Gaines v. Smith, No. 7:2019cv00248 - Document 8 (W.D. Va. 2019)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION. Signed by Senior Judge Jackson L. Kiser on 5/21/2019. (tvt)
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cueRx's oFfqcE u.s.nlsm ceur ATDANVILLE,VA FILED IN TH E U NITED STATES D ISTR ICT C O U RT FO R TH E W ESTERN D ISTR ICT O F VIR G INIA R O AN O K E D IV ISIO N MAï,2a1''2212 . . JUL . nlFRK BY: D P CLE CH RISTO PH ER M .G M N ES, Plaintiff, CA SE N O .7:19CV 00248 V. M EM OM ND U M O PIN IO N M ARY C.SM ITH ,M .D.,DIRECTOR By: H on.Jackson L.K isçr Senior U nited StatesD istrictJudge D efendant. PlaintiffCluistopherM .Gaines,a Virginia inmate proceeding pro K ,has filed this civil rights action,ptlrsuantto 42 U.S.C.j 1983,againstthe director of W estern State Hospital (ç&W SH'').Afterreview ofGaines'submissions,1concludethathiscomplaintmustbesummarily dism issed. Gainesallegesthatwhilehe wasaW SH patient,he ltswallowed plasticthatwasmixed in ghis)scrnmbled eggsand itcaused internalbleeding.''(Compl.4 EECF No.1q.)During another meal,he was served tçoutdated,rotlen eggs''that m ade him tssick,to the pointof prolonged vomiting.''(Id.)Someoneallegedlyprovidedhim withblood-contnminatedlinensthatalsocaused him tobecometiphysicallysick.''(Id.)Gainesélsofeltçsdiscriminatedagainst''atW SH;healleges thathe(twasneverallowed anyoftheprivledgesgsicjprovidedto otherindividuals,''becausehe hadfiled complaintstothedirector.(Id.)Gainesisnow conûned attheNorthwestern Regional A dultD etention Centerin W inchester,V irginia. Gaines v. Smith Doc. 8 Inhisj1983complaint,GainessuestheW SH director,MaryC.Smith,M .D.Hecontends thatSmithhasadutyto m anageherstaffand overseethecareofeach patientandthatsheand her subordinates failed to follow W SH policy when no one responded to Gaines'com plaints or Dockets.Justia.com provided him with an advocate regarding hiscomplaints.Asreliefin thislawsuit,Gaines seeks m onetav dam ages.l Thecourtisrequiredtodismissanyactionorclaim filedbyaprisonerproceedingLqforma pauperisifitdeterminesthe action orclaim is frivolous,m alicious,orfails to state a claim on whichreliefmaybegranted.See28U.S.C.j1915A(b)(1).Tostateacauseofactionkmderj1983, aplaintiffmustestablishthathehasbeen deprivedofrightsguaranteedby theConstitution orlaws oftheUnited Statesand thatthisdeprivation resulted from conductcomm itted by aperson acting undercolorofstatelaw.W estv.Atkins,487U.S.42(1988). First,Gaines doesnothave a constitutionalrightforW SH officialsto follow hospitalor stateregulations.Violationsofstate 1aw by state offcialsdo notprovidebasisforconstitutional claimsunderj1983.W ellerv.Dep' tofSocialServices,901F.2d387,392 (4thCir.1990).Thus, Imustsummarily dismisshis j1983 claimsagainstSmith formerely failing to respond to his complaints,providehim an advocate,orotherwisefollow W SH policies. Second,Gainesdoesnotclaim thatSmithherselfplacedplasticln hisfood orservedhim rotten eggsthatcaused him to becom e ill,orthatshe knew such thingshad happened atW SH beforeGaines'incidents,butfailedto addresstheproblem .Rather,Gainesseekstoim poseliability on thisdefendantm erely based on hersupervisory role atW SH.Such a claim isnotactionable tmderj 1983.Gtgléiability willonly 1iewhereitisaffirmatively shown thattheofficialcharged actedpersonally inthedeprivation oftheplaintiftllsqrights(becausetqhedoctrineofrespondeat superiorhasnoapplication''underj 1983.Vilmedgev.Gibbs,550F.2d926,928(4thCir.1977) (citationsomitted).BecauseGainesdoesnotallegefactsindicatingthatSmithactedpersonallyin anywaythatdeprivedhim ofconstitutionallyprotectedrights,hestatesno j1983 claim against 1 Gainesalso seeksto have Sm ith removed from herposition asW SH director,afonu ofreliefnot availableunderj 1983. 2 thisdefendant.Therefore,thecourtwillsummarilydismissthisactionwithoutprejudice,pursuant toj 1915A(b)(1). Forthestatedreasons,IconcludethatGaines'j1983actionmustbesllmmarilydismissed withoutprejudice forfaillzre to state a claim upon which reliefcould be granted.28 U.S.C. j1915A(b)(1).An appropriate orderwillenterherewith.Dismissalwithoutprejudice leaves Gainesfreetorefileoneormoreofhisclaimsinanew andseparatecivilaction providedthathe can correctthe defcienciesdescribed in thisOpinion. TheClerkisdirected to send copiesofthism em orandtlm opinion andaccompanying order to plaintiff. Ex l-lltE o thi l- dayof-May 2019. , % . SE 1OR U N ITED STA TES D ISTRICT JU D GE
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