Noble v. West Clermont Local School District

2009 Ohio 4890, 914 N.E.2d 1128, 153 Ohio Misc. 2d 28
CourtClermont County Court of Common Pleas
DecidedJuly 17, 2009
DocketNo. 2007 CVC 2057
StatusPublished

This text of 2009 Ohio 4890 (Noble v. West Clermont Local School District) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Clermont County Court of Common Pleas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Noble v. West Clermont Local School District, 2009 Ohio 4890, 914 N.E.2d 1128, 153 Ohio Misc. 2d 28 (Ohio Super. Ct. 2009).

Opinion

Haddad, Judge.

{¶ 1} This matter came before the court on January 22, 2009, pursuant to cross-motions for summary judgment. Upon hearing oral arguments on the motion, the court took the matter under advisement and now renders the following decision.

FINDINGS OF FACT

{¶ 2} In the 2004-2005 school year, the plaintiff in this case, James A. Noble Jr., was in the ninth grade in the West Clermont Local School District. More specifically, he was a freshman at Glen Este High School, located in Clermont County, Ohio.1 During his freshman year at Glen Este, the plaintiff participated on the school’s varsity wrestling team, which was coached by the defendant, Nate Lynch.

{¶ 3} The injuries alleged in this case occurred during an intersession class that took place during the 2004-2005 school year. Intersession classes in this [31]*31school district were designed to take place during a two-week period, and the students were required to take one class all day every day for a single class credit. Students were registered for intersession courses by the administration and counselors. Once registration was completed, the teachers of the intersession courses were given a list of the students enrolled in their courses.

{¶ 4} During this particular school year, Nate Lynch taught an intersession course titled History and Application of Martial Arts. An orientation for his class was held one week prior to the beginning of the course, during which a syllabus was distributed along with the class rules. James Noble Jr. signed a copy of the rules and course expectations, indicating that he had read them and that he understood them. The course was structured so that the mornings were spent in the classroom learning the history and development of the different styles of martial arts. The afternoons were spent physically practicing the particular martial art style studied that day. Students in the class were placed in groups according to gender and weight. During the afternoons, the instructors would demonstrate a particular technique, and then the students would practice the technique within their groups. While two students practiced, the remaining students would observe to ensure that the techniques would be performed safely. The instructors would be available to supervise and to answer any questions that the students might have.

{¶ 5} James Noble Jr. was injured on the first day of class, while in a sumo wrestling match with another student. The plaintiff locked his arm under the armpits of the other student and attempted to lift him up and turn him over. As he did, the other student’s weight was in the crook of his elbow when it hit the ground, resulting in the plaintiffs elbow becoming dislocated.

THE LEGAL STANDARD

{¶ 6} In considering a motion for summary judgment, the court will look at the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, written admissions, affidavits, transcripts of evidence in the pending case, and written stipulations of fact.2 According to Civ.R. 56(C), summary judgment is proper when (1) there is no genuine issue of material fact; (2) the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law; and (3) reasonable minds can come to but one conclusion, and that conclusion is adverse to the nonmoving party, who is entitled to have the evidence construed most strongly in his favor.3 “All evidence submitted in connection with [32]*32a motion for summary judgment must be construed most strongly in favor of the party against whom the motion is made.”4 The party requesting summary judgment bears the burden of showing that no genuine issue of material fact exists and that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.5

{¶ 7} In determining whether a genuine issue of material fact exists, the court must answer the following inquiry: “Does the evidence present a sufficient disagreement to require submission to a jury or is it so one-sided that one party must prevail as a matter of law?”6 The moving party cannot discharge its initial burden by making conclusory assertions that the nonmoving party has no evidence to prove its case.7 The moving party must specifically point to evidence that affirmatively demonstrates that the nonmoving party has no evidence to support its claim.8

{¶ 8} Once the moving party satisfies its burden, “the nonmoving party may not rest on the mere allegations of his pleading, but his response, by affidavit or as otherwise provided in Civ. R. 56, must set forth specific facts showing the existence of a genuine triable issue.”9 “Summary judgment is a procedural device to terminate litigation, so it must be awarded cautiously with any doubts resolved in favor of the nonmoving party.” 10

LEGAL ANALYSIS

{¶ 9} The defendants argue in support of their motion for summary judgment that the West Clermont Local School Board and its employees are immune from liability pursuant to the doctrine of sovereign immunity. The plaintiffs argue in response that sovereign immunity is inapplicable to the facts involved in this case because the plaintiffs did not give consent for their son to participate in the course and because the practice of martial arts is not a governmental function. [33]*33Therefore, the plaintiffs have filed a cross-motion for summary judgment on the defendants’ affirmative defense of sovereign immunity.

{¶ 10} According to Civ.R. 56(C), the court may consider pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, written admissions, affidavits, transcripts of evidence in the pending case, and written stipulations of fact. Pursuant to Civ.R. 56(C), the following evidence has been presented for the purpose of determining these motions: the pleadings; the deposition of James Alfred Noble Jr., including exhibits, filed August 29, 2008; the affidavit of Nate Lynch, filed September 9, 2008; the deposition of Nate Lynch, including exhibits, filed January 5, 2009; and the affidavit of Kristen Noble, filed January 12, 2009.11 The court will not consider any other evidence presented.

West Clermont Local School District Board of Education

{¶ 11} “[D]etermination of whether a political subdivision is immune from liability is usually pivotal to the ultimate outcome of a lawsuit. Early resolution of the issue of whether a political subdivision is immune from liability pursuant to R.C. Chapter 2744 is beneficial to both of the parties.”12 If the court were to find that the political subdivision is immune, “the litigation can come to an early end, with the same outcome that otherwise would have been reached only after trial, resulting in a savings to all parties of costs and attorney fees.”13 In the alternative, if the political subdivision is not immune, “that early finding will encourage the political subdivision to settle promptly with the victim rather than pursue a lengthy trial and appeals. Under either scenario, both the plaintiff and the political subdivision may save the time, effort, and expense of a trial and appeal, which could take years.” 14

{¶ 12} The process in determining whether a political subdivision is immune involves a three-tiered analysis.15 “The first tier provides a general grant of [34]

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Bluebook (online)
2009 Ohio 4890, 914 N.E.2d 1128, 153 Ohio Misc. 2d 28, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/noble-v-west-clermont-local-school-district-ohctcomplclermo-2009.