Lozier v. Quincy University Corporation

District Court, C.D. Illinois·Decided March 16, 2021·No. 3:18-cv-03077·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT CENTRAL DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS, SPRINGFIELD DIVISION

DANIEL R. LOZIER, II, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) Case No. 18-cv-3077 ) QUINCY UNIVERSITY ) CORPORATION, and ) BRIAN HOLZGRAFE, ) ) Defendants. ) ) BRIAN HOLZGRAFE, ) ) Counter Plaintiff ) ) v. ) ) DANIEL R. LOZIER, II ) ) Counter Defendant ) )

OPINION TOM SCHANZLE-HASKINS, U.S. MAGISTRATE JUDGE: This matter comes before the Court on third party Cynthia Lozier a/k/a Cindy Lozier’s (Cindy Lozier) Motion to Intervene to Modify Protective Order (d/e 61) (Motion). Cindy Lozier is Daniel Lozier’s mother. For the reasons set forth below, the Motion is ALLOWED. BACKGROUND Plaintiff Daniel Lozier alleges claims against Defendants Quincy

University Corporation (Quincy University) and Brian Holzgrafe under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. § 1681. Daniel Lozier alleges that he was a freshman at Quincy University and a scholarship

athlete on the Quincy University tennis team. Holzgrafe was the coach. He alleges that persons other that Plaintiff made allegations that Holzgrafe had inappropriate sexual relations with a woman student on the women’s tennis team. Quincy University conducted an investigation and

investigators interviewed Daniel Lozier during the course of the investigation. Daniel Lozier told the investigators what he knew. Thereafter, Holzgrafe verbally attacked Daniel Lozier for cooperating with

the investigation and kicked Daniel Lozier off the tennis team. Daniel Lozier alleges that he was ultimately kicked off campus in retaliation for his cooperation with Quincy University’s sexual harassment investigation. Daniel Lozier alleges claims under Title IX of the Education

Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. § 1681, for retaliation and a hostile educational environment and state law claims for intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligent infliction of emotional distress; breach of

contract; estoppel and detrimental reliance; defamation; invasion of privacy claims of public disclosure of private facts, false light, and intrusion upon seclusion; negligent supervision; and negligent retention. See Complaint

(d/e 1). The District Court dismissed the claims against Quincy University and Holzgrafe for negligent infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy by intrusion upon seclusion. See Opinion entered January 31, 2020 (d/e 31), at 39-40.1

On April 10, 2020, this Court entered the parties’ Stipulated Protective Order (d/e 38) (Protective Order). The Protective Order limited the disclosure of confidential materials produced in discovery. Discovery

materials designated as “Confidential” by one party (Confidential Information) may only be disclosed to certain persons and only for certain purposes related to this matter, as authorized under the Protective Order.

On May 3, 2020, Holzgrafe sought leave of Court to file a counterclaim (Counterclaim) against Daniel Lozier and a third-party complaint against Cindy Lozier for defamation and false light invasion of privacy. Defendant Brian Holzgrafe’s Motion for Leave to File

Counterclaims against Plaintiff and to File Third-Party Complaint Against Cindy Lozier (d/e 45). Holzgrafe alleges that Daniel Lozier intentionally

1 The District Court also dismissed all claims against other named individual defendants. Opinion entered July 31, 2020 (d/e 31), at 39. made false statements that Holzgrafe had a history of sexual misconduct with women tennis players, had sexual relations with a woman student on

the Quincy University woman’s tennis team, and made inappropriate advances to another woman player who left the program because of Holzgrafe’s conduct. Daniel Lozier allegedly made these false statements

to several people including his mother Cindy Lozier. Holzgrafe alleges that Cindy Lozier intentionally repeated those false statements to parents of Quincy University student tennis players and other tennis players, and Cindy Lozier stated to those individuals that Holzgrafe would be out as

Head Tennis Coach within two weeks. Defendant Brian Holzgrafe’s Motion for Leave to File Counterclaims Against Plaintiff and to File Third-Party Complaint Against Cindy Lozier (d/e 45) (Motion for Leave), Exhibit A,

Proposed Counterclaim, and Exhibit B, Proposed Third-Party Complaint. The District Court allowed Holzgrafe’s motion to file the Counterclaim but denied the request to file a third-party complaint against Cindy Lozier. The Court determined that Holzgrafe’s claims against Cindy Lozier were not

proper third-party claims allowed under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 14. Opinion entered June 27, 2020 (d/e 52) (Opinion 52), at 10-12. On November 3, 2020, Holzgrafe filed an action in Adams County,

Illinois, Circuit Court against Cindy Lozier for defamation and false light invasion of privacy. Defendant/Counter-Plaintiff Brian Holzgrafe’s Response in Opposition to Cindy Lozier’s Motion to Intervene to Modify

Protective Order (d/e 62) (Response), Exhibit A, Docket Sheet for Holzgrafe v. Lozier, Adams Co. Cir. Ct. Case No. 2020 L 59 (State Court Action).2 The State Court Action complaint alleged the same claims

against Cindy Lozier that Holzgrafe alleged in his proposed third-party complaint against Cindy Lozier. See Motion for Leave, Exhibit B, Proposed Third Party Complaint; Motion, attached State Court Action Complaint. On November 23, 2020, Daniel Lozier’s counsel in this action

informed Holzgrafe’s counsel that Cindy Lozier retained counsel for the State Court Action. Daniel Lozier’s counsel inquired whether there was any objection to providing Cindy Lozier’s counsel with a copy of the discovery

materials in this case. On December 15, 2020, Holzgrafe’s counsel asked Cindy Lozier’s counsel whether Cindy Lozier would execute a waiver of service in the State Court Action. Cindy Lozier refused to waive service. Because Cindy Lozier refused to waive service, Holzgrafe objected to

providing discovery materials subject to the Protective Order to Cindy Lozier or her attorney. Motion, Exhibit B, Email dated December 15, 2020.

2 The District Court commented in Opinion 52 that Holzgrafe could have sought to join Cindy Lozier as a co-defendant in the Counterclaim if Holzgrafe could have established that joinder was appropriate. Opinion 52, at 11-12 (citing Fed. R. Civ. P. 13(h), 19, and 20). Holzgrafe decided to file the State Court Action rather than seek to join Cindy Lozier as a defendant in the Counterclaim. On or about January 20, 2021, Holzgrafe served Cindy Lozier in Florida in the State Court Action. Response, at 4. Holzgrafe incurred $195

in costs to serve Cindy Lozier. Holzgrafe offered to agree to grant Cindy Lozier access to discovery materials in this case if Cindy Lozier reimbursed Holzgrafe the $195 in service costs. Cindy Lozier refused and filed this

Motion. See Motion, at 1-3, and Exhibit B, Emails dated February 11, 2021; Response, at 3-5, and Exhibit D, Emails Between Counsel for Holzgrafe and Cindy Lozier. Cindy Lozier also has asked for an extension of time in the State

Court Action to respond to the complaint in that action so that she can review the discovery materials in this case before filing her response. Cindy Lozier indicated that she planned to raise jurisdictional defenses and

other defenses to the State Court Action.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Lozier v. Quincy University Corporation, (C.D. Ill. 2021).

Lozier v. Quincy University Corporation (Lozier v. Quincy University Corporation) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Bond v. Utreras
585 F.3d 1061 (Seventh Circuit, 2009)