Rossley v. Drake Univ.

342 F. Supp. 3d 904
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Iowa
DecidedOctober 12, 2018
DocketNo. 4:16-cv-00623-RGE
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 342 F. Supp. 3d 904 (Rossley v. Drake Univ.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rossley v. Drake Univ., 342 F. Supp. 3d 904 (S.D. Iowa 2018).

Opinion

Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger, United States District Judge

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff Thomas Rossley, Jr. brings this suit against Defendants Drake University and Drake University Board of Trustees, challenging Defendants' Title IX investigation that concluded Plaintiff sexually assaulted a female student, and contesting Defendants' failure to investigate his own sexual assault allegations. Plaintiff asserts Defendants violated both Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Plaintiff also brings state law claims alleging breach of contract, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and estoppel.

Defendants move for summary judgment on all of Plaintiff's claims, asserting: 1) Plaintiff has not identified any genuine issues of material fact showing gender was a motivating factor in the disciplinary process; 2) Plaintiff did not request a reasonable accommodation and thus cannot bring an ADA claim; and 3) Plaintiff has not shown Drake violated any promise or contractual provisions contained in its Code of Conduct or Sexual Misconduct Policy. The Court grants Defendants' motion for summary judgment as to Plaintiff's Title IX claim regarding Plaintiff's erroneous outcome and deliberate indifference theories, but denies Defendants' motion for summary judgment on Plaintiff's Title IX claim regarding Plaintiff's selective enforcement theory. The Court grants Defendants' motion for summary judgment as to Plaintiff's Americans with Disabilities Act claim. As for Plaintiff's state law claims, the Court first determines Plaintiff's estoppel and breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing claims are subsumed by his breach of contract claim. The *909Court denies Defendants' motion for summary judgment on some but not all of Plaintiff's alleged breaches of contract. The Court also dismisses Plaintiff's claim of negligent infliction of emotional distress because Plaintiff does not resist Defendants' motion for summary judgment on this claim.

II. FACTUAL & PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

The following facts are either uncontested or, if contested, viewed in the light most favorable to Plaintiff. See Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp. , 475 U.S. 574, 587-88, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986) ; Munz v. Michael , 28 F.3d 795, 796 (8th Cir. 1994).

A. Drake's Code of Conduct & Sexual Misconduct Policy

Two documents govern sexual assault investigations and discipline at Drake: the Code of Student Conduct ("the Code") and the Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct Policy and Notification of Complainant's Rights ("the Policy"). Defs.' Suppl. App. Supp. Defs.' Mot. Summ. J. at APP. 099-132, 133-51, ECF No. 137. The Code addresses various forms of academic and non-academic misconduct. Id. at APP. 102-03. The Policy specifically addresses Drake's "policies and procedures related to [s]exual and [i]nterpersonal [m]isconduct" and is meant to ensure those policies are "interpreted and applied consistently with Title ... IX ... and other applicable law." Id. at APP. 133. Additionally, the Policy is "intended to notify victims/survivors of their rights and resources that are available to them when [s]exual or [i]nterpersonal [m]isconduct occurs." Id.

"Sexual assault" is defined in the Code and Policy as "an extreme form of sexual misconduct ranging from forcible rape to nonphysical forms of pressure that compel individuals to engage in sexual activity against their will." Id. at APP. 111, 134. "The term 'consent,' in the context of sexual activity, means by clear, unambiguous action, agreeing, giving permission or saying yes to sexual activity with someone else ... an individual cannot give consent if incapacitated from doing so due to the influence of drugs, alcohol, or other condition." Id. at APP. 105; see also id. at APP. 134. Neither the Code nor the Policy defines "incapacitation." When there is no consent, "[s]exual intercourse (vaginal, anal, oral)" and "[o]ral sex," among other conduct, constitute sexual assault. Id. at APP. 111-12, 134. Additionally, "[e]ngaging in sexual activity with a person who is unable to provide consent due to the influence of drugs, alcohol, or other condition" is considered sexual assault. Id. The Code states Drake students "acknowledge[ ] the right of the University to initiate disciplinary procedures when an allegation or a complaint of non-academic misconduct is made and to impose disciplinary sanctions when it has been determined that non-academic misconduct has occurred." Id. at APP. 103. Such discipline may include expulsion from the University. Id.

In cases of alleged non-academic misconduct, "[a]ny student, student organization, faculty member or staff member may initiate a complaint against a student or student organization ... by contacting the Dean of Students office or Title IX Coordinator in the case of alleged sexual misconduct." Id. at APP. 116. "Alternatively, the Dean of Students office may initiate a complaint on his or her own initiative, in which case the Dean/designee will be considered the complainant." Id. Under the Policy, "[a]ny University employee who is not statutorily prohibited from doing so ...

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342 F. Supp. 3d 904, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rossley-v-drake-univ-iasd-2018.