Sacchetti v. Gallaudet University

181 F. Supp. 3d 107, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52560, 2016 WL 1589814
CourtDistrict Court, District of Columbia
DecidedApril 20, 2016
DocketCivil Action No. 2015-0455
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 181 F. Supp. 3d 107 (Sacchetti v. Gallaudet University) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sacchetti v. Gallaudet University, 181 F. Supp. 3d 107, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52560, 2016 WL 1589814 (D.D.C. 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

REGGIE B. WALTON, United States District Judge

The plaintiffs, Terrylene Sacchetti and Robert Manganelli, in their individual capacities and as representatives of the Estate of Gianni Manganelli, bring this suit against defendants Gallaudet University (“Gallaudet”) and the District of Columbia (“District”), asserting violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101-12213 (2012), and common law claims for wrongful death, survival, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and false arrest, arising out of the death of their son, Gianni Manganelli, in *112 March 2014. Compl. ¶¶ 160-272. Currently-pending before the Court are the defendants’ motions to dismiss the Complaint for failure to state a claim pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). Defendant Gallaudet University’s Motion To Dismiss [the] Plaintiffs’ Complaint Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) (“Gallaudet’s Mot.”); Defendant District of Columbia’s Motion To Dismiss (“District’s Mot.”). Upon careful consideration of the parties’ submissions, the Court concludes that each motion to dismiss must be granted in part and denied in part. 1

I. BACKGROUND

This is a sad case, which arises from Gianni Manganelli’s (“Manganelli’s”) suicide committed near his mother’s apartment in Silver Spring, Maryland, on March 30, 2014. Compl. ¶¶ 157-59.

The following factual allegations are derived from the Complaint filed by the plaintiffs in this matter. During the spring of 2013, Manganelli, who was deaf, gained acceptance and acquired a scholarship to attend Gallaudet by virtue of his impressive academic and personal achievements. Id. ¶¶10, 18-20, 24. Because Manganelli had been suffering from seizures beginning in April 2013 while he was a student in California, for which the plaintiffs sought treatment, id. ¶23, Manganelli’s mother, plaintiff Terrylene Sacchetti (“Sacchetti”), “initiated extensive and candid conversations with Gallaudet’s Director of Gallaudet’s Mental Health Center, ... as well as several [employees] from the housing and academic advisors departments, to ensure that Gallaudet was aware of [Manganelli’s] mental health struggles and [was] capable of treating [Manganel-li].” Id. ¶ 28. “Thus, as of July 2013, through direct communication with [ ] Sac-chetti,” Gallaudet allegedly knew that Manganelli had a history of seizures, depression, and anxiety; had been evaluated for undiagnosed mental health and neurological issues while living in California; had been prescribed the medication Depakote but had stopped taking that medication due to adverse reactions; and that, without the medication, Manganelli was at greater risk of seizures. Id. ¶ 30. Gallaudet allegedly “assured, and reassured [] Sacchetti that Gallaudet was more than equipped to address [Manganelli’s] issues and would provide [Manganelli] with the level of care he needed,” id. ¶ 33, and the plaintiffs purportedly “relied upon Gallaudet’s representations and assurances,” id. ¶34. In August 2013, Manganelli relocated from California with his parents and sister to begin his studies at Gallaudet, where he lived on campus in a dormitory “typically reserved for students with medical or mental health needs_” Id. ¶ 35. 2

*113 A. Manganelli’s Behavioral Decline

Signs of trouble began shortly thereafter when, on August 22, 2013, Manganelli approached a member of the Capitol Police at the United States Capitol building and demanded to speak with Congress. Id. ¶43. During this encounter, he was “extremely agitated and was screaming uncontrollably.” Id The officer “immediately suspected a mental health issue,” placed Manganelli in handcuffs, and transported him to the Department of Mental Health’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Health Program facility. Id. ¶ 44. During the transport to the facility, Manganelli struck his head repeatedly against the car door. Id. Manganelli’s father was contacted and advised about the situation, as was Gallau-det’s Department of Public Safety (“Gal-laudet Police”). Id ¶¶ 46-47. The facility determined that Manganelli was exhibiting signs of mental illness and detained him overnight “for observation and reassessment.” Id. ¶45. A nurse at the facility contacted Gallaudet’s Mental Health Center to advise it to follow up with Manganel-li, and scheduled a psychiatric appointment at Gallaudet on Manganelli’s behalf, to take place upon his discharge from the facility. Id. ¶ 50.

Manganelli returned to Gallaudet on August 23, 2013. Id. ¶ 52. That evening, Gal-laudet Police were called to Manganelli’s room, and he was described as being disproportionately “irate” in his complaints about pain in his wrists caused by the handcuffs. Id. ¶¶ 55-56. Despite having been notified of the previous day’s events, Gallaudet took no steps to follow up on Manganelli’s mental health condition. See id. ¶ 53 (stating that the Dean of Student Affairs, the Director of Gallaudet Police, Gallaudet’s Mental Health Center, and “several members of Gallaudet’s Behavioral Intervention Team” were notified about the prior day’s incident but did not “t[ake] any steps to follow-up and ensure that [Manganelli] was no longer at risk”). Two days later, on August 25, 2013, Gallaudet Police “confiscated two prescription bottles of cannabis and related items” from Man-ganelli’s room. Id. ¶ 57. Manganelli stated that he needed the cannabis, which “had been prescribed ... by his doctor in California, prior to leaving for [the District], to help treat his seizures.” Id. ¶ 58. Without his parents’ knowledge, Gallaudet disciplined Manganelli for possessing cannabis on campus. See id. ¶¶ 61, 64.

On August 27, 2013, an academic advisor wrote to Gallaudet’s' Behavioral Intervention Team to express her concern about Manganelli’s welfare. Id. ¶ 63(a). That same day, Manganelli met with an individual named Doris Zelaya at Gallaudet’s Mental Health Center, who later attempted to schedule “weekly sessions” with Manganelli. Id. ¶ 63(b)—(c). A few days later, on September 8, 2013, Manganelli responded that he did not “think he need[ed] them.” Id ¶ 63(e). On September 11, 2013, Gallaudet’s Mental Health Center “closed” Manganelli’s file despite noting that Man-ganelli. had expressed-his concern that it “would not maintain confidentiality ‘if he reported he wanted to hurt himself.’ ” Id ¶ 65 (emphasis omitted). Manganelli’s parents were not made aware of'Manganelli’s confidentiality concern. Id ¶ 66.- And, in response to Sacchetti’s request for Gallau-det’s mental health records regarding Manganelli, Gallaudet represented that it had none because “[Manganelli]- ha[d] not requested services.” See id ¶¶ 69-71.

About a month later, in October 2013, Manganelli received an “initial screening” at Gallaudet’s Mental Héalth Center, which noted that he “was agitated, confrontational, defensive^] and guarded,” and that he was “experiencing ‘high levels of anxiety' and depression.” Id. ¶74. Despite identifying these problems, and po *114

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Bluebook (online)
181 F. Supp. 3d 107, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52560, 2016 WL 1589814, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sacchetti-v-gallaudet-university-dcd-2016.