Lloyd v. Burt

997 F. Supp. 2d 71, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17791, 2014 WL 545541
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedFebruary 7, 2014
DocketCivil Action No. 13-30011-KPN
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 997 F. Supp. 2d 71 (Lloyd v. Burt) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lloyd v. Burt, 997 F. Supp. 2d 71, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17791, 2014 WL 545541 (D. Mass. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER REGARDING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS

(Document No. 18)

NEIMAN, United States Magistrate Judge.

Presently before the court is a motion by Greg Burt (“Burt”) and the Town of Southwick, Massachusetts (“Southwick”) (together “Defendants”), seeking dismissal of the seven statutory and tort claims brought by Christina Lloyd (“Plaintiff’). Plaintiff alleges a violation of Mass. Gen. Law Ann. ch. 12, § 111 (Count 1), as well as claims of assault and battery (Count II), negligence (Count III), malicious prosecution (Count IV), intentional infliction of emotional distress (Count V), and negligent infliction of emotional distress (Count VI), against Burt. Plaintiff also advances a sole count of negligence against Southwick (Count VII).

The parties have consented to this court’s jurisdiction. See 28 U.S.C. § 636(c); Fed.R.CivP. 73. For the following reasons, Defendants’ motion will be allowed in part and denied in part.

I. Background

Accepting as true Plaintiffs allegations, the facts are as follows. On May 18, 2010, Plaintiff, who resides in Connecticut, was babysitting her then two-year-old nephew at the child’s residence in Massachusetts; the child’s mother had been killed recently in an automobile accident and the child’s father was not at home, as he was making funeral arrangements. (Amended Complaint (Document No. 17) at ¶ 6.) That evening, members of the Southwick Police Department, including Burt, arrived at the residence, purportedly to assist the Department of Children and Families (“DCF”) in removing the child. (Id. at ¶ 7.) Neither DCF nor the Southwick Police Department had a warrant or any court authorization to remove the child. (Id.)

The officers told Plaintiff that the child needed to be handed over to DCF workers, and Plaintiff refused. (Id. at ¶ 8.) She was shoved onto a nearby couch and handcuffed. (Id.) Burt then “yanked” Plaintiff to her feet and led her from the residence. (Id.) He “proceeded to jerk [Plaintiff] back and forth by her handcuffed wrists, causing her injuries to her left and right shoulders and back.” (Id.) When Plaintiff “attempted to defend herself,” Burt “shoved her to the ground smashing her head on a rock in the driveway.” (Id.) Burt “then yanked her up, placed her in the back seat of his cruiser and transported her to the Southwick Police Department.” (Id.) She was later transported by ambulance from the Southwick Police Department to a hospital. (Id. ¶ 9.) Plaintiff alleges that Burt caused criminal proceedings of two counts of assault and battery on a police officer, pursuant to Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 265, § 13D, to be brought against her. (Id. ¶ 31.) Plaintiff further avers that she suffered damages as a result of Burt’s actions, including physical injury, emotional distress, and various other related expenses. (Id. ¶ 10.)

Plaintiff filed suit in state court on December 6, 2012, whereupon Defendants removed the case to this court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1441. Defendants then filed a motion to dismiss which Plaintiff opposed, requesting at the same time permission for leave to amend her complaint. Given that request, which the court granted, the court denied Defendants’ motion to dismiss without prejudice, Plaintiff then filed her amended complaint, followed by the instant motion to dismiss.

[76]*76II. Standard of Review

Generally, a complaint requires only “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 8(a)(2). However, “[t]o survive a motion to dismiss, 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, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)). To meet this standard, a plaintiff must “plead[] factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Id.

III. Discussion

A. Count I: Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 12, §§ 11H and 11I (against Burt)

Defendants seek dismissal of Count I, which alleges that Burt violated the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act (“MCRA”), Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 12, §§ 11H and 11I, on grounds that Plaintiff fails to allege that actions taken by Burt were intended to threaten, intimidate, or coerce Plaintiff as required by the statute. Defendants also argue that, to the extent that the allegation rests on a direct violation of Plaintiffs rights, it should be dismissed and that, in any event, the doctrine of qualified immunity insulates Burt from liability.

1. Threats, Intimidation, or Coercion

The MCRA provides a state remedy for the interference “by threats, intimidation or coercion, or attempt[s] to interfere by threats, intimidation or coercion, with the exercise or enjoyment by any other person or persons of rights secured by the constitution or laws of the United States, or of rights secured by the constitution or laws of the commonwealth.” Mass Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 12, § 11H. Section 11I of the statute authorizes private actions to vindicate these rights. “The remedy provided in §§ 11H and 11I is coextensive with the remedy provided under Federal law by means of 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (1982), except that the State statute does not condition the availability of the remedy on State action.” Redgrave v. Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc., 399 Mass. 93, 502 N.E.2d 1375, 1378 (1987). “Like all civil rights statutes, §§ 11H and 11I are entitled to liberal construction,” id., but the legislature did not intend to create “ ‘a vast constitutional tort,’ ” and thus “explicitly limited this remedy to situations where the derogation of secured rights occurs by ‘threats, intimidation or coercion.’ ” Bell v. Mazza, 394 Mass. 176, 474 N.E.2d 1111, 1115 (1985) (quoting Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. ch. 12, § 11H).

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Bluebook (online)
997 F. Supp. 2d 71, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17791, 2014 WL 545541, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lloyd-v-burt-mad-2014.