K.U. Ex Rel. Michael U. v. Alvin Independent School District

991 F. Supp. 599, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67, 1998 WL 7636
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedJanuary 6, 1998
DocketCiv.A. G-97-056
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 991 F. Supp. 599 (K.U. Ex Rel. Michael U. v. Alvin Independent School District) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
K.U. Ex Rel. Michael U. v. Alvin Independent School District, 991 F. Supp. 599, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67, 1998 WL 7636 (S.D. Tex. 1998).

Opinion

ORDER

KENT, District Judge.

This ease was removed to this Court on January 29, 1997 from the 149th Judicial District Court of Brazoria County, Texas. Plaintiff alleges claims of, inter alia, retaliation, discrimination, and violations of the Rehabilitation Act of Í973, 29 U.S.C. § 794 (“section 504”), requesting injunctive and other declaratory relief. Now before thé Court is Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss and/or for Summary Judgment, filed December 1, 1997. For the reasons stated below, the Motion to Dismiss is GRANTED.

I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

The facts of this case, as tediously and painstakingly recited in Plaintiffs Second Amended Complaint, are voluminous. The fact section alone comprises 45 pages of the Second Amended Complaint. Consequently, the Court declines to comprehensively recite the facts. A brief summary will suffice. Plaintiff K.U. is a fourteen year old student in the tenth grade at Alvin High School, in the Alvin Independent School District (“AISD”). K.U. sustained a traumatic brain injury in June of 1991 which has caused him to suffer from “frontal lobe syndrome.” Plaintiff alleges that the teachers and administrators of KU.’s school have failed to adequately meet his individua! educational needs resulting from his disability. Plaintiff also alleges that Defendants have retaliated against K.U. for the outspoken conduct of KU.’s parents. In Plaintiffs words, “Mr. and Mrs. U. perceived that the [school] personnel were circling one fratemal/sororal wagons [sic] against the U. family.” K.U. alleges that he was prevented the opportunity to participate in school-related activities, such as basketball aiid journalism, and excluded from certain classes, all because he was a member of the U. family. Plaintiff also complains about AISD’s attempt to classify K.U. as' in need of “special education,” alleging that it is “stigmatizing and negatively affect [sic] academic records.”

The incidents which constitute the basis of Plaintiffs claims include allegations such as: K.U.’s band director implied that he was “drain bamaged”; his English teacher failed to assist him in his studies; he was removed from some of his classes because of poor performance; he was removed from the basketball team when others were allowed to remain; KU.’s teachers are not properly trained in the area of his’ disability; Defendants did not use the best available training facilitator; certain teachers did not follow K.U.’s approved section 504 plan; and that K.U. has been stigmatized as “special.” 1

*602 Despite his frontal lobe syndrome, the record reveals that K.U. has continued to make passing grades since his accident. He passed the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (“TAAS”) test in the spring of 1996, and has been provided with a written 504 accommodation plan since 1995. Although Dr. Jack Fletcher, a physician hired by K.U.’s parents themselves, recommended in January of 1995 that K.U. be evaluated for special education programs, KU.’s parents successfully resisted such efforts. Due to his parents’ refusal to allow him to be evaluated for special education, the special education hearing officer denied AISD’s request to evaluate K.U. The officer found that K.U. was achieving reasonable educational progress in the regular education environment.

On August 27, 1997, pursuant to a request by K.U.’s parents, a hearing was held under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. At the hearing, the section 504 Hearing Officer found that “AISD personnel have exercised good faith in the implementation of [K.U.]’s Section 504 program,” that AISD “provided reasonable accommodations for the Petitioner in accordance with Section 504 which allowed [K.U.] to receive a free, appropriate public education under the Act,” and that Plaintiff failed to meet his burden to show that AISD acted with intent to discriminate or used gross misjudgment in the development and implementation of the section 504 program. The Hearing Officer denied all relief requested by Plaintiff.

II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Plaintiff initially filed this action on January 28, 1997 in the 149th Judicial District Court of Brazoria County. Defendants removed to this Court on January 29, 1997. Proceedings were stayed in this Court pending the outcome of the section 504 Hearing, which occurred on August 27,1997. On September 11, 1997 the section 504 Hearing Officer issued a finding that AISD did not violate KU.’s rights under section 504.

The Court held a status conference on October 3, 1997, ordering Plaintiff to file an Amended Complaint setting forth with specificity the precise nature of the claims being made in this suit. Plaintiff filed a Second Amended Complaint on November 7, 1997, which is 49 pages long and includes 43 pages of factual allegations. The claims portion, however, is largely incomprehensible. Upon recognizing that Plaintiff’s Second Amended Complaint failed to adequately state Plaintiff’s claims with specificity, as Ordered by the Court in the status conference, the Court then Ordered the parties to file any disposi-tive motions they deemed appropriate. In response, Defendants filed the present Motion to Dismiss and/or for Summary Judgment. Plaintiff, without leave, filed his Third Amended Complaint on December 1. On December 12, the Court Denied Plaintiff’s request for leave to file his Third Amended Complaint, and Ordered it stricken from the record. Accordingly, in the consideration of this Motion to Dismiss/for Summary Judgment, the Court will consider only Plaintiffs Second Amended Complaint. 2

III. ANALYSIS

When considering a Motion to Dismiss for failure to state a claim, the Court accepts as true all well-pleaded allegations in the complaint, and views them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. See Malina v. Gonzales, 994 F.2d 1121, 1125 (5th Cir.1993). Such motions should be granted only when it appears without a doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of her claims that would entitle her to relief. Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46, 78 S.Ct. 99, 102, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957); Tuchman v. DSC Communications Corp., 14 F.3d 1061, 1067 (5th Cir.1994).

Summary judgment is appropriate if there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56. *603 Rule 56(e) requires that when a motion for summary judgment is made, the nonmoving party must set forth set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. Id.; See Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 250, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2510, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The mere existence of some

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991 F. Supp. 599, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67, 1998 WL 7636, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ku-ex-rel-michael-u-v-alvin-independent-school-district-txsd-1998.