Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_18-cv-07716/USCOURTS-cand-3_18-cv-07716-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

K.H., a minor, by and through his Guardian 

ad Litem MARTARICE HUMPHREY,

Plaintiff,

v.

ANTIOCH UNIFIED SCHOOL 

DISTRICT, a public entity; CATAPULT 

LEARNING WEST, LLC, a limited liability 

company dba Sierra School of Antioch; 

SAMUEL MCBRIDE, an individual; 

JONIQUE ANDREWS, an individual; 

BRUNO DIAZ, an individual; CORY 

MOORE, an individual; RUTH 

RUBALCAVA, an individual; 

STEPHANIE ANELLO, an individual; and 

DOES 1 through 50, inclusive,

Defendants.

No. C 18-07716 WHA 

ORDER DENYING 

ADMINISTRATIVE 

MOTION TO SEAL

In this action for the mistreatment of a student, the undersigned ordered defendant 

Catapult Learning West, LLC to submit two charts illuminating the corporate structure of TVGCatapult Holdings (Dkt. Nos. 121, 125). Catapult submitted these charts and moved to seal 

them, claiming attorney-client privilege (Dkt. No. 134). 

Prior orders set out the facts of this case (Dkt. No. 58). In brief, plaintiff is a child with a 

learning disability. AUSD placed him in a special education program at the Sierra School, 

operated by defendant Catapult Learning West, LLC. On December 12, 2017, plaintiff left his 

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

classroom, with teacher permission. Finding plaintiff out of class, teacher aides Jonique 

Andrews and Samuel McBride allegedly grabbed plaintiff and dragged him back into the 

classroom. In forcing the 14-year-old back into his seat they held his hands behind his back, 

held him by the back of his neck, slammed him into the floor (hitting his head on a desk in the 

process), and placed him in a two-person pro-act prone restraint, or so it is alleged. Plaintiff left 

with a gash under his eye, a split lip, and bleeding gums (Dkt. Nos. 58 at 1–2, 74 at 3). 

Plaintiff filed his first amended complaint alleging a host of federal and state claims 

against the teacher-aids, other supervisory employees, AUSD, and the limited liability company 

believed to own the school and employ some of the individual defendants, Catapult Learning 

West, LLC. Whether Catapult Learning West was correctly identified, however, is an open

question.

The difficulty stems from the complex corporate structure of Catapult Learning, Inc., the 

parent company of Catapult Learning West, LLC. Catapult Learning, Inc. — renamed in 

August 2019 as “FB Topco, Inc.,” though still referred to generally as “Catapult Learning” —

provides K–12 instructional services to public and private schools in the United States. In 2015, 

it merged with Specialized Education Services, Inc. The merged company operates three 

separate groups or “silos” of businesses. One group includes a line of companies that 

culminates with Catapult Learning West, the named defendant in this suit. Another group 

includes a line of companies that culminates with Specialized Education of California, Inc., the 

newly alleged owner of Sierra School of Antioch. Some of these companies have assets while 

others seem to be mere shells. Though both groups operate under the parent company Catapult 

Learning, counsel for Catapult Learning West alleges the groups are legally distinct. 

In the course of plaintiff’s preliminary research, several signs pointed to Catapult 

Learning as the owner or sponsor of Sierra School of Antioch: Sierra School of Antioch’s 

website carried a large Catapult Learning logo, the website’s URL even included the name 

Catapult Learning, and a California Secretary of State Statement of Information existed for 

Catapult Learning West. So plaintiff sued Catapult Learning. But, by mistake, plaintiff named 

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

Catapult Learning West (a subsidiary) instead of Catapult Learning (the parent company). 

Considering the byzantine corporate structure, this mistake was understandable.

At the December 19 hearing, the court ordered Catapult to submit two charts illuminating 

its corporate structure as of the date of the incident and as of December 31, 2019 (Dkt. Nos. 

121, 125). Our court of appeals declined to intervene (Dkt. No. 136) and on January 6, Catapult 

complied but sought to seal the two charts, this time claiming attorney-client privilege (Dkt. No. 

134).

In no way are these charts attorney-client privileged. “The attorney-client privilege 

protects confidential disclosures made by a client to an attorney in order to obtain legal 

advice . . . as well as an attorney’s advice in response to such disclosures.” United States v. 

Chen, 99 F.3d 1495, 1501 (9th Cir. 1996). Catapult’s charts merely set forth a true 

(supposedly) representation of Catapult’s corporate web. The charts neither ask for, nor 

include, legal advice. There is a strong public policy in favor of openness in our court system. 

See Kamakana v. City & Cty. of Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 1180 (9th Cir. 2006). These charts 

cannot be concealed from the public.

Even though our court of appeals has already ruled on this general issue, this order will 

stay itself for 7 DAYS to give Catapult an opportunity to seek emergency appellate relief, if 

Catapult wishes to seek it. Absent the intervention of our court of appeals, the two charts (Dkt. 

No. 134-2) will be made public upon the expiration of this stay. 

The motion to seal is DENIED.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: January 21, 2020. 

WILLIAM ALSUP

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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