Whitfield v. Saleh

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedJune 6, 2025
Docket1:22-cv-00141
StatusUnknown

This text of Whitfield v. Saleh (Whitfield v. Saleh) 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
Whitfield v. Saleh, (E.D. Cal. 2025).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 6 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 7 8 STEVEN WHITFIELD, Case No. 1:22-cv-00141-KES-CDB

9 Plaintiff, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO GRANT INDIVIDUAL DEFENDANTS’ 10 v. MOTION TO DISMISS WITHOUT LEAVE TO AMEND 11 KHALIB SALEH, et al., (Doc. 23) 12 Defendants. 14-DAY OBJECTION PERIOD 13 14 Pending before the undersigned is the unopposed motion of individual Defendants 15 Kimberly Long and Darrell Long (“individual Defendants”) to dismiss the complaint against them, 16 filed on June 2, 2023.1 (Doc. 23). The undersigned deems the motion suitable for the preparation 17 of findings and recommendations without hearing and oral argument. See E.D. Cal. Local Rule 18 230(g). For the reasons set forth below, the undersigned will recommend the individual 19 Defendants’ motion to dismiss be granted without leave to amend. 20 I. BACKGROUND2 21 A. Procedural History 22 Plaintiff Steven Whitfield, proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis, initiated this action 23 with the filing of a complaint on February 2, 2022. (Docs. 1, 4). On February 24, 2023, the Court 24 directed the United States Marshal to serve upon individual Defendants and Defendant Khalib 25 Saleh, purported owner of CaliMex Supermarket (collectively, “Defendants”) service documents. 26

27 1 On May 14, 2025, the assigned district judge referred the pending motion to dismiss to the undersigned for the preparation of findings and recommendations. (Doc. 39). 1 (Doc. 16). Summons returned executed were filed on May 3, 2023, with all responses to the 2 complaint due on May 16, 2023. (Doc. 18). Individual Defendants timely filed the pending motion 3 to dismiss on June 6, 2023. (Doc. 23). To date, Defendant Saleh has failed to timely file a 4 responsive pleading or otherwise appear in this action. Plaintiff filed a motion for leave to amend 5 (Doc. 37) and therewith lodged a proposed first amended complaint (Doc. 38) on May 6, 2025. 6 Individual Defendants opposed the motion to amend on May 19, 2025.3 (Doc. 40). 7 B. Operative Complaint 8 In the operative complaint, Plaintiff asserts seven claims for relief, including: disability 9 discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), 42 U.S.C. § 12181 et seq. 10 (Count 1); violation of California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act (“Unruh Act”) (Count 2); violation of 11 California’s Disabled Persons Act (“CDPA”) (Count 3); respondeat superior (Count 4); premises 12 liability (Count 5); res ispa loquitur (Count 6); and intentional/negligent infliction of emotional 13 distress (Count 7). (Doc. 1 at 11-13). Plaintiff also asserts supplemental state law personal injury 14 claims under California Civil Code Section 714 against Defendants. (Id. at 13-15). 15 Plaintiff alleges that, as an individual “with significant related mobility[,]” he was denied 16 “the full and equal enjoyment of the goods” and “services” of CaliMex Supermarket on the basis 17 of his disability due to “architectural barriers” and Defendants’ policies and practices “that result 18 in a[n inaccessible] supermarket … in violation of the [ADA] and [the CDPA].” (Id. at 3). He 19 alleges that Defendants “have ha[d] substantial notice that the issues alleged in [his c]omplaint 20 violates the ADA and various state disability laws” and “as of the date of filing [the c]omplaint 21 Defendants have not taken any corrective actions towards remedying the problem as … alleged.” 22 (Id.). The complaint indicates the basis for jurisdiction in this Court is federal question in asserting 23 a claim under Title III of the ADA and that the Court “has supplemental [jurisdiction] over the state 24 law claims pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Section 1367, because these claim[s] are so related to the ADA 25 claims[.]” (Id. at 7). The complaint alleges that the Court has personal jurisdiction over Defendants 26 “because [CaliMex] Supermarket, lessee [and] lessor are both citizens of the County of Kern[.]”

27 3 The undersigned will address Defendant Saleh’s defaulted status, the screening of the operative complaint’s federal claims (Doc. 1 at 11) (Counts 1, 2, and 3), and Plaintiff’s pending 1 (Id.). The complaint alleges that CaliMex Supermarket violates the ADA based on its inaccessible 2 restrooms and lack of designated handicap parking spaces at the facility. (Id. at 8, 11). 3 Counts 1, 2, and 3 are asserted against Defendant “lessee and lessor” of CaliMex 4 Supermarket for discrimination on the basis of disability under the ADA (Count 1), violation of the 5 Unruh Act (Count 2), and for violation of the CDPA (Count 3). (Id. at 11). The complaint identifies 6 Defendant Khalib Saleh as the owner of CaliMex Supermarket and also an unknown Defendant as 7 “lessee to [Defendant] Khalib Saleh—[l]essor and owner and operator [of CaliMex].” (Id. at 2). 8 In Count 4, Plaintiff asserts that Defendant Kimberly Long is liable under the doctrine of 9 res ispa loquitor as Long “was in exclusive control of her vehicle that caused Plaintiff’s injuries 10 and damages” which “would not have ordinarily occurred but for [her] negligence and” were “not 11 due to [Plaintiff’s] actions or contribution.” (Id. at 12). 12 In Count 5, Plaintiff asserts a premises liability claim against Defendant lessee and lessor 13 of CaliMex Supermarket and alleges that the “premises was a dangerous and/or a hazardous 14 condition at the time of the injuries and damages and were the cause[] or contributed to Plaintiff’s 15 injuries and damages” and “Plaintiff has sustained grievous injury to his body and mind … as a 16 direct result[.]” (Id.). 17 In Count 6, Plaintiff asserts Defendants lessee and lessor of CaliMex Supermarket and Long 18 are liable under the doctrine of res ispa loquitor and reasserts allegations in Count 4 that Long “was 19 in exclusive control of the vehicle … that caused Plaintiff’s injuries and damages.” (Id.). 20 In Count 7, Plaintiff asserts an intentional/negligent infliction of emotional distress claim 21 against Defendants lessee and lessor and alleges both Defendants “were negligent” and their 22 conduct “was reckless and outrageous.” (Id.). 23 In the claim labeled “supplemental state law personal injury claims general negligence of 24 Defendants,” Plaintiff asserts a personal injury/property damage claim against Defendants 25 Kimberly Long as the driver of the vehicle, Darrell Long as the owner of the vehicle, and CaliMex 26 Supermarket and its servants, agents, and employees. (Id. at 13). He alleges that Darrell Long 27 “had a common law duty to only ‘entrust’ his motor vehicle to be driven by another who possessed 1 Defendant Khalib Saleh “had a legal duty to make his property safe patronage and eliminate any 2 known dangerous conditions existing on the property” as the particular location of the business is 3 “overcrowded” and “a safety hazard and/or a dangerous condition to members of the general public 4 and prospective patrons” of the business. (Id. at 13, 14). He alleges that on February 5, 2021, he 5 “suffered an automobile accident” with Defendant Kimberly Long at the place of business and that 6 prior to the accident, Plaintiff took a friend to the business “at least [four] times[.]” (Id. at 14). He 7 alleges that on the date of the accident, Defendant CaliMex Supermarket “allowed his employee(s) 8 to illegally park on the blacktop” near the business “to avoid any … damages to their vehicles while 9 at work[.]” (Id. at 15). 10 Plaintiff seeks damages under the Unruh Civil Rights Act, the Persons with Disabilities Act, 11 declaratory and injunctive relief, $7,500 in property damages, $7,000 in personal injury damages, 12 $7,000 for negligent infliction of emotional distress and negligent entrustment, and for attorney’s 13 fees and costs. (Id. at 15-16).

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Whitfield v. Saleh, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/whitfield-v-saleh-caed-2025.