Sidari v. Orleans County

174 F.R.D. 275, 1996 WL 905569
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. New York
DecidedAugust 26, 1996
DocketNo. 95-CV-0250A
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 174 F.R.D. 275 (Sidari v. Orleans County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sidari v. Orleans County, 174 F.R.D. 275, 1996 WL 905569 (W.D.N.Y. 1996).

Opinion

ORDER

ARCARA, District Judge.

This case was referred to Magistrate Judge Hugh B. Scott pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(A) and (B), on March 18, 1996. On April 29, 1996, Magistrate Judge Scott filed a Memorandum and Order and Report and Recommendation.

Plaintiffs filed objections to the Memorandum and Order and Report and Recommendation on May 17, 1996. Defendants filed a response on June 20,1996, and plaintiffs filed a reply thereto on July 19, 1996. The Court heard oral argument on plaintiffs’ objections on July 23,1996.

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(A), the district court “may reconsider any pretrial matter under this subparagraph (A), where it has been shown that the Magistrate Judge’s order is clearly erroneous or contrary to law.” Id.

Magistrate Judge Scott made the following rulings in his Memorandum and Order:

(1) denied plaintiffs’ motion to consolidate their case with one pending before the Honorable John T. Elfvin, Gavenda v. Orleans County, Civ. No. 95-251E;
(2) extended the discovery period to June 28,1996;
(3) denied plaintiffs’ motion for a protective order to prevent further deposition of Paul Sidari; and granted defendants’ cross motion to compel the continuation of Paul Sidari’s deposition;
(4) ordered defendants to produce certain documents with specific limitations;
(5) denied plaintiffs’ motion for a protective order to prevent defendants’ mental and physical examination of Paul Sidari;
(6) ordered that the mental examination of Paul Sidari be recorded by audio tape recorder but not the physical examination; and
(7) denied plaintiffs’ motion to be paid by defendants for time in prosecuting the case.

The Court has carefully reviewed the submissions of the parties and Magistrate Judge Scott’s Memorandum and Order and finds that the rulings were neither clearly erroneous nor contrary to law. Accordingly, plaintiffs’ objections to Magistrate Judge Scott’s Memorandum and Order are denied.

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1), the Court must make a de novo determination of those portions of the Report and Recommendation to which objections have been made.

Magistrate Judge Scott made the following recommendations:

(1) that the Court grant defendants’ motion to strike allegations in the complaint that have to do with the rights of inmates and other employees at the Orleans County Jail; and
(2) that the Court deny the motion of Norvin Lee Fowlks, a former inmate at Orleans County Jail, to intervene in the case.

Upon a de novo review of the Report and Recommendation, and after reviewing the submissions and hearing argument from the parties, the Court adopts the proposed findings of the Report and Recommendation.

Accordingly, for the reasons set forth in Magistrate Judge Scott’s Report and Recommendation, defendants’ motion to strike allegations relating to alleged race and sex discrimination and Constitutional rights vio[278]*278lations against inmates and other employees at Orleans County jail is granted and Norvin Lee Fowlks’ motion to intervene in this action is denied.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Memorandum & Order and Report & Recommendation

SCOTT, United States Magistrate Judge.

This matter has been referred to this Court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(A) and (B) by Hon. Richard J. Arcara in an order dated March 18, 1996. Before the Court are numerous motions relating to various discovery matters, intervention by another party and the transfer and consolidation of this case with Gavenda v. Orleans County et al, Civ. No.95-251 which is currently pending before Hon. John T. Elfvin.

Background

Plaintiff Paul L. Sidari1 is a white male catholic of Italian ancestry who is employed as a Corrections Officer by Orleans County Sheriffs Department. Although not filed as a class action complaint, plaintiff purports to seek relief on behalf of himself “and other persons similarly situated” for the alleged violation of his (and presumably, their) civil rights.2 Plaintiffs Amended Complaint sets forth wide ranging allegations alleging discrimination based on race, sex, national origin, and religion.

In addition to money damages (front pay, back pay and benefits), plaintiff seeks injunc-tive relief “restraining the defendants from maintaining a policy, practice, custom and/or usage of: (a) Discriminating against plaintiff and other persons similarly situated because of national origin, religion, race and/or retaliation for complaining of diserimination/retali-ation with respect to compensation, terms, conditions and privileges of employment, including, without intending to limit, hiring, transfer, promotion and pay; and (b) Limiting, segregating and classifying employees of defendants in ways which deprive the plaintiff and other persons similarly situated of equal employment opportunities and otherwise adversely affect their status as employees because of national origin, religion, race or because of having complained of discrimination/retaliation or of having assisted in complaining of employment discrimination/retaliation; and (c) Abusing inmates because of their race and national origin.” (See Amended Complaint at H13.)

As it relates to himself, plaintiffs Amended Complaint alleges that he was discriminated against because of his Italian ancestry (Amended Complaint HH27-30, 48, 54, 56, 57, 59, and 81), mostly because of allegedly repeated statements by defendant Dingman referring to plaintiff as “Dago” or that “A Dago is a nigger turned inside out.” The sole allegation which appears to relate to plaintiffs religious discrimination claim is another statement by defendant Dingman to the effect that “We don’t let Dagos and Catholics in the Masons; you’ll have to go to the Knights of Columbus.” (Amended Complaint H 29)

Plaintiffs allegations of racial discrimination relate to the alleged abuse of inmates. Once again, most of these allegations are instances in which defendant Dingman allegedly referred to black inmates as “niggers” or by other derogatory phrases. Plaintiff also alleges that defendant Dingman regularly abused inmate Norvin Fowlks by confining him to a cell without a toilet or sink or mattress (Amended Complaint 1119), by squirting Fowlks with a firehose (Amended Complaint II19) and by enticing Fowlks to perform oral masturbation (Amended Complaint 1120). Plaintiff also alleges that he and another corrections officer (on separate occasions) witnessed defendant Walsh abuse Fowlks by stepping on Fowlks’ penis (Amended Complaint 1121).

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Bluebook (online)
174 F.R.D. 275, 1996 WL 905569, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sidari-v-orleans-county-nywd-1996.