Joseph Aaron McKissick v. Josie Gastello

District Court, C.D. California·Decided May 7, 2021·No. 2:21-cv-01945·Unknown

Opinion

JOSEPH AARON MCKISSICK, Case No. 2:21-cv-01945-VAP (MAA) Plaintiff, MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER DISMISSING FIRST v. AMENDED COMPLAINT WITH JOSIE GASTELO, Defendant. 16 7

On March 1, 2021, Plaintiff Joseph Aaron McKissick (“Plaintiff”), a California inmate housed at California Men’s Colony State Prison (“CMC”), proceeding pro se, filed a Complaint alleging violations of his civil rights pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (“Section 1983”). (Compl., ECF No. 1.) On March 4, 2021, the Court granted Plaintiff’s Request to Proceed Without Prepayment of Filing Fees. (ECF Nos. 2, 5.) Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B) and 28 U.S.C. § 1915A, on April 13, 2021, the Court screened and dismissed the Complaint with leave to amend. (Order Dismiss. Compl., ECF No. 8.) Plaintiff filed a First Amended Complaint (“FAC”) on April 19, 2021. (FAC, ECF No. 9.) The Court has screened the FAC, and dismisses it with leave to amend for the reasons stated below. No later than June 7, 2021, Plaintiff must either: (1) file a Second Amended Complaint; or (2) advise the Court that Plaintiff no longer intends to pursue this lawsuit. II. PLAINTIFF’S ALLEGATIONS AND CLAIMS1 The FAC is filed against Josie Gastelo, former head warden of CMC, in her individual capacity (“Defendant”). (FAC 3.)2 Defendant failed to prevent or minimize the spread of COVID-19 at CMC because she failed to implement the six-feet social and living conditions distancing ordered by the Center for Disease Control, federal and state governments, and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary Kathleen Allison. (Id. at 5.) Defendant ordered all programs to stop and ordered her subordinates to wear masks, to supply inmates with masks, and to implement six- feet social and living distancing. (Id. 5–6.) The staff refused to wear masks until the outbreak occurred at CMC, and then only wore a mask when a supervisor or inspector was present. (Id.) Defendant’s subordinates never implemented the six-feet social and living distancing and failed to reduce the capacity of the dorms. (Id. at 6–7.) Defendant failed to oversee the orders given to her subordinates. (Id. at 7.) Defendant’s mother called Defendant to ask that Plaintiff be released to an ankle monitor program out of concern for his safety. (Id. at 6.) Defendant told

1 The Court summarizes Plaintiff’s allegations and claims in the FAC and attached exhibits, without opining on their veracity or making any findings of fact. See Durning v. First Boston Corp., 815 F.2d 1265, 1267 (9th Cir. 1987) (explaining that documents attached to a complaint are part of the complaint and may be considered in determining whether the plaintiff can prove any set of facts in support of the claim).

2 Citations to pages in docketed documents reference those generated by CM/ECF. Plaintiff’s mother to have the Plaintiff contact his counselor. (Id.) On August 8, 2020, Plaintiff filed a “602” asking to go through the accelerated release program and transferred to transitional housing or an ankle monitoring program. (Id. at 11– 13.) On January 2, 2021, Plaintiff tested positive for COVID-19 and was transferred to F yard in the West Facility in a dorm with other inmates not in isolation. (Id.) Plaintiff remained in the dorm for three weeks. (Id.) Medical staff told Plaintiff that it was best for every inmate to test positive so COVID-19 among inmates could be resolved for up to 90 days. (Id.) COVID-19 was intentionally inflicted upon the inmate population by the staff or subordinates of Defendant. (Id.) Plaintiff lost his ability to taste and smell, and is still suffering headaches and psychological damage. (Id. at 6–7) Plaintiff asserts an Eighth Amendment claim, and seeks declaratory relief and damages. (Id. at 5, 7.) Federal courts must conduct a preliminary screening of any case in which a prisoner seeks redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity (28 U.S.C. § 1915A), or in which a plaintiff proceeds in forma pauperis (28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)). The court must identify cognizable claims and dismiss any complaint, or any portion thereof, that is: (1) frivolous or malicious, (2) fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or (3) seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B), 1915A(b). When screening a complaint to determine whether it fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, courts apply the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) (“Rule 12(b)(6)”) standard. See Wilhelm v. Rotman, 680 F.3d 1113, 1121 (9th Cir. 2012) (applying the Rule 12(b)(6) standard to 28 U.S.C. § 1915A); Watison v. Carter, 668 F.3d 1108, 1112 (9th Cir. 2012) (applying the Rule 12(b)(6) standard to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii)). To survive a Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal, “a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). “A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Id. Although “detailed factual allegations” are not required, “an unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation”; “labels and conclusions”; “naked assertion[s] devoid of further factual enhancement”; and “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements” do not suffice. Id. “Dismissal under Rule 12(b)(6) is appropriate only where the complaint lacks a cognizable legal theory or sufficient facts to support a cognizable legal theory.” Hartmann v. Cal. Dep’t of Corr. & Rehab., 707 F.3d 1114, 1122 (9th Cir. 2013) (quoting Mendiondo v. Centinela Hosp. Med. Ctr., 521 F.3d 1097, 1104 (9th Cir. 2008)). In reviewing a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, courts will accept factual allegations as true and view them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. Park v. Thompson, 851 F.3d 910, 918 (9th Cir. 2017). Moreover, where a plaintiff is appearing pro se, particularly in civil rights cases, courts construe pleadings liberally and afford the plaintiff any benefit of the doubt. Wilhelm, 680 F.3d at 1121. “If there are two alternative explanations, one advanced by defendant and the other advanced by plaintiff, both of which are plausible, plaintiff’s complaint survives a mot

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