Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-02678/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-02678-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 445
Nature of Suit: Americans with Disabilities Act - Employment
Cause of Action: 28:1983 Civil Rights

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

ESSIE J. GILCHRIST, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

U.S. SMALL BUSINESS 

ADMINISTRATION AGENCY, 

Defendant. 

No. 2:15-cv-02678-JAM-AC 

ORDER 

Plaintiff is proceeding in this action pro se. Plaintiff has requested authority pursuant to 

28 U.S.C. § 1915 to proceed in forma pauperis. This proceeding was referred to this court by 

Local Rule 302(c)(21). Plaintiff has submitted the affidavit required by § 1915(a) showing that 

plaintiff is unable to prepay fees and costs or give security for them. Accordingly, the request to 

proceed in forma pauperis will be granted. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). 

I. SCREENING STANDARD 

Granting IFP status does not end the court’s inquiry. The federal IFP statute requires 

federal courts to dismiss a case if the action is legally “frivolous or malicious,” fails to state a 

claim upon which relief may be granted, or seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is 

immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2). 

Plaintiffs must assist the court in making this determination by drafting their complaint so 

that it contains a “short and plain statement” of the basis for federal jurisdiction (that is, the 

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reason the case is filed in this court, rather than in a state court), as well as a short and plain 

statement showing that plaintiffs are entitled to relief (that is, who harmed the plaintiffs, and in 

what way). Plaintiffs’ claims must be set forth simply, concisely and directly. See “Rule 8” of 

the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Fed. R. Civ. P. 8). The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 

are available online at www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/current-rules-practiceprocedure/federalrules-civil-procedure. Forms are also available to help pro se plaintiffs organize 

their complaint in the proper way. They are available online at www.uscourts.gov/forms/pro-seforms. 

A claim is legally frivolous when it lacks an arguable basis either in law or in fact. 

Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 325 (1989). In reviewing a complaint under this standard, the 

court will (1) accept as true all of the factual allegations contained in the complaint, unless they 

are clearly baseless or fanciful, (2) construe those allegations in the light most favorable to the 

plaintiff, and (3) resolve all doubts in the plaintiffs’ favor. See Neitzke, 490 U.S. at 327; 

Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94 (2007); Von Saher v. Norton Simon Museum of Art at 

Pasadena, 592 F.3d 954, 960 (9th Cir. 2010); Hebbe v. Pliler, 627 F.3d 338, 340 (9th Cir. 2010). 

However, the court need not accept the truth of legal conclusions that are phrased as 

factual allegations, or allegations that contradict matters properly subject to judicial notice. See 

Western Mining Council v. Watt, 643 F.2d 618, 624 (9th Cir. 1981); Sprewell v. Golden State 

Warriors, 266 F.3d 979, 988 (9th Cir.), as amended, 275 F.3d 1187 (2001). 

Pro se pleadings are held to a less stringent standard than those drafted by lawyers. 

Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520 (1972). Pro se complaints are construed liberally and may 

only be dismissed if it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support 

of her claim which would entitle her to relief. Nordstrom v. Ryan, 762 F.3d 903, 908 (9th Cir. 

2014). A pro se litigant is entitled to notice of the deficiencies in the complaint and an 

opportunity to amend, unless the complaint’s deficiencies could not be cured by amendment. See 

Noll v. Carlson, 809 F.2d 1446, 1448 (9th Cir. 1987). 

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II. ANALYSIS 

Plaintiff’s complaint reads, in its entirety, as follows: 

Unlawful to deny promotion and or due process in retaliation. Also 

obstruction of attempts to obtain union representation for the 

District Office and misinformation by Admin Officer to not include 

employees in monetary settlement given by Union. Other harassing 

events by District Director, employees which was noticed and told 

to me to make sure I noticed by other SBA employees in PLP, and 

Disaster Office during co-partnered events. 

ECF No. 1 at 1. Plaintiff’s complaint also attaches correspondence from the U.S. Equal 

Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regarding a claim she filed before them. Plaintiff 

does not, however, explain how that correspondence relates to her complaint. 

Such a complaint does not contain a short and plain statement showing the court has 

jurisdiction and why plaintiff is entitled to relief, as required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 

8(a). Although the Federal Rules adopt a flexible pleading policy, a complaint must give fair 

notice and state the elements of the claim plainly and succinctly. Jones v. Community Redev. 

Agency, 733 F.2d 646, 649 (9th Cir. 1984). Plaintiff’s brief complaint contains sentences that are 

largely incomplete and/or incoherent. Based on what can be understood from her complaint and 

its attachments, it seems that plaintiff is pursuing some sort of employment discrimination claim 

against defendant. It is not clear, however, precisely what claim or claims plaintiff is asserting or 

what facts her complaint is based on. Accordingly, the court finds that plaintiff has failed to 

comply with the requirements of Federal Rule 8(a) and her complaint must be dismissed. The 

court will, however, grant plaintiff leave to file an amended complaint. 

Plaintiff is cautioned that if she chooses to file an amended complaint, she must submit a 

short and plain statement in accordance with Federal Rule 8(a) pointing to some cognizable legal 

theory that entitles her to relief. Any amended complaint must also include facts that establish the 

federal court has jurisdiction, the action is brought in the right place, and plaintiff is entitled to 

relief if her allegations are true. The amended complaint should contain separately numbered, 

clearly identified claims. While plaintiff is certainly free to attach relevant documents to her 

complaint, she cannot rely upon that documentation to supply the bulk of her legal and factual 

allegations without any explanation whatsoever. 

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In addition, the allegations of the amended complaint must be set forth in sequentially 

numbered paragraphs, with each paragraph number being one greater than the one before, each 

paragraph having its own number, and no paragraph number being repeated anywhere in the 

complaint. Each paragraph should be limited “to a single set of circumstances” where possible. 

Fed. R. Civ. P. 10(b). Plaintiff must avoid excessive repetition of the same allegations. Plaintiff 

must avoid narrative and storytelling. That is, the complaint should not include every detail of 

what happened, nor recount the details of conversations (unless necessary to establish the claim), 

nor give a running account of plaintiff’s hopes and thoughts. Rather, the amended complaint 

should contain only those facts needed to show how the defendant legally wronged the plaintiff. 

Local Rule 220 requires that an amended complaint be complete in itself without 

reference to any prior pleading. This is because, as a general rule, an amended complaint 

supersedes the original complaint. See Loux v. Rhay, 375 F.2d 55, 57 (9th Cir. 1967). Once 

plaintiff files an amended complaint, the original pleading no longer serves any function in the 

case. Therefore, in an amended complaint, as in an original complaint, each claim and the 

involvement of each defendant must be sufficiently alleged. 

III. CONCLUSION 

In accordance with the foregoing, THE COURT HEREBY ORDERS that: 

1. Plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma pauperis, ECF No. 2, is GRANTED; 

 2. Plaintiff’s complaint, ECF No. 1, is DISMISSED; and 

3. Plaintiff is granted thirty days from the date of service of this order to file an amended 

complaint that complies with the requirements of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and the 

Local Rules of Practice; the amended complaint must bear the docket number assigned this case 

and must be labeled “First Amended Complaint”; plaintiff must file an original and two copies of 

the amended complaint; failure to file an amended complaint in accordance with this order will 

result in a recommendation that this action be dismissed. 

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4. The Clerk of the Court is directed to send plaintiff a copy of Pro Se Form No. 7, 

Complaint for Employment Discrimination, available at http://www.uscourts.gov/forms/pro-seforms/complaint-employment-discrimination. Plaintiff may, but is not required to, use the form 

to organize her amended complaint in the proper way. 

DATED: January 7, 2016 

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