Thadius J. Holland v. Candace Gish, et al.

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedMarch 3, 2026
Docket1:24-cv-00557
StatusUnknown

This text of Thadius J. Holland v. Candace Gish, et al. (Thadius J. Holland v. Candace Gish, et al.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thadius J. Holland v. Candace Gish, et al., (E.D. Cal. 2026).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 THADIUS J. HOLLAND, Case No. 1:24-cv-00557-JLT-BAM (PC) 12 Plaintiff, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING MOTION TO DISMISS BY 13 v. DEFENDANT CANDACE GISH 14 TORRES, et al., (ECF No. 33) 15 Defendants. FOURTEEN-DAY DEADLINE 16 17 I. Introduction 18 Plaintiff Thadius J. Holland (“Plaintiff”) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma 19 pauperis in this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. 20 On December 13, 2024, the undersigned screened Plaintiff’s first amended complaint, 21 found that Plaintiff stated cognizable claims against Defendants Guadalupe Torres and Candice 22 Gish for deliberate indifference to medical care in violation of the Eighth Amendment, and issued 23 findings and recommendations that recommended the action proceed only on the claims against 24 Defendants Torres and Gish. (ECF No. 17.) On February 14, 2025, the district judge adopted the 25 findings and recommendations in full and ordered that this action proceed on Plaintiff’s claim for 26 deliberate indifference to medical care in violation of the Eighth Amendment against Defendants 27 Torres and Gish, as stated in the first amended complaint. (ECF No. 21.) 28 Currently before the Court is Defendant Gish’s motion to dismiss the first amended 1 complaint pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), filed June 4, 2025. (ECF No. 2 33.) Following an extension of time, Plaintiff filed a response on August 29, 2025. (ECF No. 3 42.) Defendant replied on September 12, 2025. (ECF No. 45.) The motion is fully briefed. 4 II. Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim 5 A. Legal Standard 6 A motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) tests the legal sufficiency of a claim, and 7 dismissal is proper if there is a lack of a cognizable legal theory or the absence of sufficient facts 8 alleged under a cognizable legal theory. Conservation Force v. Salazar, 646 F.3d 1240, 1241–42 9 (9th Cir. 2011) (quotation marks and citations omitted). To survive a motion to dismiss, a 10 complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a claim that is plausible 11 on its face. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 12 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)) (quotation marks omitted); Conservation Force, 646 F.3d at 1242; 13 Moss v. U.S. Secret Serv., 572 F.3d 962, 969 (9th Cir. 2009). The Court must accept the well- 14 pled factual allegations as true and draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the non-moving 15 party. Daniels-Hall v. Nat’l Educ. Ass’n, 629 F.3d 992, 998 (9th Cir. 2010); Sanders v. Brown, 16 504 F.3d 903, 910 (9th Cir. 2007); Huynh v. Chase Manhattan Bank, 465 F.3d 992, 996–97 (9th 17 Cir. 2006); Morales v. City of L.A., 214 F.3d 1151, 1153 (9th Cir. 2000). 18 In general, pro se pleadings are held to a less stringent standard than those drafted by 19 lawyers. Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520 (1972). The Court has an obligation to construe 20 such pleadings liberally. Bretz v. Kelman, 773 F.2d 1026, 1027 n.1 (9th Cir. 1985) (en banc). 21 However, a court’s liberal interpretation of a pro se complaint may not supply essential elements 22 of the claim that were not pled. Ivey v. Bd. of Regents of Univ. of Alaska, 673 F.2d 266, 268 (9th 23 Cir. 1982). Also, the Court need not credit naked assertions, “labels and conclusions” or “a 24 formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action.” See Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555–57. 25 B. Relevant Allegations in the Amended Complaint 26 In his first amended complaint, Plaintiff alleges that Defendant Torres, psych tech at the 27 Substance Abuse Treatment Facility, refused to send Plaintiff to TTA for medical treatment, 28 leaving Plaintiff “in a pool of blood until a next day appointment.” (ECF No. 15 at 3.) Non-party 1 Clement Ogbuehi refused to send Plaintiff for medical treatment and wrapped Plaintiff’s wounds 2 after ripping the stiches trying to clean the wound. After continuing bleeding after being seen by 3 Ogbuehi, Plaintiff was still bleeding and asked Defendant Gish to call medical about the bleeding 4 and loss of blood. Defendant Gish was acting under color of law by delaying and denying 5 Plaintiff’s medical needs stating that he did not need to be seen. (Id.) However, when Plaintiff 6 was seen by Defendant Gish, finally, “she was shocked at the sight of the wound and how much 7 blood loss occurred.” (Id.) Eventually, the surgeon evaluated the wound, questioned why 8 Plaintiff was not seen sooner, and that Plaintiff needed surgery immediately. 9 Plaintiff additionally alleges he went under surgery for a circumcision on November 30, 10 2022. During the aftercare treatment notes, Plaintiff was told that if he had any bleeding, if the 11 stitches came undone, if there was swelling or excessive pain that he should seek medical 12 attention as soon as possible. On 12/10/2022, Plaintiff’s stitches ripped off in the middle of the 13 night which resulted in a lot of blood. Plaintiff told the person on duty and nurse Torres what had 14 happened and that he needed to be seen per his doctor’s instructions. If the wound stayed open, 15 there was a great risk for infection. Plaintiff was brushed off and was told that he would be okay 16 and they would not see him for evaluation because Plaintiff had a doctor’s appointment set for 17 that morning and to let the doctor know then. 18 The doctor saw Plaintiff around 9 am for an evaluation of the wound and the doctor saw 19 the two holes where the stitches had ripped out. The doctor saw how badly the wound was 20 bleeding. Plaintiff said that he needed to be taken to the TTA. However, the doctor disregarded 21 this request and instead cleaned the wound and wrapped it. The doctor said that he would not 22 send Plaintiff to TTA because the wound would heal at some point. Plaintiff explained what the 23 surgeon had expressed in post operative instructions that if the stitches were to rip, but the doctor 24 ignored Plaintiff’s request and explanation despite begging the doctor for further help with TTA. 25 Plaintiff was sent back to his cell to sit in blood and suffer in extreme pian. 26 That same night about 8:30 pm, Plaintiff started to change his wound dressings and 27 noticed “blood clots, chunks of blood and ongoing bleeding to the wound.” (ECF No. 15 at 5.) 28 Plaintiff called the third watch guard for help, stated he was bleeding badly and was in extreme 1 pain, and said he needed to go to TTA. The third watch guard stated that TTA was called and 2 informed of Plaintiff’s requests but that nurse Gish was denying the request for Plaintiff to be 3 seen as there was nothing that she could do for him. 4 Early the next day, Plaintiff told the correctional officer that he needed help and needed to 5 go to TTA. The ASU nurse and the correctional officer did their job and helped Plaintiff and took 6 him to TTA. The TTA nurse stated for a second time that Plaintiff did not need to be seen, which 7 was a disregard for his health and safety.

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Bluebook (online)
Thadius J. Holland v. Candace Gish, et al., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thadius-j-holland-v-candace-gish-et-al-caed-2026.