Stanley Ellis Rawls v. Brand Huffman, et al.

District Court, S.D. Mississippi·Decided August 25, 2026·No. 1:24-cv-00197·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF MISSISSIPPI SOUTHERN DIVISION

STANLEY ELLIS RAWLS PLAINTIFF

VERSUS CIVIL ACTION NO. 1:24-cv-00197-RPM

BRAND HUFFMAN, et al. DEFENDANTS

ORDER GRANTING MOTION [40] FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Plaintiff Stanley Ellis Rawls, proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis, filed this civil action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 on June 27, 2024. At the time, Plaintiff was an inmate housed at the South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville, Mississippi. [1] at 1. He is now housed at the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility in Woodville, Mississippi. [11] at 1. Twelve Defendants remain:1 (1) Superintendent Brand Huffman, (2) Deputy Warden Starky Hicks, (3) Capt. Sundie Loper, (4) Major Vanessa Robinson, (5) Major Sheniece Evans, (6) Major Shetica Lockheart, (7) Warden Joseph Canale, (8) Lucy Martin, (9) Commissioner Burl Cain, (10) Unknown Nurse Woman, (11) Employee Disciplinary Officer Mable Smith, and (12) Director of Administrative Remedy Program Joseph Cooley. Plaintiff’s claims were clarified at an Omnibus Hearing on March 7, 2025.2 On July 1, 2026, Huffman, Hicks, Loper, Robinson, Evans, Lockheart, Canale, Martin, Cain, Smith, and Cooley (“the moving Defendants”) filed a Motion [40] for Summary Judgment. Plaintiff has filed no response. For the following reasons, the moving Defendants’ Motion [40] for

1 Plaintiff also sued Nurse Practitioner Kimberly Gurley, but his claims against her were dismissed without prejudice for failure to exhaust administrative remedies on February 26, 2026. [38] at 1-11.

2 See Spears v. McCotter, 766 F.2d 179, 181-82 (5th Cir. 1985) (authorizing the magistrate judge to “hold an evidentiary hearing” to allow a pro se plaintiff to provide a “more definite statement”), abrogated on other grounds by Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 324 n.3 (1989). Summary Judgment will be granted, and Plaintiff’s claims against them will be dismissed with prejudice. Plaintiff’s claims against Unknown Nurse Woman will be dismissed without prejudice. I. BACKGROUND Plaintiff complains about the conditions of his confinement at SMCI, which arose at the hands of the moving Defendants. Allegedly, Plaintiff reported the following issues to

Commissioner Cain, who did not respond to his correspondence. [8] at 2. Plaintiff also reported these issues to high-ranking custodians at SMCI, including Huffman, Canale, Cooley, and Smith, who failed to investigate and respond to his administrative grievances. [1-1] at 1, 4; [37] at 41, 46. To start, Plaintiff blames Robinson, Hicks, and Lockheart for wrongfully or falsely issuing him Rule Violation Reports (“RVRs”). Plaintiff testified that Robinson issued him RVRs for lying about his name and for being in an unauthorized area. [37] at 22. Plaintiff claims that he did not receive a hearing on these RVRs, but he was nonetheless punished with a 30-day loss of privileges. Id. at 23. Plaintiff also asserts that Robinson “threatened” him, but nothing “ever happen[ed] to [him]” because of those threats. Id. at 24-25. Next, Plaintiff claims that Hicks “wrote [him] a[n]

RVR after finding homemade brew on the opposite side of the zone,” though none was found in Plaintiff’s “rack.” [1-1] at 1. Because of this RVR, Plaintiff suffered a 60-day loss of “good time” and privileges. [37] at 37. And Plaintiff claims that Lockheart wrongfully issued him an RVR for having commissary in the recreation yard. Id. at 33-34. As a result of that RVR, Plaintiff was punished with a change in his custodial classification for 30 days. Id. at 34. Apart from this, Plaintiff testified that Loper denied him access to prophylactic diabetic care. [37] at 37. Specifically, Loper once denied Plaintiff a chance to have his blood-sugar levels tested in the medical clinic. Id. at 37-39. Plaintiff testified that he had no history of diabetes during

2 his time at SMCI, and he did not submit a sick-call request on the day in question. Id. at 38-40. Next, Plaintiff complains that Martin, who is the “food service manager,” denied his request for “no salt,” “low sodium” tray. [1-1] at 3. Plaintiff allegedly showed Martin his “diet order . . . for less starch, no fat, low salt, [and] . . . no cholesterol,” but Martin “wouldn’t honor it.” [37] at 42- 43. Plaintiff has not identified an injury arising from this denial. Id. at 44.

Finally, Plaintiff avers that he once “had a[n] argument with Major Evans,” who threatened to have someone “handle [him].” [1] at 5. Later that day, Plaintiff was “assaulted by [a] gang member,” and he believes that Evans instigated the attack. Id.; see also [1-2] at 1; [37] at 30. Plaintiff testified that “nobody told [him]” Evans instigated the attack, but he inferred that she did because she was friendly with gang members at SMCI. [37] at 30-31. Plaintiff seeks $140,000.00 in monetary damages and to be moved from SMCI. [1] at 5. II. STANDARD OF REVIEW “The court shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” FED. R.

CIV. P. 56(a). “A dispute is genuine if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Westfall v. Luna, 903 F.3d 534, 546 (5th Cir. 2018) (quotation omitted). “An issue is material if its resolution could affect the outcome of the action.” Sierra Club, Inc. v. Sandy Creek Energy Assocs., L.P., 627 F.3d 134, 138 (5th Cir. 2010) (quotation omitted). “On a motion for summary judgment, the court must view the facts in the light most favorable to the non-moving party and draw all reasonable inferences in its favor.” E.E.O.C. v. WC&M Enters., Inc., 496 F.3d 393, 397 (5th Cir. 2007). “In reviewing the evidence, the court must therefore refrain from making credibility determinations or weighing the evidence.” Id. at

3 397-98 (quotation omitted). “Summary judgment is proper if the movant demonstrates that there is an absence of genuine issues of material fact.” Topalian v. Ehrman, 954 F.2d 1125, 1131 (5th Cir. 1992). “The movant accomplishes this by informing the court of the basis for its motion, and by identifying portions of the record which highlight the absence of genuine factual issues.” Id. “Rule 56

contemplates a shifting burden: the nonmovant is under no obligation to respond unless the movant discharges its initial burden of demonstrating entitlement to summary judgment.” Mack v. Waffle House, Inc., No. 1:06-cv-00559-RHW, 2007 WL 1153116, at *1 (S.D. Miss. Apr. 18, 2007) (quotation and brackets omitted). “[O]nce a properly supported motion for summary judgment is presented, the nonmoving party must rebut with significant probative evidence.” Id. (quotation omitted). III. DISCUSSION A. Plaintiff has failed to state a constitutional claim against the moving Defendants. The moving Defendants argue that they are entitled to judgment as a matter of law based

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Stanley Ellis Rawls v. Brand Huffman, et al., (S.D. Miss. 2026).

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