Farley v. Clarke et al, No. 7:2018cv00643 - Document 19 (W.D. Va. 2019)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION. Signed by Senior Judge Jackson L. Kiser on 7/11/2019. (tvt)
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CLERK' 8 OFFICE u.8.Dj:m COURT ATDANVILLE,VA FILED IN TH E U N ITED STATE S D ISTR ICT CO U R T FO R TH E W ESTERN D ISTW CT OF V IR G IN IA R O A N O K E DIV ISIO N JUL 11 2219 JuL C.D DLG GLE BY: DEPUTY CL D AR RELL FA R LEY , Plaintiff, CivilAciion No.7:18-cv-00643 M EM O M ND U M O PIN IO N HAROLD CLARK E,etaI., D efendants. By: Hon.Jacltson L.Kiser Senior U nited States D istrictJudge DarrellFarley,aVirginiainmateproceeding pro K ,com m enced this action plzrsuantto 42 . U.S.C.j 1983 againstmore than 20 officials and employees ofthe Virgirlia Departmentof Corrections.The cotzrtconditionally filedFarley'scomplaint,advisedhim thatthecomplaintdid nottûstate lanylclaim upon which reliefmay begrantedbecause...(it)FAILS TO CONNECT ANY DEFENDANT TO THE CONDUCT OF W HICH HE COMPLAINS.'' (Order! 2,EECF No.171). Accordingly,thecourtdirectedFarley to fileanew pleading thatwould supportilis claim sS&with specific actscomm itted by specific defendants.'' 1d. The courtnotified Farley that the am ended com plaint m ustbe a new pleading that stands by itselfw ithoutreference to a com plaint, attachm ents,or am endm ents already filed. Plaintifrs filings to date w illnot be considered by the court and should not be referenced by plaintiff in the proposed am ened com plaint.Thecourtrequiresplaintiffsproposed nmendment to conform to theFederalRulesofCivilProcedure 8and 10. A key componentof a civil complaint is <1a shortand plain statem ent of the claim showing thatthe pleader is entitled to relief.'' Fed.R.Civ.P.8(a)(2)(emphasisadded). This Farley v. Clarke et al provision requiresthata civilplaintiffm uststate notonly the legalconclusion that hebelieveshecanproveagainstthedefendant,butalsom uststatefactsfGshowing'' w hat the defendant did that allegedly violates plaintiffs rights. The courtw ill review the proposed nm ended com plaintupon its filing to determ ine whether the court shall accept it under Rule 15 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedtlre. Doc. 19 FAILURE TO AM END THE COM PLAINT W ITHIN FOURTEEN (14) Dockets.Justia.com D AY S FR O M TH E D ATE O F TH IS O R D ER T O C O R RE CT TH E N O TED DEFICIENCIES,SHALLRESULTINDISV SSALOFTHECOMPLAINT. J.I.at2-3.Thecourt'sorderprovidedlengthyquotationsfrom Rules8and 10anddescribedthe requirementsaplaintiffmustfollow to comply with thesenlles. ln response to the court's order,Farley has filed an nm ended com plaint,again nnm ing 18 prisonoffcialsasdefendants.HestatesthatheisanLGBTQ inmatewithmentalhealthproblems. Heclaimsthat:(a)a11thedefendantsretaliatedagainsthim forstandingupforLGBTQ rightsby failingtoprotecthim from beingsexuallyassaultedbyanotherinmateonNovember16,2018;(b) a1l the defendants Gtfailledq to admiister arladequate remedy to meet standard minimum constimtional standards'''(c) a11 the defendants ltfailed to adhere to their own grievance procedtlre'';(d)al1thedefendantsdeprivedFarleyofhisGifastactingasthmainhaler''forfortydays and denied him showersforeightdays,in retaliation forhisreporting ofççalleged sexualabuse''; (e)AgentW agnerthreatenedFarleywith chargesifhecontinuedto stand up forLGBTQ rights and againstprisonrape;(9 thedefendantsallowed Farleytobecomeavictim tmdertheççGender M otivatedCrimesAcf';and(g)thedefendantsfailed(çtoadherewiththePdsonRapeElimination Actpolicy and federalmandate ofa zero tolermw eprocedure to be adopted.'' Am .Compl.3-4, ECF N o.18. Section 1983 permitsan aggrieved party to filea civilaction againsia person foractions taken undercolorofstatelaw thatviolated hisconstimtionalrights.Cooperv.Sheehan,735 F.3d 153,158(4thCir.2013).Thus,aviablej1983claim requiresfactualdetailinthecomplaintabout each defendant's personalactions thatviolated the plaintiff's constitutionalrights. See,e.g., Vinnedcev.Gibbs,550F.2d 926,928(4th Cir.1977)(tindingthatunderj 1983,ççliabilitywill - 2- only1iewhereitisaffirmatively shownthattheofficialcharged actedpersonallyinthedeprivation oftheplaintiftl'sqrights''). UndertheFederalRulesofCivilProcedlzre,enoughfactsinsupport ofa plaintiffs claim sm ustbe included in the complaintitself. See Fed.R.Civ.P.8,10. The complaintmustplead factssufficientto (tstate aclaim to reliefthatisplausible on itsface.'' Bell Atl.Cop .v.Twombly,550U.S.544,570(2007).(tIAqpleadingthatofferslabelsandconclusions ora form ulaic recitation ofthe elementsofa cause ofaction willnotdo. Nordoes a complaint sufficeifittendersnaked assertionsdevoid offurtherfactualenhancem ent.'' Ashcroftv.Iqbal, 556U.S.662,678(2009)(internalcitationsandquotationmarksomitted). Farley'sam endedcomplaintfailstom eettherequirem entsofRules8and 10 andthusdoes notstateaplausibleclaim underj1983 againstany defendant.He doesnotdescribewith any particularity any action involving him thatany individualdefendanttook orfailed totake on any particulardate ordates. Hedoesnotshow how defèndants'actionsorpoliciescaused him hnrm. Hedoesnotstatehow orwhen hestood up forLGBTQ rights,orhow orwhenAgentW agner allegedlytsthreatened''llim with chargesoverthatconduct. Rather,theam ended complaintm akes m erely conclusory assertions and legalconclusions. Thus,Farley has notprovided sufficient detailsabouthisclaimsto allow any defendanttorespond,despitethecourt'sexpressdirection to providesuchdetails.SeeTwombly,550U.S.at555(notingthatcomplaintmustgivedefendants GçfairnoticeofwhatEplaintiffsqclaimgsare)andthegrotmdsupon which (theyqrestlq'')(citation omitted). For the stated reasons, Farley has not com plied w ith the court's order to connect the defendants to the conduct about which he com plains. 1 w ill sllm m arily dism iss this case accordingly. B ecause itispossible for Farley to cure thepleading's deficienciesand continue the litigation in afutpre,separateaction,thedismissalwillbewithoutprejudice. See,e.c.,Domino SucarCorp.v.SucarW orkersLocalUnion 392,16 F.3d 1064,1066-67 (4th Cir.1993). An appropriate orderw illenterthis day. The clerk willsend a copy ofthism em orandum opinion and the accom panying orderto theplaintiff. Ex-l-Elom thisIl+K dayofJuly,2019. r .. 10 - 4- f ITED STA TES D ISTRICT JUD G E
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