(PC) Turner v. Gopal

District Court, E.D. California·Decided June 12, 2024·No. 1:23-cv-01472·Unknown

Opinion

TREAUNA L. TURNER, Case No. 1:23-cv-01472-BAM (PC) Plaintiff, ORDER DIRECTING CLERK OF COURT TO RANDOMLY ASSIGN DISTRICT JUDGE TO v. ACTION GOPAL, et al., FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO DISMISS ACTION, WITH PREJUDICE, FOR Defendants. FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM, FAILURE TO OBEY COURT ORDER, AND FAILURE (ECF No. 9) FOURTEEN (14) DAY DEADLINE I. Background Plaintiff Treauna L. Turner (“Plaintiff”) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil rights action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. On March 1, 2024, the Court screened the complaint and found that it failed to state a cognizable claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and improperly joins claims. (ECF No. 9.) The Court issued a screening order granting Plaintiff leave to file a first amended complaint or a notice of voluntary dismissal within thirty (30) days. (Id.) The Court expressly warned Plaintiff that the failure to comply with the Court’s order would result in a recommendation for dismissal of this action, with prejudice, for failure to obey a court order and for failure to state a claim. (Id. at 13.) On March 25, 2024, the screening order was returned as “Undeliverable, Unable to forward.” Plaintiff failed to file an amended complaint, update her address, or otherwise communicate with the Court, and the deadlines to do so have expired. II. Failure to State a Claim A. Screening Requirement The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief against a governmental entity and/or against an officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). Plaintiff’s complaint, or any portion thereof, is subject to dismissal if it is frivolous or malicious, if it fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or if it seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915A(b). A complaint must contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief . . . .” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Detailed factual allegations are not required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). While a plaintiff’s allegations are taken as true, courts “are not required to indulge unwarranted inferences.” Doe I v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 572 F.3d 677, 681 (9th Cir. 2009) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). To survive screening, Plaintiff’s claims must be facially plausible, which requires sufficient factual detail to allow the Court to reasonably infer that each named defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (quotation marks omitted); Moss v. U.S. Secret Serv., 572 F.3d 962, 969 (9th Cir. 2009). The sheer possibility that a defendant acted unlawfully is not sufficient, and mere consistency with liability falls short of satisfying the plausibility standard. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (quotation marks omitted); Moss, 572 F.3d at 969. B. Plaintiff’s Allegations Plaintiff is currently housed at Central California Women’s Facility, Chowchilla, California, where the events in the complaint are alleged to have occurred. Plaintiff names as defendants: (1) S. Gopal,1 prior RN, (2) Mr. Rogers, prior medical, L.T., (3) G. Frutoz, officer,

1 From what the Court is able to determine from Plaintiff’s handwriting, Plaintiff spells this Defendant’s name and (4) K. Vang, sergeant. Plaintiff alleges as follows. In claim 1, Plaintiff alleges a violation of Due Process during disciplinary proceedings which will result in a “3 to 15 year rollover at (BPH).” Plaintiff alleges that during a breathing exam, R.N. Gopal touched Plaintiff in an inappropriately way by going past her panty line. Plaintiff froze and after the exam, Plaintiff reported R.N. Gopal’s misconduct verbally to various medical staff and supervisors and Plaintiff requested that Plaintiff only be examined by a woman R.N. or a doctor. All requests were denied. Plaintiff then reported R.N. Gopal to the health care L.T., Mr. Rogers, requesting a separation order. Mr. Rogers denied Plaintiff’s requests because R.N. Gopal was a CDCR staff member. R.N. Gopal’s behavior became more aggressive, and he is now meeting Plaintiff as Plaintiff exits from the shower. Plaintiff filed several administrative appeals from 12/17/21 to 2023. After the first appeal, Plaintiff was unlawfully written up for telling every time R.N. Gopal would put his key into Plaintiff’s cell door with custody. Plaintiff became so mentally unstable that the Mental Health had to interfere and enforce that R.N. Gopal does not come near Plaintiff. R.N. Gopal stopped coming to Plaintiff’s cell. Months later, Plaintiff was moved to general population. In claim 2, Plaintiff alleges failure to protect. Plaintiff alleges that “CDCR refused to protect me from a medical staff that I reported sexually violated me.” After reporting and filing a CDCR sexual harassment appeal on R.N. Gopal, Plaintiff was verbally threatened by the medical L.T. Rogers, Sgt, Jane Doe and written up. Plaintiff was never informed of being written up until nine months later. Plaintiff became mentally unstable. Plaintiff then began to report staff misconduct and unlawful write ups to outside agents, office of the inspector general and to the Prison Law office. The sexual harassment still has been disregarded and no one other than the Prison Law office investigated. On 8/29/23, Plaintiff was issued an unlawful write up by Officer Frutoz and his supervisor K. Vang alleging that Plaintiff refused to respond to a medical appointment. On 10/3/23, Plaintiff gave the write up to medical, and the R.N. stated that she could not find that Plaintiff had missed or refused or rescheduled medical appointments for the date. Plaintiff filed an administrative

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