Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_17-cv-01257/USCOURTS-caed-2_17-cv-01257-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 442
Nature of Suit: Civil Rights Employment
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights (Employment Discrimination)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

ELISE KING, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF 

WATER RESOURCES, et al., 

Defendants. 

No. 2:17-cv-1257-MCE-EFB PS 

AMENDED ORDER 

 The court previously granted plaintiff’s request to proceed in forma pauperis, but 

dismissed her original complaint with leave to amend pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2).1

 

Plaintiff subsequently filed a first amended complaint (ECF No. 11), as well as a motion for 

appointment of counsel (ECF No. 12). For the following reasons, plaintiff’s motion for 

appointment of counsel is denied and some, but not all, of the claims in the amended complaint 

are dismissed for failure to state a claim. 

I. Motion for Appointment of Counsel 

 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(1) authorizes the appointment of counsel to represent an indigent 

civil litigant in certain exceptional circumstances. See Terrell v. Brewer, 935 F.2d 1015, 1017 

1

 This case, in which plaintiff is proceeding in propria persona, was referred to the 

undersigned under Local Rule 302(c)(21), pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). 

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(9th Cir.1991); Wood v. Housewright, 900 F.2d 1332, 1335–36 (9th Cir.1990); Richards v. 

Harper, 864 F.2d 85, 87 (9th Cir.1988). In considering whether exceptional circumstances exist, 

the court must evaluate (1) the plaintiff’s likelihood of success on the merits; and (2) the ability of 

the plaintiff to articulate her claims in light of the complexity of the legal issues involved. 

Terrell, 935 F.2d at 1017. 

 The court cannot conclude that plaintiff’s likelihood of success, the complexity of the 

issues, or the degree of plaintiff’s ability to articulate her claims amount to exceptional 

circumstances justifying the appointment of counsel at this time. Accordingly, plaintiff’s request 

for appointment of counsel is denied. 

II. Screening Pursuant to § 1915(e)(2) 

 As previously explained to plaintiff, although pro se pleadings are liberally construed, see 

Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520-21 (1972), a complaint, or portion thereof, should be 

dismissed for failure to state a claim if it fails to set forth “enough facts to state a claim to relief 

that is plausible on its face.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 554, 562-563 (2007) 

(citing Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41 (1957)); see also Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). “[A] plaintiff’s 

obligation to provide the ‘grounds’ of his ‘entitlement to relief’ requires more than labels and 

conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of a cause of action’s elements will not do. Factual 

allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level on the assumption 

that all of the complaint’s allegations are true.” Id. (citations omitted). Dismissal is appropriate 

based either on the lack of cognizable legal theories or the lack of pleading sufficient facts to 

support cognizable legal theories. Balistreri v. Pacifica Police Dep’t, 901 F.2d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 

1990). 

 Under this standard, the court must accept as true the allegations of the complaint in 

question, Hospital Bldg. Co. v. Rex Hosp. Trustees, 425 U.S. 738, 740 (1976), construe the 

pleading in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, and resolve all doubts in the plaintiff’s favor, 

Jenkins v. McKeithen, 395 U.S. 411, 421 (1969). A pro se plaintiff must satisfy the pleading 

requirements of Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Rule 8(a)(2) requires a 

complaint to include “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled 

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to relief, in order to give the defendant fair notice of what the claim is and the grounds upon 

which it rests.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555 (citing Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41 (1957)). 

 Plaintiff’s brings this disability discrimination action against her former employer, the 

California Department of Water Resources (“DWR”), and eight of its employees. ECF No. 11. 

The first amended complaint alleges that in 2011, just over a year after commencing her 

employment with DWR, plaintiff was transferred to DWR’s Division of Safety Dams, Integrated 

Regional Water Management. Id. ¶¶ 4 & 36. Shortly after the transfer, plaintiff made several 

complaints regarding poor working conditions, including excessive dust, substandard restrooms, 

and problems with pests in her building. Id. ¶ 37. She also complained to coworkers and 

management that the department was failing to comply with state law and regulations. Id. In 

response to her complaints, plaintiff was given unfavorable work assignments and subjected to 

verbal hostility from her supervisors and coworkers. Id. The conflicts at work eventually led to 

plaintiff being diagnosed with anxiety and depression in May 2014 and, ultimately, requiring her 

to take leave under the Family Medical Leave Act. Id. ¶ 38. 

In July 2014, plaintiff’s physician provided DWR with a work status report, restricting 

plaintiff from working at her customary worksite due to risks of “environmental/interpersonal 

triggers.” Id. ¶¶ 27 & 40. She was also restricted from “all but incidental auditory/visual contact 

with her Management team,” which limited her to only written communications; e.g. no meetings, 

telephone calls, or verbal conversations. Id. ¶ 40. In response, plaintiff’s supervisor allegedly 

informed her that she would need to remain on leave through the end of July because DWR could 

not accommodate her restriction. Id. ¶ 41. Plaintiff continued to submit work status reports and 

requests for reasonable accommodation, including requests to be assigned different supervisors or 

be transferred to a different division or department. Id. ¶¶ 40-42, 44-54, 58-61, 65-71, 81-89. 

DWR continued to approve plaintiff’s leave from work but continued to state it was unable to 

accommodate her medical restrictions. Id. In September 2016, after plaintiff had exhausted her 

available leave, DWR informed her that she was required to return to work. Id. ¶¶ 29, 90. 

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Plaintiff informed DWR that she would not be returning absent reasonable accommodations. Id. 

¶¶ 91-92. No accommodations were provided and when plaintiff failed to return to work, her 

employment was terminated. Id. 

Plaintiff alleges claims for violation of Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act 

(“ADA”) and Sections 501 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Id. at 31-35. As discussed below, 

the first amended complaint states a potential cognizable claim for violation of Section 504 of the 

Rehabilitation Act against DWS, but her remaining claims must be dismissed. 

 With respect to her claim for violation of Title I of the ADA, plaintiff specifically states 

that her ADA claim is brought only against the individual defendants. Id. ¶¶ 15, 97. The U.S. 

Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has held, however, that supervisors and coworkers may not 

be held personally liable for violations of Title I of the ADA. Walsh v. Nevada Dept. of Human 

Resources, 471 F.3d 1033, 1037-38 (9th Cir. 2006). Accordingly, plaintiff’s claim for violation 

of Title I of the ADA must be dismissed.2 

Plaintiff also fails to state a claim under Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. 

§ 791. Section 501 “obligates federal employers to provide reasonable accommodation for the 

handicapped and to develop and implement affirmative action plans for handicapped employees,” 

and provides the “exclusive remedy for handicap discrimination claims by federal employees.” 

Johnston v. Horne, 875 F.2d 1415, 1418, 1420 (9th Cir. 1989), overruled on other grounds by 

Irwin v. Dep’t of Veterans Affairs, 498 U.S. 89 (1990). Because plaintiff was employed by DWS, 

which is a state and not a federal agency, her Section 501 claim fails. Lopez v. Johnson, 333 F.3d 

959, 961 (9th Cir. 2003). 

Plaintiff also cannot state a Section 504 claim against the individual defendants. The 

Rehabilitation Act does not permit suits against defendants in their individual capacities. Everett 

H. Dry Creek Joint Elementary School Dist., 5 F. Supp. 3d 1167, 1181 (E.D. Cal. 2014). Under 

the Rehabilitation Act only “programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance” may 

2

 Even if plaintiff’s Title I claim was brought against DWS, any request for damages 

would be barred by the Eleventh Amendment. Bd. of Trs. of Univ. of Ala. v. Garrett, 531 U.S. 

356, 360 (2001) (the Eleventh Amendment bars ADA claims against states). 

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be held liable. 29 U.S.C. § 794; Zukle v. Regents of the Univ. of Cal., 166 F.3d 1041, 1045 (9th 

Cir. 1999). 

The complaint, however, does allege a potential cognizable claim for violation of Section 

504 of the Rehabilitation Act against DWR. To state a Section 504 claim, a plaintiff must allege 

(1) that she is disabled within the meaning of the Rehabilitation Act, (2) that she is able to 

perform the essential functions of her employment with or without reasonable accommodation, 

(3) the defendant receives federal financial assistance, and (4) plaintiff was subjected to 

discrimination on account of her disability. Zukle v. Regents of Univ. of California, 166 F.3d 

1041, 1045 (9th Cir. 1999). “An organization that receives federal funds violates § 504 if it 

denies a qualified individual with a disability a reasonable accommodation that the individual 

needs in order to enjoy meaningful access to the benefits of public services.” Mark H. v. 

Hamamoto, 620 F.3d 1090, 1097 (9th Cir. 2010); see Vinson v. Thomas, 288 F.3d 1145, 1154 

(9th Cir.2002) (“A failure to provide reasonable accommodation can constitute discrimination 

under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.”). Upon learning of the need for a reasonable 

accommodation, the employer is required “to engage in an interactive process with the employee 

to identify and implement appropriate reasonable accommodations.” Humphrey v. Memorial 

Hosps. Ass’n, 239 F.3d 1128, 1137 (9th Cir. 2001). 

 Here, plaintiff alleges that she developed depression due to ongoing harassment at work, 

which necessitated the need for her to take a leave from work. ECF No. 11 ¶¶ 37-38. These 

allegations are sufficient to allege that plaintiff is disabled within the meaning of the 

Rehabilitation Act. See McAlindin v. Cnty. of San Diego, 192 F.3d 1226, 1232-35 (9th Cir 1999) 

(a mental impairment is considered a disability where it substantially limits a major life activity, 

including the ability to work). Plaintiff also alleges that she would have been able to perform her 

job’s essential function if she had been provided an accommodation. Id. ¶¶ 31-32, 40, 78. She 

further claims that DWS received federal funding. Id. ¶ 55. Lastly, she claims that she was 

subjected to discrimination based on defendant’s refusal to engage in the interactive process and 

to provide a reasonable accommodation. Specifically, she claims DWS refused to allow her to 

work at a different work site and limit direct interactions with supervisors, as well as rejected her 

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requests to transfer to a different division or department. Id. ¶¶ 40-42, 44-54, 58-61, 65-71, 81-

89; see Buckingham v. United States, 998 F.2d. 735, 740 (9th Cir. 1993) (rejecting argument that 

under the Rehabilitation Act, there is a per se rule that transferring employee to another location 

is not a reasonable accommodation). She further claims that the failure to provide a reasonable 

accommodation caused all of her leave to be exhausted and, ultimately, resulted in her 

employment being terminated. ECF No. 11 ¶¶ 91-92. 

These allegations, although disputed, are sufficient to state a potentially cognizable 

Section 504 claim against DWR. But as discussed above, plaintiff’s remaining claims must be 

dismissed. Accordingly, plaintiff may either proceed only on the potentially cognizable claim 

against DWR claim for violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or she may amend her 

complaint to attempt to cure the first amended complaint’s deficiencies. Plaintiff is not obligated 

to amend her complaint. 

Should plaintiff choose to amend her complaint, she is informed that any amended 

complaint must allege a cognizable legal theory against proper defendant and sufficient facts in 

support of that cognizable legal theory. The amended complaint shall clearly set forth the 

allegations against each defendant and shall specify a basis for this court’s subject matter 

jurisdiction. Any amended complaint shall plead plaintiff’s claims in “numbered paragraphs, 

each limited as far as practicable to a single set of circumstances,” as required by Federal Rule of 

Civil Procedure 10(b), and shall be in double-spaced text on paper that bears line numbers in the 

left margin, as required by Eastern District of California Local Rules 130(b) and 130(c). Any 

amended complaint shall also use clear headings to delineate each claim alleged and against 

which defendant or defendants the claim is alleged, as required by Rule 10(b), and must plead 

clear facts that support each claim under each header. 

 Additionally, plaintiff is informed that the court cannot refer to prior pleadings in order to 

make an amended complaint complete. Local Rule 220 requires that an amended complaint be 

complete in itself. 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). Accordingly, once 

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

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Therefore, “a plaintiff waives all causes of action alleged in the original complaint which are not 

alleged in the amended complaint,” London v. Coopers & Lybrand, 644 F.2d 811, 814 (9th Cir. 

1981), and defendants not named in an amended complaint are no longer defendants. Ferdik v. 

Bonzelet, 963 F.2d 1258, 1262 (9th Cir. 1992). Finally, the court cautions plaintiff that failure to 

comply with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, this court’s Local Rules, or any court order 

may result in a recommendation that this action be dismissed. See E.D. Cal. L.R. 110. 

 Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that: 

 1. Plaintiff’s motion for appointment of counsel (ECF No. 12) is denied. 

2. Plaintiff’s first amended complaint alleges, for screening purposes, a potentially 

cognizable claim for violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act against defendant DWR. 

 3. All other claims are dismissed with leave to amend within 30 days of service of this 

order. Plaintiff is not obligated to amend her complaint. 

 4. Within thirty days plaintiff shall return the notice below advising the court whether she 

elects to proceed with the cognizable claim or file an amended complaint. If the former option is 

selected and returned, the court will enter an order directing service at that time. 

 5. Failure to comply with any part of this this order may result in dismissal of this action. 

Dated: March 5, 2020. 

 

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

ELISE KING, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF 

WATER RESOURCES, et al., 

Defendants. 

No. 2:17-cv-1257-MCE-EFB PS 

 

AMENDED NOTICE 

In accordance with the court’s Screening Order, plaintiff hereby elects to: 

 (1) ______ proceed only with the Rehabilitation Act claim against defendant DWR; 

 OR 

 (2) ______ delay serving any defendant and file an amended complaint. 

 _________________________________ 

 Plaintiff 

Dated: 

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