Springboards to Educ., Inc. v. Kipp Found.

325 F. Supp. 3d 704
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Texas
DecidedJune 29, 2018
DocketCIVIL ACTION NO. 3:16-CV-2436-G
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 325 F. Supp. 3d 704 (Springboards to Educ., Inc. v. Kipp Found.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Springboards to Educ., Inc. v. Kipp Found., 325 F. Supp. 3d 704 (N.D. Tex. 2018).

Opinion

A. JOE FISH, Senior United States District Judge

Before the court are two motions: (1) the motion of the defendant KIPP Foundation to dismiss the claims of the plaintiff Springboards to Education, Inc. ("Springboards") against it under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) (docket entry 61), and (2) the motion of the defendants KIPP, Inc. and KIPP Texas Schools to dismiss Springboards's claims with prejudice pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b), or alternatively to dismiss the claims under Rule 12(b)(6) (docket entry 63). For the reasons stated below, KIPP Foundation's motion and KIPP, Inc. and KIPP Texas Schools' motion are both granted in part and denied in part.

I. BACKGROUND

A full recitation of the factual background of this case is provided in the court's memorandum opinion and order issued on September 7, 2017. See generally Memorandum Opinion and Order (docket entry 55). In that order, the court dismissed with prejudice the plaintiff's state law claims against KIPP, Inc. because the plaintiff failed to demonstrate that the court had subject matter jurisdiction over those claims. Id. at 10. The court then dismissed the remainder of the plaintiff's claims without prejudice, affording the plaintiff an opportunity to amend its complaint to cure the deficiencies contained therein. Id. at 12. The court specified that the issue with Springboards's previous complaint was that while Springboards referred to the individual defendants collectively and indiscriminately, compliance with Rule 8(a) requires plaintiffs to "attribute specific acts of infringement to each defendant." Id. On September 22, 2017, in conformity with this court's order, Springboards filed a new amended complaint. Second Amended Complaint (docket entry 56).

On October 20, 2017, one defendant, the KIPP Foundation, filed a renewed motion *710to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), contending that "[a]gain, [Springboards] fails to distinguish the alleged acts of infringement that it seeks to attribute to each defendant." Defendant KIPP Foundation's Rule 12(b)(6) Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's Second Amended Complaint; Defendant KIPP Foundation's Brief in Support of Its Motion to Dismiss Under Rule 12(b)(6) ("KIPP Foundation's Brief") at 2 (docket entry 62). On the same day, the remaining two defendants, KIPP Inc. and KIPP Texas Schools, filed a similar motion to dismiss, maintaining that the amended complaint is "premised entirely on conclusory allegations and implausible speculation." KIPP, Inc. and KIPP Texas Schools' Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's Second Amended Complaint Pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) and 41(b) ; KIPP, Inc. and KIPP Texas Schools' Brief in Support of their Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's Second Amended Complaint Pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) and 41(b) ("KIPP, Inc. and KIPP Texas Schools' Brief") at 2 (docket entry 64).

On November 10, 2017, Springboards filed two separate responses to address each of the pending motions to dismiss. Plaintiff's Response to Defendant KIPP, Inc. and KIPP Texas Schools' Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's Second Amended Complaint Pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) and 41(b) and Brief in Support ("Springboards's Response to KIPP, Inc. and KIPP Texas Schools' Motion") (docket entry 65); Plaintiff's Response to Defendant KIPP Foundation's Motion to Dismiss Under Rule 12(b)(6) and Brief in Support ("Springboards's Response to KIPP Foundation's Motion") (docket entry 66). Thereafter, on December 4, 2017, KIPP Foundation filed its reply, and KIPP, Inc. and KIPP Texas Schools filed their reply. KIPP Foundation's Reply Brief in Support of its Motion to Dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) (docket entry 71); KIPP, Inc. and KIPP Texas Schools' Reply Brief (docket entry 72). The motions are now ripe for decision.

II. ANALYSIS

A. Legal Standard
1. Rule 41(b)

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b) provides, "if the plaintiff fails to prosecute or to comply with these rules or a court order, a defendant may move to dismiss the action or any claim against it." Rule 41(b) authorizes a district court to "dismiss an action sua sponte ... for failure to comply with a court order." Jone Jones Collection, Inc. v. Good Price Mart, Inc. , No. 3:09-CV-2463-G, 2010 WL 2403727, at *2 (N.D. Tex. June 15, 2010) (Fish, Senior J.); see also Long v. Simmons, 77 F.3d 878, 879 (5th Cir. 1996). "Unless the dismissal order states otherwise," a dismissal under Rule 41(b)"operates as an adjudication on the merits." FED. R. CIV. P. 41(b). Before an action can be dismissed with prejudice under Rule 41(b), two "requisite" factors must be present and a third "aggravating" factor usually should be present. Sealed Appellant v. Sealed Appellee , 452 F.3d 415, 417-18 (5th Cir. 2006).

First, a dismissal with prejudice under Rule 41(b) is appropriate "only on a showing of a clear record of delay or contumacious conduct by the plaintiff." Id. at 417. A clear record of delay exists when there have been " 'significant periods of total inactivity' " that persist "for longer than just a few months." Millan v. USAA General Indemnity Company , 546 F.3d 321, 327 (5th Cir. 2008) ; see also Rogers v. Kroger Company , 669 F.2d 317, 321 (5th Cir. 1982) ("The decisions of this court *711affirming Rule 41(b) dismissals with prejudice involve egregious and sometimes outrageous delays.").

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Bluebook (online)
325 F. Supp. 3d 704, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/springboards-to-educ-inc-v-kipp-found-txnd-2018.