Thomas v. John Doe

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedOctober 22, 2020
Docket7:20-cv-07520
StatusUnknown

This text of Thomas v. John Doe (Thomas v. John Doe) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thomas v. John Doe, (S.D.N.Y. 2020).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK WILLIAM D. THOMAS, Plaintiff, 20-CV-7520 (LLS) -against- ORDER TO AMEND JOHN DOE, et al., Defendants. LOUIS L. STANTON, United States District Judge: Plaintiff, who is currently detained at the Bronx Psychiatric Center, is proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis. Plaintiff filed this complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging that Defendants violated his constitutional rights. For the reasons set forth below, the Court grants Plaintiff leave to file an amended complaint within sixty days of the date of this order. STANDARD OF REVIEW The Court must dismiss an in forma pauperis complaint, or any portion of the complaint, that is frivolous or malicious, fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted, or seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B); see Livingston v. Adirondack Beverage Co., 141 F.3d 434, 437 (2d Cir. 1998). The Court must also dismiss a complaint when the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(h)(3). While the law mandates dismissal on any of these grounds, the Court is obliged to construe pro se pleadings liberally, Harris v. Mills, 572 F.3d 66, 72 (2d Cir. 2009), and interpret them to raise the “strongest [claims] that they suggest,” Triestman v. Fed. Bureau of Prisons, 470 F.3d 471, 474 (2d Cir. 2006) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted) (emphasis in original). But the “special solicitude” in pro se cases, id. at 475 (citation omitted), has its limits – to state a claim, pro se pleadings still must comply with Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which requires a complaint to make a short and plain statement showing that the pleader is entitled to relief. The Supreme Court has held that under Rule 8, a complaint must include enough facts to

state a claim for relief “that is plausible on its face.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007). A claim is facially plausible if the plaintiff pleads enough factual detail to allow the Court to draw the inference that the defendant is liable for the alleged misconduct. In reviewing the complaint, the Court must accept all well-pleaded factual allegations as true. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678-79 (2009). But it does not have to accept as true “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action,” which are essentially just legal conclusions. Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555. After separating legal conclusions from well-pleaded factual allegations, the Court must determine whether those facts make it plausible – not merely possible – that the pleader is entitled to relief. Id. BACKGROUND The complaint contains the following allegations. Between July 5, 2018, and December

2019, while Plaintiff was incarcerated at Green Haven Correctional Facility, the New York State Department of Correction and Community Supervision (DOCCS) denied him adequate medical care for “severe kidney disease.” DOCCS medical staff gave Plaintiff generic medication and failed to schedule “special kidney surgery” recommended by a doctor at the Westchester County Medical Center (WCMC). Instead, Dr. Janis inserted stents into Plaintiff’s body, causing Plaintiff to get urinary tract infections (UTIs). Dr. Lewit and two John Doe WCMC doctors discharged Plaintiff while he was still suffering from a UTI, and nurses and nurse practitioners at Green Haven determined the treatment he received. (ECF No. 2 at 13-17.) The complaint suggests that Plaintiff was convicted of a sex offense and is now in civil detention. Defendants Medbury, Griffen, and Morales “told Plaintiff that if he didn’t sign a residential treatment agreement they [would] violate” his parole. Plaintiff received a parole violation in May 2019, allegedly for fighting, but “it was really” due to Defendants’ “bias”

against him. (Id. at 17.) Toll, Cabrera, and Gleason violated HIPAA by discussing Plaintiff’s mental health status and criminal offense, “so much so that” Toll and Cabrera “would not feed Plaintiff.” (Id. at 18.) In February 2019, corrections officers assaulted Plaintiff, and Russo, Bey, Goin, and Lt. John Doe “authorized” the assault. Nurse McDonald, who is not named as a defendant, “shot [Plaintiff] with” medication, and they all “laughed” and denied Plaintiff medical treatment for his injuries. Plaintiff was hit in the kidneys and urinated blood for one week. (Id. at 18-19.) Edge and other unnamed individuals at Great Meadow Correctional Facility assaulted Plaintiff in May 2020. The complaint names the following defendants: at Green Haven Correctional Facility, Deputy Superintendent of Medical Baldwin, Dr. Uzu, Facility Health Director Dr. Bentivegna,

Dr. Silver, Physician’s Assistant (PA) Fullerton, PA Katie Interfino, Nurse Dora Barrito, Correction Officer (CO) Toll, CO Cabrera, Deputy of Security Russo, CO Sergeant Goin, Security Captain Bey, Senior Offender Rehabilitation Coordinator (SORC) Griffen, Offender Rehabilitation Coordinator (ORC) Morales, Office of Mental Health (OMH) Deputy Superintendent Medbury, and OMH practitioner Colleen Gleason/Kirren; at WCMC: Urologist Dr. Goupal, Dr. Lewit, Urologist Dr. Janis, a John Doe urologist; and in the DOCCS Albany office: Regional Health Service Nurse Naysla, four John Does, and Regional Health Director Jane Doe; and at Great Meadow: Correctional Sergeant Edge. DISCUSSION A. Section 1983 and Personal Involvement To state a claim under § 1983, a plaintiff must allege both that: (1) a right secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States was violated, and (2) the right was violated by a person acting under the color of state law, or a “ state actor.” See West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48-49 (1988).

To state a § 1983 claim, a plaintiff must also allege facts showing the defendants’ direct and personal involvement in the alleged constitutional deprivation. See Spavone v. N.Y. State Dep’t of Corr. Serv., 719 F.3d 127, 135 (2d Cir. 2013) (citing Colon v. Coughlin, 58 F.3d 865, 873 (2d Cir. 1995)). A defendant may not be held liable under § 1983 solely because that defendant employs or supervises a person who violated the plaintiff’s rights. See Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 676 (2009) (“Government officials may not be held liable for the unconstitutional conduct of their subordinates under a theory of respondeat superior.”).

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Thomas v. John Doe, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thomas-v-john-doe-nysd-2020.