Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-05876/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-05876-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Federal Question: Other Civil Rights

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JACQUELINE WILLIAMS,

Plaintiff,

 v.

CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCSCO

NURSING DEPARTMENT,

Defendant. /

No. C 06-05876 CRB

ORDER

Jacqueline Williams (“Plaintiff”) filed this lawsuit against the City College of San

Francisco (“Defendant”) in September of 2006. Now pending before the Court is

Defendant’s motion to dismiss, to which Plaintiff has failed to file a response.

Though her complaint is in many aspects incoherent, the thrust of Plaintiff’s case is

that Defendant discriminated against her on the basis of race when it refused to admit her

into its nursing program. Plaintiff, who is African-American, claims that she applied to

Defendant’s nursing program during most, if not all, of the fall and spring semesters between

1999 and 2006. She claims that she has been denied admission each time. She further

claims that she has seen only “Whites, Asian, Filipino, Mexican, and all other nationality in

the program.” She asserts that she is “tired of the treatment of the defendant and their

staff(s),” and she alleges that “the nursing department is out-of-control and racism [sic].” 

She alleges that she has been denied admission and access to facilities because of her race. 

In addition, albeit somewhat haphazardly, she invokes 42 U.S.C. § 1983.

Case 3:06-cv-05876-CRB Document 11 Filed 12/04/06 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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G:\CRBALL\2006\5876\order re motion to dismiss.wpd 2

In addition to the charges it levels against Defendant, the complaint also denounces

racial injustice in America generally. It also castigates specific individuals, including George

Bush, Bill Clinton, Barbara Bush, and John Muir hospital--an entity that likely employs

nurses, but does not appear to be affiliated in any way with Defendant. The complaint also

contains musing on a film by Spike Lee regarding Hurricane Katrina and proclaims that

“Black People want the same as every one else.”

Defendant argues that it is immune from this lawsuit under the federal Constitution. 

This Court agrees. “The Eleventh Amendment bars suits which seek either damages or

injunctive relief against a state, an ‘arm of the state,’ its instrumentalities, or its agencies.” 

Franceschi v. Schwartz, 57 F.3d 828, 831 (9th Cir. 1995) (quoting Durning v. Citibank, N.A.,

950 F.2d 1419, 1422-23 (9th Cir.1991)). “California cases demonstrate that California state

colleges and universities are ‘dependent instrumentalities of the state.’” Mitchell v. Los

Angeles Cmty. College Dist., 861 F.2d 198, 201 (9th Cir. 1988) (quoting Jackson v.

Hayakawa, 682 F.2d 1344, 1350 (9th Cir.1982)). In fact, the Ninth Circuit has previously

held that the Eleventh Amendment prohibits suits brought under § 1983 against precisely this

defendant. See Cerrato v. San Francisco Cmty College Dist., 26 F.3d 968, 972 (9th Cir.

1994). Because Defendant is immune from suit under the Eleventh Amendment, its motion

to dismiss is hereby GRANTED, with prejudice.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: December 4, 2006 

CHARLES R. BREYER

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 3:06-cv-05876-CRB Document 11 Filed 12/04/06 Page 2 of 2