McCauley v. University of the Virgin Islands

52 V.I. 808, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 74659
CourtDistrict Court, Virgin Islands
DecidedAugust 20, 2009
DocketCivil No. 2005-188
StatusPublished

This text of 52 V.I. 808 (McCauley v. University of the Virgin Islands) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, Virgin Islands primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McCauley v. University of the Virgin Islands, 52 V.I. 808, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 74659 (vid 2009).

Opinion

GÓMEZ, Chief Judge

MEMORANDUM OPINION

(August 20, 2009)

Before the Court is the motion of Stephen McCauley (“McCauley”) to amend his complaint filed in the above-captioned matter. For the reasons given below, the Court will grant the motion.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

McCauley is a student at the University of the Virgin Islands (“UVI,” or the “University”). On November 10, 2005, McCauley commenced the above-captioned action, for damages and injunctive relief against Sean [810]*810Georges (“Georges”), Director of Student Housing at UVI, Dr. Láveme E. Ragster (“Ragster”), President of UVI, and Jon and/or Jane Does I through X, certain unnamed University students, employees, and officials involved with implementing disciplinary procedures against UVI students (collectively, the “Defendants”).

The UVI Student Handbook (the “Handbook”) includes a Code of Student Conduct (the “Code”) that lists prohibited behavior and sanctions for particular violations. The Code lists “Sexual Harassment and/or Sexual Assault,” as a major infraction, which “includes any deliberate, unsolicited, and un-welcomed sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature or with sexual implications.” (Second Am. Compl. 3, ¶ 11, Nov. 18, 2008.) Another major infraction is “Hazing-Harassment,” which is defined as:

Committing, conspiring to commit, or causing to be committed any act which causes or is likely to cause serious physical or mental harm or which tends to injure or actually injures, frightens, demeans, degrades or disgraces any person. This includes but is not limited to violation of the University policies on hazing, sexual harassment, or sexual assault.

(Id. at 3, ¶ 12.) The Code prohibits “Misbehavior at Sports Events, Concerts, and Social-Cultural Events,” which is defined as “[displaying in the field house any, Softball field, soccer field, cafeteria and Reichhold Center for the Arts any unauthorized or obscene, offensive or obstructive sign.” (Id. at 3, ¶ 13.) It also prohibits “[discrimination on the basis of race, gender, color, religion, national origin, political affiliation, disability or age.” (Id. at 3, ¶ 14.) Additionally, the Code bans “Conduct which Causes Emotional Distress,” which “includes conduct which results in physical manifestations, significant restraints, on normal behavior or conduct and/or which the victim to seek assistance in dealing with distress.” (Id. at 4, ¶ 20.) Conduct in violation of any of the above provisions is subj ect to disciplinary action, and the Handbook outlines certain procedures to be followed when a student is charged with a violation of the Code.

McCauley’s Second Amended Complaint (the “Complaint”) attacks the constitutionality of certain provisions of the Code. Count One alleges that the Defendants violated 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (“Section 1983”) by enacting regulations that are unconstitutionally vague and overbroad, and [811]*811therefore impermissibly infringe on McCauley’s rights to free expression and due process of law. Count Two alleges that the Defendants violated Section 1983 by enacting regulations that are unconstitutionally vague and overbroad, and therefore impermissibly infringe on McCauley’s rights to freedom of association and due process of law. The Complaint alleges that the Code provisions are unconstitutional on their face. It does not contain any factual allegations describing how McCauley was personally adversely affected by the challenged provisions, other than by virtue of his status as a UVI student.

A bench trial in this matter was conducted on May 11, 2009. McCauley testified on his own behalf at the trial, describing the ways in which he was adversely affected by the challenged provisions of the Code. McCauley stated that in November, 2005, the University brought charges against him based on violations of certain provisions of the Code, including the Hazing-Harassment provision. McCauley testified that the charges were brought in the aftermath of an incident in on September 30, 2005, when he witnessed an alleged rape of a fellow UVI student. He stated that the University had charged him with harassing the alleged rape victim the day after the incident in her dormitory room. He was also being charged with posting a picture of the victim with “a nasty caption” on the social networking website, myspace.com, and for allegedly harassing the victim at a bar located off campus. Copies of a written Notice of Charges against McCauley, dated November 7, 2005, as well as an amended Notice of Charges, dated March 31, 2009, were admitted into evidence at the trial. McCauley testified that the University disciplinary proceedings were conducted on April 28,2009, and that he was ultimately found guilty of the charges against him. A copy of the University’s findings resulting from the disciplinary proceedings and sanctions imposed against McCauley was also admitted into evidence.

During the trial, McCauley argued that, by bringing charges against him based on the above-mentioned conduct, the University violated his First Amendment rights. After the close of the evidence, McCauley verbally moved to amend his Complaint to conform to the evidence. Specifically, he wished to include an as-applied challenge to the Code provisions in question. The Defendants objected to such amendment. The Court took the matter under advisement and ordered briefing on the issue.

[812]*812II. ANALYSIS

McCauley argues that he should be allowed to amend his Complaint to conform to the evidence presented at trial. He proposes to assert a new claim that, as applied to him by the University, certain provisions of the Code unconstitutionally infringed on his First Amendment rights. An as-applied constitutional challenge is “[a] claim that a law or governmental policy, though constitutional on its face, is unconstitutional as applied . . . ; a claim that a statute is unconstitutional on the facts of a particular case or in its application to a particular party.” Black’s Law Dictionary (8th ed. 2004). Here, McCauley seeks to add factual allegations describing the University’s charges against him set forth in the November 7, 2005, Notice of Charges. His as-applied challenge is embodied in a proposed third cause of action, which asserts, inter alia, that

Plaintiff, by being subjected to actual or potential disciplinary proceedings for, inter alia, “[committing, conspiring to commit, or causing to be committed any act which causes or is likely to cause serious physical or mental harm or which tends to injure or actually injures, frightens, demeans, degrades or disgraces any person” has been unlawfully forced to limit and/or refrain from engaging in constitutionally protected speech both on and off campus out of fear that anything he may do or say may be actionable under the Code of Conduct.
Defendants, acting under color of territorial and/or federal law, have enacted regulations that deprived Plaintiff of his guaranteed and clearly established rights to freedom of expression, speech, and association under the First Amendment.

(Proposed Third Am. Compl. 12-13, ¶¶ 55, 57, May 21, 2009.)

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
52 V.I. 808, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 74659, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccauley-v-university-of-the-virgin-islands-vid-2009.