Tsige v. Kipp Dc Pcs-Will

• Court: District Court, District of Columbia
• Decided: September 21, 2012
• Docket: Civil Action No. 2012-1568
• Status: Published

Opinion

FILED UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SEP 2 1 2012 FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Clerk, u.s. District &Bankruptc~ Courts for the Distritt of Columbta

) Ellenie Tsige, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) ) Civil Action No. 12 1568 KIPP DC PCS-Will, ) ) Defendant. ) )

MEMORANDUM OPINION

This matter is before the Court on plaintiffs prose complaint and application to proceed

in forma pauperis. The Court will grant plaintiffs application and dismiss the complaint for lack

of subject matter jurisdiction.

The subject matter jurisdiction of the federal district courts is limited and is set forth

generally at 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1332. Under those statutes, federal jurisdiction is available

only when a "federal question" is presented or the parties are of diverse citizenship and the

amount in controversy exceeds $75,000. A party seeking relief in the district court must at least

plead facts that bring the suit within the court's jurisdiction. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a). Failure to

plead such facts warrants dismissal ofthe action. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(h)(3).

Plaintiff is a District of Columbia resident suing a school in the District for decisions

made about her son. She seeks an "investigation as well [as] justification." Compl. at 4. The

complaint neither presents a federal question nor provides a basis for diversity jurisdiction.

/ {) 3 Presumably, plaintiffs recourse lies in the Superior Court ofthe District of Columbia. A

separate Order of dismissal accompanies this Memorandum Opinion.

DATE: September _1]_, 2012 2/L~ j hJ L)(()Lc_ United States District Judge