Sanders v. University of Idaho College of Law

District Court, D. Idaho·Decided October 5, 2022·No. 1:19-cv-00225·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF IDAHO

SHAAKIRRAH R SANDERS, Case No. 3:19-cv-00225-BLW

Plaintiff, MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER v.

THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO, COLLEGE OF LAW, et al.,

Defendants.

INTRODUCTION Before the Court is Defendants’ Motion in Limine (Dkt. 142) and the remaining issues raised in Plaintiff’s Motion in Limine (Dkt. 148).1 For the reasons discussed below, the Court will grant in part and deny in part the motions. LEGAL STANDARD “Motions in limine are well-established devices that streamline trials and settle evidentiary disputes in advance, so that trials are not interrupted mid-course for the consideration of lengthy and complex evidentiary issues.” United States v.

1 The Court previously addressed the other issues raised in Plaintiff’s Motion in Limine in a Memorandum Decision and Order entered on September 28, 2022. (Dkt. 167.) Tokash, 282 F.3d 962, 968 (7th Cir. 2002). A motion in limine should not, however, be used to resolve factual disputes or weigh evidence. C&E Servs., Inc.,

v. Ashland Inc., 539 F. Supp. 2d 316, 323 (D.D.C. 2008). Rather, unless the proffered evidence is clearly inadmissible for any purpose, evidentiary rulings should be deferred until trial so that questions of foundation, relevancy and

potential prejudice may be resolved in proper context. Further, rulings on motions in limine are provisional and, therefore, “not binding on the trial judge [who] may always change his mind during the course of a trial.” Ohler v. United States, 529 U.S. 753, 758 n.3 (2000). Accordingly, at trial,

the court will entertain objections on individual proffers as they arise at trial, even though the proffer falls within the scope of a denied motion in limine. See Luce v. United States, 469 U.S. 38, 41 (1984) (“Indeed, even if nothing unexpected

happens at trial, the district judge is free, in the exercise of sound judicial discretion, to alter a previous in limine ruling.”). ANALYSIS A. OCRI Chart of Complaints (Plaintiff’s Exhibit 1095); Evidence of Complaints and/or Incidents involving Students and Other Faculty; and Professor McFarlane Defendants seek to exclude Plaintiff’s Exhibit 1095, which is an OCRI chart of complaints. Defendants contend this exhibit must be excluded because (1) it is hearsay, (2) it is not relevant, and (3) any probative value is substantially outweighed by risk of unfair prejudice and confusion and delay under Federal Rule of Evidence 403. Defendants also generally seek to exclude evidence of other

incidents and/or complaints of discrimination and retaliation made by law students and/or other faculty on the ground that those incidents/complaints are not relevant and, even if relevant, should be excluded under Rule 403. Finally, Defendants seek

to exclude Professor McFarlane’s testimony and emails she sent or received while employed by UI. 1. The Court has insufficient information to determine whether Ex. 1095, a 2021 version of the OCRI Chart, is hearsay but finds that the 2019 version of the OCRI Chart is not hearsay. Under Federal Rule of Evidence 801, an opposing party’s statement is not hearsay if: The statement is offered against the opposing party and: (A) was made by the party in an individual or representative capacity; (B) is one the party manifested that it adopted or believed to be true; (C) was made by a person whom the party authorized to make a statement on the subject; (D) was made by the party’s agent or employee on a matter within the scope of that relationship and while it existed; or (E) was made by the party’s coconspirator during and in the furtherance of the conspiracy.

Fed. R. Evid. 801(d)(2). Exhibit 1095 is a chart prepared by OCRI Director Erin Agidius that provides a summary of all discrimination and retaliation complaints that OCRI received between 2011 and December 2021, the OCRI’s findings as to each complaint, and what actions (if any) were taken by OCRI in response to the complaint. Apparently Agidius also prepared a 2019 version of the Chart as part of

providing her Rule 30(b)(6) deposition testimony in November 2019. She used the 2019 version of the Chart during that deposition in lieu of providing full testimony regarding the factual circumstances surrounding any and all reports of

discrimination, harassment, and retaliation made at the law school from June 2011 to the date of the 2019 deposition. Further, the parties agreed Agidius’s testimony during the 30(b)(6) deposition would be treated as sworn testimony on behalf of Defendant UI.

The Court finds that the 2019 version of the Chart, prepared by and used by Agidius in her 30(b)(6) testimony, is not hearsay because it is being offered against UI and (1) was made by Agidius in her representative capacity for UI; (2) was

made by Agidius, who was authorized by UI to make a statement on the subject; and (3) was made by UI’s employee on a matter within the scope of that relationship and while it existed. See Fed. R. Evid. 801(d)(2)(A), (C), (D). As to the version of the Chart that Plaintiff has designated as Exhibit 1095,

that includes OCRI complaints through December 2021, the Court has insufficient information to determine whether it is also nonhearsay under Rule 801, or falls within an exception to the hearsay rule. Thus, the Court will defer ruling on whether Exhibit 1095, which is the 2021 version of the Chart, should be excluded as hearsay. Defendants can raise their objection at trial, at which time the Court

will issue its ruling. 2. The Chart and evidence of other incidents and/or complaints of discrimination are relevant, including the testimony and exhibits of Professor McFarlane. Defendants argue that the Chart, and other incidents and/or complaints of discrimination, including the testimony of McFarlane and her emails, are irrelevant and must therefore be excluded because they show complaints of discrimination and retaliation by students or other faculty that are not similarly situated to

Plaintiff; and because, if the evidence is admitted, Defendants must be provided an opportunity to rebut the evidence by showing how the complaints were investigated and the results of those investigations.2 Evidence is relevant if “(a) it has any tendency to make a fact more or less

probable than it would be without the evidence; and (b) the fact is of consequence in determining the action.” Fed. R. Evid. 401. Further, although evidence of other wrongful acts is inadmissible to show that a party acted in conformity therewith,

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