Robert Derek Lurch Jr. v. Any and All Doctors That Gave the Order to Forcibly Injure the Plaintiff and Any Staff That Assisted; Peter Moger, EMT; Alex Teo, EMT; Madelyn Estevez

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedOctober 14, 2025
Docket1:25-cv-00820
StatusUnknown

This text of Robert Derek Lurch Jr. v. Any and All Doctors That Gave the Order to Forcibly Injure the Plaintiff and Any Staff That Assisted; Peter Moger, EMT; Alex Teo, EMT; Madelyn Estevez (Robert Derek Lurch Jr. v. Any and All Doctors That Gave the Order to Forcibly Injure the Plaintiff and Any Staff That Assisted; Peter Moger, EMT; Alex Teo, EMT; Madelyn Estevez) 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
Robert Derek Lurch Jr. v. Any and All Doctors That Gave the Order to Forcibly Injure the Plaintiff and Any Staff That Assisted; Peter Moger, EMT; Alex Teo, EMT; Madelyn Estevez, (S.D.N.Y. 2025).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK ROBERT DEREK LURCH JR., Plaintiff, -against- 25-CV-0820 (KMW) ANY AND ALL DOCTORS THAT GAVE ORDER OF DISMISSAL THE ORDER TO FORCIBLY INJURE THE WITH LEAVE TO REPLEAD PLAINTIFF AND ANY STAFF THAT ASSISTED; PETER MOGER, EMT; ALEX TEO, EMT; MADELYN ESTEVEZ, Defendants. KIMBA M. WOOD, United States District Judge: Plaintiff, appearing pro se, brings this action alleging that Defendants violated his federal constitutional rights. He asserts claims arising from an incident on January 5, 2025, when staff at Delta Manor Men’s Shelter called emergency medical services, leading to Plaintiff’s involuntary hospitalization and forced medication. By order dated February 3, 2025, the Court granted Plaintiff’s request to proceed in forma pauperis (“IFP”), that is, without prepayment of fees. For the reasons set forth below, the Court dismisses Plaintiff’s complaint, with 30 days’ leave to replead.

STANDARD OF REVIEW The Court must dismiss an IFP complaint, or any portion of the complaint, that is frivolous or malicious, fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted, or seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B); see Livingston v. Adirondack Beverage Co., 141 F.3d 434, 437 (2d Cir. 1998). The Court must also dismiss a complaint when the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction of the claims raised. 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.

BACKGROUND The following facts are drawn from the complaint and supplement to the complaint, which together are treated as the operative complaint. (ECF Nos. 1, 5.)1 Plaintiff Derek Lurch is on parole and has been at the Delta Manor Men’s Shelter (“Delta”) since October 31, 2024.

(ECF No. 5-1 at 23.) On January 5, 2025, Plaintiff asked another shelter resident to lower the volume of his music, as is required by shelter rules (the “incident”). (ECF 1 at 8.) The resident reported his interaction with Plaintiff to Delta Manor staff member “Jane Doe,” who was identified in Plaintiff’s subsequent pleadings as Madelyn Estevez.2 (ECF No. 5 at 1.) During Estevez’s conversation with Plaintiff about this, she allegedly said “tauntingly” that he could be

1 The Court quotes from the complaint verbatim. All spelling, grammar, and punctuation appear as in the complaint, unless noted otherwise. 2 By order dated June 24, 2025, the Court substituted Estevez in the caption for Jane Doe; in addition, Peter Moger and Alex Teo were substituted for the Doe emergency medical technicians. (ECF 7.) sent to the hospital for no reason at all, and she called police and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). (ECF No. 1 at 8.) When police officers and EMTs arrived, Plaintiff informed them that he is familiar with New York’s Mental Hygiene Law § 9.41, and that he cannot be sent to the hospital for simply

telling someone politely that they should turn down their music. (Id.) The EMTs initially stated that the plaintiff did not need to go to the hospital, but Estevez told the EMTs that it is the shelter’s policy that once the authorities have been called, the resident must go to the hospital for evaluation. (Id. at 9.) 3 After speaking with Estevez, the EMT “changed his determination,” and stated “sarcastically,” that Plaintiff needed to go to the hospital because he was “not taking his medication.” (Id.) Plaintiff protested, but police officers assisted the EMTs in unlawfully transporting Plaintiff to Saint Barnabas Hospital (SBH). (Id. at 9.) Plaintiff contends that this was in violation of state law that requires that a dangerousness determination be made before an “involuntary seizure for purposes of hospitalization” can occur. (Id.) At the hospital, Plaintiff

was handcuffed to a gurney and, even though Plaintiff alleges that he did not exhibit any threatening behavior, the attending psychiatrist directed that Plaintiff be forcibly injected with

3 Plaintiff attaches Saint Barnabas Hospital medical records, which state the following: 34 y/o M pt with PMH of Bipolar Disorder presents to the ED from his shelter for a psych evaluation. Per EMS, shelter called as the pt was agitated, aggressive and acting erratic. Pt was threatening shelter staff stating that he is going to call people to shoot everyone up. Pt denies being on any psych medications, states that he was a long time ago in the past but currently is not on any meds. Shelter reported to EMS that the pt is supposed to be on medication is not compliant with the medications. Uncooperative in the trauma bay, difficult to verbally redirect. (ECF 5-1 at 27.) psychotropic medication against his will. (Id.) Plaintiff was discharged from SBH the following day, on January 6, 2025. (ECF No. 5-1 at 28.) On January 8, 2025, Plaintiff sought treatment at Jacobi Hospital for injuries from his repeated forcible injections. Plaintiff brings this action against: (1) “any and all doctors [at SBH] who ordered the

forcible injection of the plaintiff”; (2) staff at SBH who assisted with the injections; (3) EMTs , who have been identified as Peter Moger and Alex Teo from the FDNY; (4) unidentified police officers who assisted in transporting Plaintiff to SBH; and (5) Delta Manor employee Madelyn Estevez. Plaintiff seeks compensatory and punitive damages of $2 million from each individual defendant and entity.4

DISCUSSION A. Private Parties: Hospital and Shelter Employees Plaintiff appears to assert that Defendants violated his rights under 42 U.S.C. §1983. A claim for relief under Section 1983 must allege facts showing that a defendant acting under the color of a state “statute, ordinance, regulation, custom or usage” (a “state actor”), violated a right

secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States. West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48-49

4 Plaintiff has brought many prior civil rights actions in this court that included allegations that he was wrongfully treated as an emotionally disturbed person (EDP). See, e.g., Lurch v. City of New York, No. 25-CV-7416 (JLR) (S.D.N.Y.) (pending); Lurch, Jr. v. NYCHHC, No. 24-CV-8923 (LTS) (S.D.N.Y.) (action against Elmhurst Hospital and others transferred to the Eastern District of New York); Lurch v. P.O. Pilgrim, 1:23-CV-6727 (JGLC) (S.D.N.Y. May 7, 2025) (claims that plaintiff was seized and taken to Bellevue Hospital settled); Lurch v.

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Robert Derek Lurch Jr. v. Any and All Doctors That Gave the Order to Forcibly Injure the Plaintiff and Any Staff That Assisted; Peter Moger, EMT; Alex Teo, EMT; Madelyn Estevez, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/robert-derek-lurch-jr-v-any-and-all-doctors-that-gave-the-order-to-nysd-2025.