Kleisch v. Cleveland State University, Unpublished Decision (3-21-2006)

2006 Ohio 1300
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 21, 2006
DocketNo. 05AP-289.
StatusUnpublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 2006 Ohio 1300 (Kleisch v. Cleveland State University, Unpublished Decision (3-21-2006)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kleisch v. Cleveland State University, Unpublished Decision (3-21-2006), 2006 Ohio 1300 (Ohio Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

OPINION
{¶ 1} Plaintiff-appellant, Marie G. Kleisch, appeals from a judgment of the Court of Claims of Ohio in favor of defendant-appellee, Cleveland State University ("university" or "CSU"). For the following reasons, we affirm the judgment of the Court of Claims.

{¶ 2} At approximately 9 a.m. in the morning on August 3, 2001, a stranger attacked and raped plaintiff, who at that time was a CSU student and was studying in a university lecture hall for a final examination that was to be held there approximately one hour later that same day. Thereafter, in July 2003, alleging four causes of action and seeking declaratory relief and monetary damages, plaintiff sued the university, university police, and the university's chief of police in both his official and individual capacity.1 In her complaint, plaintiff claimed, among other things, that: (1) the university's chief of police acted with malice, in bad faith, or in a wanton or reckless manner and, consequently he was not entitled to civil immunity under R.C. 9.86 and 2743.02(F);2 (2) the university and university police were negligent under the common law and under the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur; and (3) the university and university police violated R.C. 4101.11, thereby breaching a duty of care toward plaintiff.

{¶ 3} After a bench trial wherein the issues of liability and damages were bifurcated, the trial court found that the university's chief of police was entitled to civil immunity and the trial court also rendered judgment in favor of the university. From the trial court's judgment, plaintiff now appeals. In this appeal, plaintiff does not challenge the trial court's determination that the university's chief of police was entitled to civil immunity under R.C. 9.86 and former 2743.02(F).

{¶ 4} Plaintiff assigns a single error for our consideration:

THE TRIAL COURT ERRED AS A MATTER OF LAW BY FINDING THAT A RAPE OF A STATE COLLEGE STUDENT IN A CLASSROOM DURING BUSINESS HOURS WAS NOT FORESEEABLE AND BY FINDING THAT APPELLANT FAILED TO PROVE ANY DUTY OWED TO HER THAT PROXIMATELY CAUSED HER INJURY.

{¶ 5} By her complaint, plaintiff asserted four causes of action: (1) declaratory judgment seeking a declaration that the university's chief of police was not entitled to immunity under R.C. 9.86 and 2743.02, (2) negligence against the university and the university police department, (3) breach of R.C. 4101.11 by the university and university police department, and (4) res ipsa loquitur.

{¶ 6} "The doctrine of res ipsa loquitur is not a substantive rule of law furnishing an independent ground for recovery; rather, it is an evidentiary rule which permits, but does not require, the jury to draw an inference of negligence when the logical premises for the inference are demonstrated." JenningsBuick, Inc. v. Cincinnati (1980), 63 Ohio St.2d 167, 169. Because the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur is an evidentiary rule and not a substantive rule of law furnishing an independent ground for recovery, id. at 169, it cannot constitute a legally cognizable basis for a claim. Therefore, to the extent plaintiff contends that the trial court erred by not finding in her favor as to this cause of action, such a contention is not well-taken. Furthermore, because the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur is an evidentiary rule that permits, but does not require, the trier of fact to draw an inference of negligence, we conclude the issue raised by plaintiff's fourth cause of action is incorporated within plaintiff's claim of negligence.3 See id. at 170 (stating that "[t]he doctrine of res ipsa loquitur does not alter the nature of plaintiff's claim in a negligence action; it is merely a method of proving the defendant's negligence through the use of circumstantial evidence").

{¶ 7} Plaintiff's third cause of action seeks relief under R.C. 4101.11.4 R.C. 4101.11 is commonly referred to as the "frequenter statute." Eicher v. United States Steel Corp. (1987), 32 Ohio St.3d 248, 249. Under R.C. 4101.11, the duty owed to frequenters "is no more than a codification of the common-law duty owed by an owner or occupier of premises to invitees, requiring that the premises be kept in a reasonably safe condition, and that warning be given of dangers of which he has knowledge." Eicher, at 249. Accordingly, we conclude that the issue raised by plaintiff's third cause of action also is incorporated within plaintiff's claim of negligence.

{¶ 8} "[T]o recover on a negligence claim, a plaintiff must prove (1) that the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty, (2) that the defendant breached that duty, and (3) that the breach of the duty proximately caused the plaintiff's injury." Chambers v. St.Mary's School (1998), 82 Ohio St.3d 563, 565, reconsideration denied, 83 Ohio St.3d 1453, citing Wellman v. E. Ohio Gas Co. (1953), 160 Ohio St. 103, 108-109; Sedar v. Knowlton Constr.Co. (1990), 49 Ohio St.3d 193, 198, overruled on other grounds,Brennaman v. R.M.I. Co. (1994), 70 Ohio St.3d 460.

{¶ 9} "`Duty, as used in Ohio tort law, refers to the relationship between the plaintiff and the defendant from which arises an obligation on the part of the defendant to exercise due care toward the plaintiff.'" Wallace v. Ohio Dept. of Commerce,Div. of State Fire Marshal, 96 Ohio St.3d 266, 2002-Ohio-4210, at ¶ 23, quoting Commerce Industry Ins. Co. v. Toledo (1989),45 Ohio St.3d 96, 98. Whether a duty exists in a negligence action is a question of law for a court to determine. Mussivandv. David (1989), 45 Ohio St.3d 314, 318; Wallace, at ¶ 22.5

{¶ 10} "[T]he duty element of negligence may be established by common law, by legislative enactment, or by the particular circumstances of a given case." Wallace, at ¶ 23, citingChambers, supra, at 565; Eisenhuth v. Moneyhon (1954),161 Ohio St. 367, paragraph one of the syllabus. The existence of a duty depends on foreseeability of harm. Menifee v. Ohio WeldingProducts, Inc. (1984), 15 Ohio St.3d 75, 77; Wallace, at ¶ 23.

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Bluebook (online)
2006 Ohio 1300, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kleisch-v-cleveland-state-university-unpublished-decision-3-21-2006-ohioctapp-2006.