, Plaintiff raises this allegation for the first time in the SAC. Applying motion to dismiss standards, the Court finds that Plaintiff should be permitted to amend the Complaint to include the allegation that he has not attended Board meetings after Defendants’ conduct.

Initially, the Court notes that the fact that Plaintiff has continued to criticize the District does not preclude a finding of “actual chill.” For example, in Bartels v. Incorporated Village of Lloyd, the Court addressed a similar issue on a motion for summary judgment. 751 F.Supp.2d 387 (E.D.N.Y.2010). There, plaintiff continued to voice his concerns and complaints, including in various media outlets. Id. at 401. The plaintiff also asserted, however, that he stopped attending Village board meetings after the alleged retaliatory conduct. Id. The court found that the plaintiff raised a question of material fact as to whether his First Amendment rights were actually chilled. Id.

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Bluebook (online)
947 F. Supp. 2d 270, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 74713, 2013 WL 2316643, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jones-v-bay-shore-union-free-school-district-nyed-2013.