Michael Arciola v. New York State D.O.C.C.S.; Zaira Serrano, Bureau Chief; Sueann Lashley, Parole Officer; Leah White, Case Manager; Virginia James Morrow, Administrative Law Judge

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedOctober 8, 2025
Docket1:25-cv-03986
StatusUnknown

This text of Michael Arciola v. New York State D.O.C.C.S.; Zaira Serrano, Bureau Chief; Sueann Lashley, Parole Officer; Leah White, Case Manager; Virginia James Morrow, Administrative Law Judge (Michael Arciola v. New York State D.O.C.C.S.; Zaira Serrano, Bureau Chief; Sueann Lashley, Parole Officer; Leah White, Case Manager; Virginia James Morrow, Administrative Law Judge) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Michael Arciola v. New York State D.O.C.C.S.; Zaira Serrano, Bureau Chief; Sueann Lashley, Parole Officer; Leah White, Case Manager; Virginia James Morrow, Administrative Law Judge, (S.D.N.Y. 2025).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK MICHAEL ARCIOLA, Plaintiff, -against- NEW YORK STATE D.O.C.C.S.; ZAIRA 25-CV-3986 (LLS) SERRANO, BUREAU CHIEF; SUEANN ORDER TO AMEND LASHLEY, PAROLE OFFICER; LEAH WHITE, CASE MANAGER; VIRGINIA JAMES MORROW, ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE, Defendants. LOUIS L. STANTON, United States District Judge: When Plaintiff filed this complaint, he was detained in the Dutchess County Jail, but he is now incarcerated in the Clinton Correctional Facility. He brings this action pro se, under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging that Defendants violated his constitutional rights. By order dated June 10, 2025, the Court granted Plaintiff’s request to proceed in forma pauperis (“IFP”), that is, without prepayment of fees.1 For the reasons set forth below, the Court grants Plaintiff leave to file an amended complaint within 60 days of the date of this order. STANDARD OF REVIEW The Prison Litigation Reform Act requires that federal courts screen complaints brought by prisoners who seek relief against a governmental entity or an officer or employee of a governmental entity. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). The Court must dismiss a prisoner’s civil rights complaint, or any portion of the complaint, that is frivolous or malicious, fails to state a claim

1 Prisoners are not exempt from paying the full filing fee even when they have been granted permission to proceed IFP. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). upon which relief may be granted, or seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b); see Abbas v. Dixon, 480 F.3d 636, 639 (2d Cir. 2007). The Court must also dismiss a complaint if the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(h)(3).

While the law mandates dismissal on any of these grounds, the Court is obliged to construe pro se pleadings liberally, Harris v. Mills, 572 F.3d 66, 72 (2d Cir. 2009), and interpret them to raise the “strongest [claims] that they suggest,” Triestman v. Fed. Bureau of Prisons, 470 F.3d 471, 474 (2d Cir. 2006) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted, emphasis in original). But the “special solicitude” in pro se cases, id. at 475 (citation omitted), has its limits – to state a claim, pro se pleadings still must comply with Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which requires a complaint to make a short and plain statement showing that the pleader is entitled to relief. Rule 8 requires a complaint to include enough facts to state a claim for relief “that is plausible on its face.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007). A claim is facially

plausible if the plaintiff pleads enough factual detail to allow the Court to draw the inference that the defendant is liable for the alleged misconduct. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009). In reviewing the complaint, the Court must accept all well-pleaded factual allegations as true. Id. But it does not have to accept as true “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action,” which are essentially just legal conclusions. Id. (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555). After separating legal conclusions from well-pleaded factual allegations, the Court must determine whether those facts make it plausible—not merely possible—that the pleader is entitled to relief. Id. at 679. BACKGROUND The following facts are drawn from the complaint, which names the following Defendants: (1) the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (“DOCCS”); (2) DOCCS Bureau Chief Zaira Serrano; (3) Parole Officer Sueann Lashley; Case Manager Leah White; and Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) Virginia James Morrow. Plaintiff

alleges that on October 2, 2024, he “began to see a pattern of sexism and racism” in connection with his parole revocation proceedings. (ECF 1 at 6.) Plaintiff alleges that, during a hearing, ALJ Morrow “was flirting with the prosecuting attorney David Graubard,” who responded to her by winking, doing “obscene gestures” and acting “jokingly” and “inappropriate[ly].” (Id.) Plaintiff alleges that Morrow cannot “be fair and impartial” if she “carr[ies] on unprofessionally with” the prosecution. (Id. at 7.) According to Plaintiff, Parole Officer Lashley “blatantly lied” during the hearing because “she hates white people” and wanted him to remain in custody. (Id.) Plaintiff further alleges that DOCCS Bureau Chief Serrano either denied grievances he filed or treated his grievances differently from those filed by other parolees, based on “sexism, racism, hate, dereliction of duty, false imprisonment, based on lies, false statements, and deceit.”

(Id.) He claims that he is suffering from “debilitating medical issues” that were “caused by [DOCCS] and [ALJ] Morrow,” and he seeks to be paroled to Samaritan Village, a drug treatment program. (Id. at 25, 28, 39.) There are numerous attachments to the complaint, which include: requests Plaintiff submitted under the New York State Freedom of Information Law to DOCCS seeking documents related to his claims of disparate treatment; grievances that he filed to DOCCS; and other correspondence. (Id. at 11-67.) In a letter, Plaintiff also states that he does not have access to a good law library, and that the tablets do not always work. (ECF 9.) DISCUSSION A. Section 1983 Plaintiff filed this action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging that Defendants violated his constitutional rights. A plaintiff proceeding under Section 1983 must allege both that: (1) a right secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States was violated, and (2) the right was violated by a person acting under the color of state law, or a “state actor.” West v. Atkins, 487

U.S. 42, 48-49 (1988). The Court construes Plaintiff’s complaint as asserting that Defendants violated his right to equal protection. The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees the right to be free from “invidious discrimination in statutory classifications and other governmental activity.” Bernheim v. Litt, 79 F.3d 318, 323 (2d Cir. 1996) (quoting Harris v. McRae, 448 U.S. 297, 322 (1980)). The Equal Protection Clause “is essentially a direction that all persons similarly situated should be treated alike.” City of Cleburne v. Cleburne Living Ctr., 473 U.S. 432, 439 (1985); see also Harlen Assocs. v. Inc. Vill. of Mineola, 273 F.3d 494, 499 (2d Cir. 2001) (same). Therefore, “[t]o state a claim for an equal protection violation, [a plaintiff] must

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Michael Arciola v. New York State D.O.C.C.S.; Zaira Serrano, Bureau Chief; Sueann Lashley, Parole Officer; Leah White, Case Manager; Virginia James Morrow, Administrative Law Judge, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/michael-arciola-v-new-york-state-doccs-zaira-serrano-bureau-chief-nysd-2025.