2007 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 4-24-2007 

# Alle n v . S u squeh ann a S ch D i s t P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 06-2481

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Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

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. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " Alle n v . S us queh ann a S ch Di s t " (2007). 2007 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1227. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2007/1227H on. Paul R . M i chel , C hi ef J udge of the U ni t ed St at es C our tof A ppeal s forthe * Feder al C i r cui t , s i t t i ng bydes i gnat i on. NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL

U N I TED STA TES C O U RT O F A PPEA LS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT N o. 06- 2481 F RA NK AL L E N, M AR I E AL L E N, F RA NK AND M AR I E AL L E N AS T HE ADMI NI S T RA T OR S AND P E RS ONAL RE P RE S E NT AT I VE S OF T HE E S T AT E OF J AQUAN RA KE E M AL L E N, A p p e llan ts

v. SUSQU EHA NN A TO W NSH I P S CH OO L DI STRI CT,

S T S D, RO BE RT S HAW O n A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt f o r th e M id d le D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( D . C . N o. 04- cv- 2297) D i s t r i ctJ udge: H onor abl e C hr i s t opherC . C onner Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

A pr i l 20, 2007 B efor e: M C K E E and A M B R O , C i r cui tJ udges , and M I C H E L , C hi ef Ci r cui tJ udge. * ( Fi l ed: A pr i l 24, 2007) OPI NI ON O F THE COURT M I C H E L , C hi ef Ci r cui tJ udge2

A ppel l ant s Fr ank and M ar i e A l l en ( col l ect i vel y“the A l l ens ”) appea l the gr antof s um m aryj udgm enti n favorof the Sus quehanna T ow ns hi p School D i s t r i ct( “ST SD ”) on t he A l l ens ’ caus es of ac t i on foral l eged vi ol at i ons of 42 U . S. C . § 1983 ( bas ed on the D ue Pr oces s C l aus e of the Four t eenth A m endmentof the U ni t ed St at es C ons t i tut i on) ; t he I ndi vi dual s w i t h D i s abi l i t i es E ducat i on A ct( “I D E A ”) ; Sect i on 504 of the R ehabi l i t at i on A ct ; and the A m er i cans w i t h D i s abi l i t i es A ct( “A D A ”) . T he di s t r i ctcour tfound that becau se ( 1) the st at e-cr eat ed d ang er and special rel at i on shi p ex cepti on s for due p rocess vi ol at i ons undert he Four t eenth A m endmentw er e nots at i s fi ed and ( 2) ther e w as no e v id e n c e th a t th e S T S D h a d v io late d ID E A , § 5 0 4 , o r th e A D A , n o re a so n a b le ju ryc o u ld

f in d in f a v o r o f th e A lle n s . W e w ill a f

f ir m . I. Be c a u s e t h e p a r t i e s a r e f a mi l i a rwi t h th e f

a c tu a l a n d p r o c e d u r a l h i s t o r yo f th i s c a s e , we o n lyset fo rth tho se f

ac ts pe rt inen t t o o u r an aly sis. F o ster C are C o o rdin ator T erri R o b in so n p lac e d Ja q u a n R a k e e m A llen (“ Ja q u a n ” ) in f o ste r c a re w ith M a rie A llen (h is bi ol ogi cal aunt ) , herhus band Fr ank A l l en, and Patr i ce ( J aquan’ s bi ol ogi cal s i s t er ) . T he A l l ens adopt ed J aquan on February26, 2002. A ft erJ aquan moved i n w i t h t he A l l ens , he at t ended Thom as E . H ol t zman E l ement arySchool i n t he ST SD . T he s chool di s t r i ct d e v e lo p e d a n In d iv id u a lize d E d u c a tio n P ro g ra m (“ IE P ” ) f o r Ja q u a n a n d p e rio d ica lly a d j u s t e d i tt o me e th i s c h a n g i n g n e e d s . F o re x a mp l e , J a q u a n i n i t i a l l yr e q u i r e d f u l l - t i me emot i onal s uppor tatH ol t zman. I n A ugus t2002, hi s emot i onal s uppor tl evel w as r educe dTh epo lic ewereno t in fo rm e d th at Jaq ua n w a s a sp e c ial ne e ds stu dent. 1 The District Court dismissed the claims ag ainst Shaw for lack of jurisdiction. 2 3 t o a part - t i m e r equi r ement , and i n A pr i l 2003, i tw as fur t herr educe d t o a r es our ce l evel re q u ir e m e n t. O n O c to b e r 2 0 , 2 0 0 3 , e le v e n y e a r- o ld J a q u a n a n d a n o th e r m a le s tu d e n t, m in o r J .G ., a tten d e d w o rk ro o m in a tra iler a d jac e n t to th e m a in b u ild in g . Ja q u a n w a s s u p p o se d to r etur n t o hi s emot i onal s uppor tcl as s r oom w i t h A l anna V i ozzi aft erw or k r oom at appr oxi m at el y1: 05 p. m . I ns t ead, J aquan a nd J . G . deci ded t o l eave s chool gr ounds . O ne s tudent , m i norN . J . , w ho w as aw ar e of the boy s ’ pl an t o run aw ayfr om s chool , l eftt he w or k r oom ear l yand t ol d M s . V i ozzi aboutthe boy s ’ pl an. D es pi t e a s ear ch bys chool offi ci al s and the pol i ce, t he mi s s i ng boy s w er e notfound unt i l about6: 00 p. m . w hen 1 Ja q u a n w a s s tru c k a n d k ill e d b ya m o to r v e h icle w h ile a ttem p tin g to c ro ss In ter sta te 8 1 in H a rr is b u rg , P e n n s y lv a n ia . O n O ct ober19, 2004, t he A l l ens s ued ST SD forfede r al cl ai m s , s ee s upr a, and s ued R ober tShaw , t he dr i verof the mot orvehi cl e, fors t at e l aw cl ai m s . O n A pr i l 21, 2006, 2 th e D istric t C o u rt g ra n ted su m m a ryju d g m e n t in f a v o r o f S T S D o n a ll cla im s. T h is tim e ly a p p e a l f o llo w e d . W e h a v e ju ri s d ic tio n to c o n s id e r t h is a p p e a l u n d e r 2 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 9 1 . II. W e r evi ew t he D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s deci s i on t o gr ants um m aryj udgm entw i t hout defe r ence , appl y i ng t he s ame st andar d as the D i s t r i ctC our t . W oods i de v. Sch. D i s t . ofSTSD does not disput e that it was actingunder c olor of state la w on the day

of Jaquan’s 3 death. 4 P h ila d e lp h ia B d . o f

E d u c ., 2 4 8 F .3 d 1 2 9 , 1 3 0 (3 d C ir . 2 0 0 1 ) ( in te rn a l c ita tio n o m itte d ). “A l t hough t he i ni t i al bur den i s on t he s um m aryj udgm entm ovantt o s how the abs ence of a genui ne i s s ue of mat er i al fac t , ‘ t he bur den on the movi ng par t ym aybe di s char ged by

‘ s how i ng’ . . . t hatt her e i s an abs ence of evi dence t o s uppor tthe nonmovi ng par t y ’ s cas e’ w hen the nonmovi ng part ybear s t he ul t i m at e bur den of pr oof. ” Si ngl et aryv. Penns y l vani a D ep’ tof C or r s . , 266 F. 3d 186, 192 n. 2 ( 3d C i r . 2001) ( quot i ng C el ot ex C orp. v. C atr ett , 477 U . S. 317, 325 ( 1986) ) . “I n s uch a s i tuat i on, ther e ca n be ‘ no genui ne i s s ue as t o anym at er i al fac t , ’ s i nce a compl et e fa i l ur e of pr oof conc erni ng an es s ent i al el ementof the nonmovi ng part y ’ s cas e nec es s ar i l yr ender s al l ot herfac t s i m m at er i al . ” C el ot ex, 477 U . S. at322- 23. A s di s cus s ed bel ow , the A l l ens have notadduce d any e v i d e n c e t h a ts a t i s f

i e s a tl e a s to n e e l e me n to f e a c h o f i t s c l a i ms a g a i n s tS T S D. A . 4 2 U . S . C . § 1 9 8 3 a n d th e D u e P ro ce ss C lau se o f the F o u rte en th A m en d m en t T o pr evai l on a § 1983 ci vi l r i ght s cl ai m , a part ym us ts how a depr i vat i on of a c o n s titu tio n a l o r s ta tu to ry rig h t b ya p e rs o n a c tin g u n d e r c o lo r o f s ta te la w . 4 2 U .S .C . §

3 1983; K nei pp byC us ack v. T edder , 95 F. 3d 1199, 1204 ( 3d C i r . 1996) . H er e, the A l l ens r a i s e a c on s t i tut i on a l l y - ba s e d § 19 83 c l a i m st e mm i ng fr om t he i ra l l e ga t i on s tha tSTSD vi ol at ed the D ue Pr oces s C l aus e of the Four t eenth A m endment . I n par t i cul ar , the A l l ens avert hatt he “s peci al r el at i ons hi p” and “ s t at e- cr eat ed dange r ” exc ept i ons t o t he gene r al ru l e t h a ts t a t e s d o n o th a v e a n a f f i r ma t i v e d u t yt o p r o t e c ti t s c i t i z e n s f r o m p r i v a t e h a r ms5

byno n- s t a t e a c t or s , D e Sha ne yv. W i nn e ba go CountyD e p’ tof Soc i a l Se r vs . , 48 9 U. S. 189, 195, 200 ( 1989) , appl yt o t he fa ct s of thei rcas e. W e di s agr ee. 1. Speci al R el at i onshi p E x cept i on D . R . byL . R . v. M i ddl e B ucks A r ea V ocat i onal T echni cal Sch. , 972 F. 2d 1364 ( 3d C ir. 1 9 9 2 ) (e n b a n c ) is c o n tro lli n g h e re . In D .R . b yL .R ., w e h e ld th a t w h e re p a re n ts rem ai n the pri m arycaret akers of stud ents and w here stud ents are notdep ri ved of ac cess t o sou rces of h el p, t here i s no spec i al rel at i on shi p b et w een the schoo l and stud ents , des pi t e the s t at e’ s compul s or ys chool at t endanc e l aw s . 972 F. 2d at1371- 72. L i ke the parent s i n D . R . byL . R . w ho m ai ntai ned cust od yov er the h i gh schoo l stud ents , the A l l ens, as J aquan’ s adopt i ve par ent s , m ai nt ai ned cus t odyoverJ aquan. I n fac t , the A l l ens had m o re c o n tro l o v e r Ja q u a n ’s e d u c a tio n th a n o th e r p a re n ts b e c a u se th e yh a d to a p p ro v e h is s peci al needs educa t i onal pl an. See D . R . byL . R . , 972 F. 2d at1371 ( “I n t he ca s e of speci al edu cat i on stud ents , t he p arent s have e ven great er i nv olvem ent s i nce theym ust appr ove the pr eci s e educ at i onal pr ogr am devel oped forthei rchi l d. ”) ( i nt ernal ci t at i ons o m itte d ). T here i s no record evidence thatS T S D ph y si cal l yres t rai ned Jaquan or ot herw i se im p aired h is l ibertyin su ch a f ash ion that p rev en ted h im fro m takin g ca re o f h im self. In fa ct, as a reso u rce -l ev el stu d en t, Jaq u an co u ld se ek the h av en o f h is em o ti o n al su p p o rt classro o m o r rep o rtsch o o l- related p rob lem s to h is pa ren ts. T h e f ac ts of this case are in d istin g u ish a b le f

ro m D .R . b yL .R ., a n d th u s a s a m a tter o f law th e sp e c ial re latio n sh ip6

e x c e p tio n d o e s n o t a p p ly. 2. St at e- C reat ed D anger E x cept i on O n e re q u ire m e n t o f

th e sta te- c re a ted e x c e p tio n is th a t “th e sta te a c to r a c ted in w i l l ful di s r egar d fort he s afe t yof the pl ai nt i ff. ” K nei pp, 95 F. 3d at1208. O n appea l , t he A l l ens ar gue thatST SD w i l l ful l ydi s r egar ded the s afe t yof J aquan w hen i tl ethi m go fr om cl as s r oom t o cl as s r oom w i t houtan es cor t . T hi s ar gum enti s i npl aus i bl e. T her e i s no r ecor d evi dence t hatJ aquan r equi r ed s uch moni t or i ng as partof hi s s peci al needs c las sif ica tio n o r th a t es c o rts w e re p re sc rib e d o r re q u e ste d f o r h is e d u c a tio n a l p lan . T h is is nots urpr i s i ng i n vi ew of the fa ctt hatJ aquan w as notcons i der ed a f l i ghtr i s k, as evi dence d byt he fr eedom of m ovementthe A l l ens gave hi m athom e and i n t he nei ghbor hood. T he s chool cannotw i l l ful l ydi s r egar d t he s afe t yof J aquan bynot pr ovi di ng an es corti f i ti s notaw ar e thatJ aquan ne eded one . C f. K nei pp, 95 F. 3d at1208 ( f o c u s i n g o n a p o l i c e o f

f i c e r ’ s d e c i s i o n t o s e n d a c o n s p i c u o u s l yi n t o x i c a t e d wo ma n h o me al one des pi t e hi s aw ar enes s of heri nebr i at i on as i ndi ci a of a w i l l ful di s r egar d of the w o m a n ’s s a f

e ty). N ext , t he A l l ens poi ntt o t he I E P obj ect i ve thatJ aquan w as t o s t ayi n des i gnat ed ar eas 80% of the t i m e as evi dence of ST SD ’ s aw ar enes s of J aquan’ s pr opens i t yt o w ander a w a yf ro m sc h o o l, y e t all o f

th e re c o rd e v id e n c e sh o w s th a t th is o b jec tiv e re f

e rre d to J aquan’ s abi l i t yt o s t ayon t as k w i t hi n t he cl as s r oom , nott o hi s abi l i t yt o s t ayon s chool pr emi s es . T he A l l ens di d notpr offe ranyevi dence s how i ng thatJ aquan, oranyot herAs evidenc e of Jaquan’s tendency to roam aw ay

from the c lassroom, Mrs. Allen testified 4 that Ms . V iozzitol d h e r t hat sh ehad p la c e d Jaq

ua n in thehallw ay

fo r s omethinghehad don ein thec la ssroo m. Joint A

pp . 3 24 at 77 :21 -2 2. Drawinga ll inf e renc e s in fa vo r o f t heAl le ns , th is testimony is evidencethat J aquan w as plac ed in the hallwa y , not evidencethat J aquan entere d the hallway without permission. S imilarly , Terri Robinson t estified about Ms. Viozzi ’s competence a s a sp e c ial ne e ds ins tr

uc tor , b ut M s. Rob ins on ’s prof e ssi on a l invo lveme nt w ithJaqu an a nd his educational program c ease d in 2002 when he w as adopte d, long be forethe incident in question. We further

note that J aquan did not run a way from school while hewas in Ms. Viozz i’s c la ssroo m. 7 s peci al needs s tudents i m i l ar l ycl as s i fi ed, had a pr opens i t yt o l eave cl as s r oom s et t i ngs or g o to n o n -de sign ated p lace s o u tsi d e o f th e c lassroo m . B ec au se th ere is no rec o rd 4 evi dence t hatJ aquan r equi r ed moni t or i ng and no r ecor d evi dence thatJ aquan ha d a propen si t yt o w and er aw ay , i tfoll ow s that the S T S D cou l d n ot have i gn ored a k no w n ri sk o r d a n g e r to Ja q u a n b yf a ili n g to p ro v id e h im a n e sc o rt. B. I DE A, § 5 0 4 o f

t h e Re h a b i l i t a t i o n Ac t , a n d ADA Cl a i ms E ducat i onal agenc i es m aybe l i abl e underI D E A forfai l ur e t o pr ovi de a Fr ee A ppr opr i at e Publ i c Educat i on ( “FA PE ”) . 20 U . S. C . § 1412( a) ( 1) ; Fl or ence C ount ySch. D i s t . Fourv. C ar t er , 510 U . S. 7, 9 ( 1993) . T he A l l ens as s ertthatST SD vi ol at ed I D E A by n o t p ro v id in g J a q u a n w ith a s a f e e d u c a tio n , i.e ., a n e s c o rt f ro m c la s s ro o m to c la s s ro o m . T he A l l ens neverr eques t ed an e s cor tforJ aquan, and the s chool di s t r i ctw as notaw ar e he n e e d e d o n e . In ste a d , the u n d isp u ted e v id e n c e sh o w s th a t Ja q u a n w a s s a f e u n d e r h is s peci al educa t i on pr ogr am up unt i l the t i m e of hi s death. T her efor e, the A l l ens have fai l ed t o pr ovi de anypr oof thatJ aquan’ s educa t i on w as i nappr opr i at e i n vi ol at i on of the I DE A.8

A s t o § 504 , one of the el ement s a pl ai nt i ff musts how i s thata s tudentw as “exc l uded fr om part i ci pat i on i n, deni ed the bene fi t s of, ors ubj ectt o di s cr i m i nat i on at , t he s c h o o l.” R id g e w o o d B d . o f E d u c . v . N .E . f

o r M .E ., 1 7 2 F .3 d 2 3 8 , 2 5 3 (3 d C ir . 1 9 9 9 ). T h e A D A e x ten d s th e n o n d isc rim in a tio n ru le o f § 5 0 4 to se rv ice s p ro v id e d b ya n yp u b lic en ti ty , reg ard less o f w h ethe r th at en ti tyrec eive s fe d era l fu n d s. H ere , there is no rec o rd evi dence t hatST SD di s cr i m i nat ed aga i ns tJ aquan, excl uded hi m fr om s chool , or o therw ise m istrea ted h im b ec au se o f h is em o ti o n al disab il ity . T h e e v iden ti aryrec o rd d o e s n o t sh o w th a t S T S D ’s f a ilu re to p ro v id e Ja q u a n a n e sc o rt w a s a d e n ial o f a b e n e f it t o w hi ch he w as ent i t l ed, forno one r eques t ed orpr es cr i bed an e s cor tforhi m . T her efor e, b e c a u se th e A llen s h a v e p ro f f e re d n o e v id e n c e o f

a n e ss e n tial e lem e n t f

o r th e ir c a se , the ir § 5 0 4 a n d A D A c laim s c a n n o t su rv iv e su m m a ryju d g m e n t. Fort he r eas ons s etfor t h above, w e w i l l aff i r m the D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s gr antof s u mm a r yj u d g me n ti n f a v o ro f S T S D.