Svendgard v. State

95 P.3d 364, 122 Wash. App. 670
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedJuly 26, 2004
Docket50958-6-I
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 95 P.3d 364 (Svendgard v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Svendgard v. State, 95 P.3d 364, 122 Wash. App. 670 (Wash. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

95 P.3d 364 (2004)

Thomas M. SVENDGARD and Nicole Svendgard, husband and wife, Appellant/Cross-Respondent,
v.
STATE of Washington; Washington State Department of Licensing; and Ismael Anaya, in his official and individual capacity, Respondents/Cross-Appellants.

No. 50958-6-I.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 1.

July 26, 2004.

*366 Jose F. Vera, Margaret M. Boyle, Seattle, WA, for Appellant.

Gregory Eugene Jackson, Forsberg & Umlauf PS, Catherine Hendricks, John Robert Nicholson, Seattle, WA, for Respondents.

KENNEDY, J.

Shortly after Thomas Svendgard obtained his commercial driver's license by passing the skills test administered by a third party tester who was on contract with the Department of Licensing, he was randomly selected for a retest in a Department program designed to audit third party testers. Department employee Ismael Anaya denied Svendgard's request to postpone the retest due to a back injury. After Svendgard failed to appear for the retest, the Department cancelled his commercial driver's license, and later cancelled his personal driver's license, as well. Svendgard and his wife filed suit against the State of Washington, the Department of Licensing, and Anaya in his official and individual capacities, alleging (1) disability discrimination under the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), (2) denial of due process, (3) violations of Svendgard's civil rights, (4) retaliation under WLAD, and (5) loss of consortium.

Svendgard appeals the jury's verdict in favor of the defendants, arguing, inter alia, that the trial court erroneously instructed the jury on the WLAD and ADA claims. We reverse and remand for a new trial on these claims, in that the jury instructions did not permit Svendgard to argue his legally viable theory of the case. Svendgard also appeals the trial court's grant of summary judgment to the defendants on his due process and civil rights claims. We reinstate Svendgard's due process claim, but affirm the trial court's dismissal of the civil rights claim. We reject the defendants' cross appeal.

FACTS

Applicants for a commercial driver's license in Washington must pass a knowledge examination administered by the Department of Licensing and a skills test that may be administered by the Department or by an authorized third party tester. In an effort to ensure that third party testers under contract with the Department of Licensing were administering skills tests in compliance with federal regulations, the Department began a random retesting program in which 10 percent of the most recently passed commercial license holders were required to retake the skills test.

Thomas Svendgard obtained his commercial driver's license in December 1997. His skills test was administered by a third party tester. In April 1998, the Department of Licensing sent Svendgard a letter notifying him that he had been selected for random retesting of his commercial driving skills and that "[f]ailure to schedule and/or appear for this re-test will result in the cancellation of your commercial driving privileges." Report of Proceedings 6/25/02 (Anaya) at 78-79. Svendgard called the Department and spoke with Ismael Anaya, the director of the Department's commercial driving section. Angered by what he felt was an inadequate explanation for the retesting, Svendgard yelled that he would not submit to the retesting and hung up on Anaya. After speaking to his wife, Svendgard calmed down, called Anaya back, and scheduled an appointment to take the retest on May 22, 1988.

On May 1, 1998, Svendgard injured his back while at work, leading his doctor to place restrictions on his work. Svendgard then called Anaya and informed him of the injury and work restrictions, asked to reschedule the retest, and provided telephone numbers for his employer and doctor. After contacting Svendgard's employer, but not his doctor, Anaya called Svendgard back and told him that if he did not appear for the scheduled retest, his commercial driver's license would be cancelled. According to Anaya, during the call, Svendgard was upset and indicated that his back injury prevented him from driving even a car. Based on this statement, Anaya completed and sent a "DLE-5" form to the Department's medical department, which in turn sent a letter to Svendgard requiring him to appear at a licensing office to demonstrate that he could safely operate his car.

*367 After speaking with Anaya again, Svendgard called Lynda Henriksen, one of Anaya's supervisors, complained about Anaya, explained his back injury, and requested time to heal before taking the retest. According to Svendgard, Henriksen said it would be too expensive for the Department of Licensing to accommodate his request and stated that if he failed to appear for the scheduled retest, his commercial driver's license would be cancelled.

Svendgard did not appear for the retesting and the Department cancelled his commercial driver's license. He also did not appear at a licensing office to demonstrate that he could safely operate his car and the Department then cancelled his personal driver's license, as well.

Svendgard and his wife filed suit against the Department of Licensing, the State of Washington, and Anaya, alleging (1) disability discrimination under the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), (2) denial of due process, (3) violations of Svendgard's civil rights, (4) retaliation under WLAD, and (5) loss of consortium. The trial court dismissed the due process and § 1983 claims on summary judgment, and the jury found for the defendants on the remaining claims.

ANALYSIS

Jury Instructions

Svendgard first contends that the trial court's instructions to the jury prevented him from arguing his case. We review jury instructions for abuse of discretion. Martini v. Boeing Co., 88 Wash.App. 442, 468, 945 P.2d 248 (1997), aff'd, 137 Wash.2d 357, 971 P.2d 45 (1999). There is no abuse of discretion where the instructions (1) permit the parties to argue their theories of the case; (2) are not misleading; and (3) when read as a whole, properly inform the jury of the applicable law. Hue v. Farmboy Spray Co., Inc., 127 Wash.2d 67, 92, 896 P.2d 682 (1995).

Svendgard contends that the jury instructions for his disability claims, under both the WLAD and the ADA, prevented him from arguing his theory of the case. The record supports this contention.

Instruction 12, regarding the WLAD claim, provides in pertinent part:

In order to prevail on their claim for the unfair practice of discrimination on the basis of a disability in a place of public accommodation, the plaintiffs must prove each of the following facts by a preponderance of the evidence:
(a) That plaintiff Thomas Svendgard had a "disability";
(b) That the Department of Licensing is a "place of public accommodation";
(c) That the Department of Licensing was aware of Mr. Svendgard's disability;
(d) That Mr. Svendgard was able to meet the essential requirements to qualify for a commercial driver's license; and
(e) That the Department of Licensing failed to reasonably accommodate Mr. Svendgard's disability.

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Bluebook (online)
95 P.3d 364, 122 Wash. App. 670, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/svendgard-v-state-washctapp-2004.