Roe v. TX Dept Protc & Regu

CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
DecidedJuly 17, 2002
Docket01-50711
StatusPublished

This text of Roe v. TX Dept Protc & Regu (Roe v. TX Dept Protc & Regu) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Roe v. TX Dept Protc & Regu, (5th Cir. 2002).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT _______________

m 01-50711 _______________

MARY ROE, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS NEXT FRIEND OF JACKIE DOE, A MINOR CHILD; JOHN DOE, AS NEXT FRIEND OF JACKIE DOE, A MINOR CHILD,

Plaintiffs-Appellees,

VERSUS

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PROTECTIVE AND REGULATORY SERVICES, ET AL.,

Defendants,

BEVERLY STRICKLAND, INDIVIDUALLY AND IN HER OFFICIAL CAPACITY,

Defendant-Appellant.

_________________________

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas _________________________

July 17, 2002

Before REAVLEY, SMITH, and DENNIS, Mary Roe and John Doe, as parents and Circuit Judges. next friends of Jackie Doe, sued the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Ser- JERRY E. SMITH, Circuit Judge: vices (“TDPRS”) and social worker Beverly Strickland after Strickland visually searched Jackie’s body cavities without a court order. a prompt and thorough investigation of the The district court dismissed the claims against child abuse report. TEX. FAM. CODE ANN. the TDPRS, and plaintiffs do not appeal that § 261.301 (West Supp. 2002). dismissal. The court, however, rejected Strickland’s motion for summary judgment, On July 6-8, Strickland unsuccessfully at- and Strickland appeals based on the denial of tempted to contact Mrs. Roe. On July 9, Mrs. qualified immunity. Roe called Strickland, using a business card that Strickland had left on Mrs. Roe’s Although we conclude that the plaintiffs doorstep. According to Mrs. Roe, during the pleaded a claim and raised a fact question as to July 9 phone conversation Strickland whether Strickland violated Jackie’s Fourth introduced herself, explained that she worked Amendment rights, we reverse because those for CPS, and said she needed to talk to Mrs. rights were not clearly established at the time Roe. Strickland declined to describe the of the search. Strickland is entitled to purpose of the visit and insisted that they talk qualified immunity. The other allegations do in person. Strickland stated only that she had not establish violations of the Fourth and received a “referral concerning the care and Fourteenth Amendments. We remand for welfare” of Jackie. Strickland and Mrs. Roe consideration of a state law claim. made an appointment for Strickland to visit Mrs. Roe’s house the next morning. I. Strickland worked for TDRPS in the Child- On July 10, Strickland arrived at the house. ren’s Protective Services (“CPS”) division. Mrs. Roe testified that she had a brief On June 29, 1999, the CPS Statewide Intake conversation with Strickland outside the front Unit received a “hotline” call concerning Jack- door; Strickland introduced herself again, ie, alleging that while she was attending a day explained her affiliation with CPS, and gave camp, someone observed her “touch[ing] Mrs. Roe a business card. Mrs. Roe testified another six-year-old female’s private parts and that Strickland entered the house without an kiss[ing] her on the lips”; Jackie then allegedly invitation or permission; Strickland maintains “began dancing and licked her finger and ran it that she was invited inside. Mrs. Roe testified down her body and touched her own private that Strickland did not act in a manner parts.” The events occurred in a bathroom designed to frighten or intimidate. Mrs. Roe where Jackie, naked, was changing out of her also admitted that she did not say or do swimsuit. anything to show that she did not want Strickland to enter. The intake workers concluded that Jackie’s “behavior indicates that she may have been After entering the house, Strickland sexually abused.” The report assigned the case explained the purpose of the visit and a priority 2 status, requiring a CPS discussed the report that had been made to investigator to attempt contact with the family CPS. Mrs. Roe asked Strickland whether she in ten days. Samantha Woods, the supervisor should contact an attorney, and Strickland for the CPS investigative unit, agreed with the stated, “Oh no, no. Don’t worry about it. priority 2 status and assigned the case to You don’t need anybody.” Strickland, who was required by law to make

2 After asking some questions, Strickland she would not have taken the pictures but told Mrs. Roe that she needed to take pictures opined that the decision to do so lay within of Jackie. Strickland did not give the mother Strickland’s discretion. Robert Brown, a Pro- the option of submitting to the examination gram Director at CPS, described the visual ex- and pictures or refusing them. Strickland did amination and pictures as appropriate because not disclose the type of pictures or extent of “caseworkers are trained to find and document the examination. Strickland acknowledges all available evidence during their that she could have requested a medical investigations.” After Mrs. Roe’s attorney examination but did not do so. She had re- complained to CPS, Woods reassigned the ceived no training in photography of case to Michelle Carter. CPS “ruled out” children’s genitalia. abuse and closed the case.

Strickland asked Mrs. Roe to remove the Jackie subsequently experienced frequent child’s upper clothing, so she could look for nightmares involving the incident, and bruises or marks. Strickland found none. exhibited anxiety responses, for which she Strickland then asked Mrs. Roe to remove underwent counseling. The symptoms Jackie’s underwear, so that Strickland could persisted for about six months. Mrs. Roe see if anything was abnormal. Mrs. Roe asked experienced a loss of sleep, sadness, and whether it was really necessary, and Strickland depression for the same period of time. responded “Oh, don’t worry. It’s more stressful for the parent than it is the child.” II. Strickland took pictures of Jackie’s vagina and Plaintiffs sued Strickland, TDPRS, and cer- buttocks in a closed position, and then in- tain TDPRS officials under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, structed Mrs. Roe to spread Jackie’s labia and alleging a violation of their Fourth Amendment buttocks, so that she could take pictures of the right to freedom from unreasonable searches, genital and anal areas. Although Mrs. Roe Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights to asked a couple of times whether the privacy, and Fourteenth Amendment liberty photographs were necessary, she never interests. They also asserted state law claims requested that Strickland stop. Mrs. Roe of invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of “teared up” as Strickland took the pictures, emotional distress, false imprisonment, but did not cry. trespass, and negligent failure to train and supervise. Mrs. Roe testified that Strickland never said anything about removing the child from the Defendants filed a motion to dismiss and a home. After taking the pictures, Strickland motion for a reply under FED. R. CIV. P. 7. interviewed Jackie for fifteen to twenty After plaintiffs filed a rule 7 reply, the court minutes. Strickland and Mrs. Roe had another dismissed all defendants but Strickland, who brief discussion, and Strickland left. then moved for summary judgment, asserting qualified immunity to the § 1983 claims and Plaintiff’s expert, Lawrence Daly, testified official immunity to the state law claims. The by affidavit that Strickland could not have be- court denied the motion, whereupon lieved in good faith that the examination and Strickland filed her interlocutory appeal. pictures were necessary. Woods testified that

3 III. Our decision hinges on the resolution of Social workers may assert a qualified im- legal, not factual, questions.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

United States v. Cooper
43 F.3d 140 (Fifth Circuit, 1995)
Kiser v. Garrett
67 F.3d 1166 (Fifth Circuit, 1995)
Cantu v. Rocha
77 F.3d 795 (Fifth Circuit, 1996)
United States v. Jaras
86 F.3d 383 (Fifth Circuit, 1996)
Moore v. Carwell
168 F.3d 234 (Fifth Circuit, 1999)
Morris v. Dearborne
181 F.3d 657 (Fifth Circuit, 1999)
Hall v. Thomas
190 F.3d 693 (Fifth Circuit, 1999)
Shipp v. McMahon
234 F.3d 907 (Fifth Circuit, 2000)
United States v. Vega
221 F.3d 789 (Fifth Circuit, 2000)
Branton v. City of Dallas
272 F.3d 730 (Fifth Circuit, 2001)
Silverman v. United States
365 U.S. 505 (Supreme Court, 1961)
Wyman v. James
400 U.S. 309 (Supreme Court, 1971)
Coolidge v. New Hampshire
403 U.S. 443 (Supreme Court, 1971)
Bell v. Wolfish
441 U.S. 520 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Payton v. New York
445 U.S. 573 (Supreme Court, 1980)
Harlow v. Fitzgerald
457 U.S. 800 (Supreme Court, 1982)
New Jersey v. T. L. O.
469 U.S. 325 (Supreme Court, 1985)
Mitchell v. Forsyth
472 U.S. 511 (Supreme Court, 1985)
Whitley v. Albers
475 U.S. 312 (Supreme Court, 1986)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Roe v. TX Dept Protc & Regu, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/roe-v-tx-dept-protc-regu-ca5-2002.