Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_23-cv-00406/USCOURTS-caed-2_23-cv-00406-0/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 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

S.O.,

Plaintiff,

v.

RESCUE UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT, 

et al.,

Defendants.

No. 2:23-cv-00406-DJC-AC

ORDER

Plaintiff has filed a motion requesting that Lolita O’Neal be appointed as 

guardian ad litem for Plaintiff S.O., who is her minor child. (ECF No. 2.) Defendants 

have not filed opposition to this motion.

Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 17(c), “[a] minor . . . who does not have a 

duly appointed representative may sue by . . . a guardian ad litem.” Where a minor 

does not have a representative appointed to sue on their behalf, “[t]he court must 

appoint a guardian ad litem — or issue another appropriate order — to protect [the] 

minor . . . .” Fed. R. Civ. P. 17(c). The Local Rules for this district state that upon the 

commencement of an action, “the attorney representing the minor or incompetent 

person shall present (1) appropriate evidence of the appointment of a representative 

for the minor or incompetent person under state law or (2) a motion for the 

Case 2:23-cv-00406-DJC-AC Document 14 Filed 05/19/23 Page 1 of 3
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appointment of a guardian ad litem by the Court, or, (3) a showing satisfactory to the 

Court that no such appointment is necessary to ensure adequate representation of the 

minor or incompetent person.” L.R. 202(a) (citation omitted).

Where there is no conflict of interests between the minor child and their parent, 

a parent is generally appointed as guardian ad litem. See Akey v. Placer County, 2:14-

cv-02402-KJM-KJN, 2014 WL 12917496, at *1 (E.D. Cal. Dec. 30, 2014) (“A parent is 

generally appointed guardian ad litem. However, courts should not appoint parents 

as guardians ad litem when there is a conflict between the interests of the minor 

children and those of the parents.” (citations omitted)); see also Anthem Life Ins. Co. v. 

Olguin, No. 1:06-cv-01165, 2007 WL 1390672, at *2–3 (E.D. Cal. May 9, 2007); 

Fontalvo ex rel. Fontalvo v. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., No. 13-cv-0331-GPC-KSC, 2014 WL 

5092742, at *2 (S.D. Cal. Oct. 9, 2014).

Based on the filings currently before it, the Court does not find there is any

conflict of interests between Plaintiff S.O. and O’Neal such that O’Neal would be 

unsuitable to serve as guardian ad litem for S.O. Plaintiff asserts claims against the 

Defendants for negligence, negligent hiring, retention, and supervision, violation of 

Education Codes, and violation of Title IX, in connection with bullying and harassment 

that occurred while Plaintiff was a student within the Rescue Union School District. 

(See First Am. Compl. (ECF No. 12).) These claims do not involve interests for O’Neal 

that are not aligned with Plaintiff’s interests and O’Neal is not presently a party to this 

action. Given these facts, O’Neal’s interests do not appear to be in conflict with 

Plaintiff’s. Thus, the Court will grant Plaintiff’s motion for Lolita O’Neal to be 

appointed as the guardian ad litem for Plaintiff S.O. (ECF No. 2.)

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In accordance with the above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiff’s motion to 

appoint Lolita O’Neal as guardian ad litem for minor Plaintiff S.O. (ECF No. 2) is 

GRANTED.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: May 18, 2023 

Hon. Daniel J. Calabretta

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

DJC1 - so23cv00406.guardianadlitem

Case 2:23-cv-00406-DJC-AC Document 14 Filed 05/19/23 Page 3 of 3