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A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e C e n tr a l D is tr ic t o f C a lif o rn ia M a nue l L . R e a l , D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng A r gue d a nd S ubm i tt e d J une 7, 2011 P a s a d e n a , C a lif

o rn ia Be f o r e : B. FL ET CHERa n d N. R. SM I TH, Ci r c u i tJ u d g e s , a n d SE ABRI GH T, D i stri ctC ou rtJudg e. ** 

# FI LED JU N 24 2011 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

M o n i q u e D o l l o n n e ap p eal s th e d i stri ctco u rt ’ s o rd er d i sm i ssi n g h er fi rst a m e nde d c om pl a i nta ga i ns tthe V e ntur aU ni f i e d S c hool D i s tr i c t( the D i s tr i c t ) a nd s e v e r a l o f

its e m p lo y e e s in th e irin d iv id u a l a n d o f f ic ia l c ap a c itie s f

o rf a ilu r e to st at e acl ai m un der F eder al R ul e of C i vi l P roce du re 12 (b)( 6). S he al so chal l enges th e d i s tr i c tc o u rt ’ s d e n i a l o f l e a v e t o a me n d . W e h a v e j u r i s d i c t i o n u n d e r2 8 U . S. C. § 1 2 9 1 , a n d a f

f irm th e d is tr ic t c o u rt. W e r e v ie w d e n o v o th e d is tr ic t c o u rt’s d e c is io n s to g r a n t am o tio n to d is m is s u n d e rru le 1 2 ( b ) ( 6 ) , a n d to r e c o g n iz e E le v e n th A m e n d m e n t im m u n ity . E a s o n v . C la rk

Cn ty . Sc h . D is t. , 30 3 F . 3d 11 37 , 11 40 (9th C i r. 20 02 ). T he di stri ct c ourtdi s m i s s e d D ol l onne ’ s c l a i m s a ga i ns tthe D i s tr i c tpur s ua ntt o B elan ger v . M adera U ni f i ed Scho olD istri ct , 96 3 F . 2d 24 8 (9th C i r. 19 92 ), concl ud i ng that C al i forni a s choo l di stri ct s are arm s of the st at e and thu s i m m un e f rom sui tun der th e E le v e n th A m e n d m e n t. D o llo n n e c o n te n d s th a t B elan gerdo es no tcom pel E l e ve nth A m e ndm e nti m m uni ty i n he rc a s e , tha tthe D i s tr i c tha d the bur de n of c om i ng f orw a r d w i th f

a c t s t o pr ove tha ti tr e m a i ns i m m une f r om s ui t , a nd tha ts he s h o u ld h a v e b e e n p e rm itte d to c o n d u c t d is c o v e ry in to th e D is tr ic t’s r e la tio n s h ip w i th the s t a t e . W e di s a gr e e . C ourt s c ont i nue t o r e l y on B elan gerfor the pu rposes o f e s tab lis h in g E le v e n th A m e n d m e n t im m u n ity . Se e C o r a le s v . B e n n e tt , 567 F . 3d 5 5 4 , 5 7 3 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 9 ) ; Stone rv . Santa C lar a Cnt y . O f f i c e of E duc . , 502 F . 3d3

1 1 1 6 , 1 1 2 2

– 2 3 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 7 ) ; Kir c h m a n n v . L a ke E ls in o r e U n ifie d Sc h . D is t. , 100 C a l . R ptr . 2d 289, 291 ( C t . A pp 4th 2000) . D ol l onne m a ke s no f a c tua l a l l e ga t i ons thatthe re l at i on shi p b etw ee n C al i forni a s choo l di stri ct s and the st at e has changed in th e e n su in g ye ar s. In th is ca se , d isco v er y to fu rth erd ev elo p th e s ch o o l d istrict’ s im m u n ity f

r o m s u it is u n w a rr a n te d . Se e Mitc h e ll v . Fo rs y th , 472 U . S . 511, 525–26 ( 1985) ( not i ng tha ti m m uni ty f r om s ui tpr ot e c t s gove rnm e ntof f i c i a l s notonl y f

r om tr i a l buta l s o f

r om pr e - tr i a l bur de ns s uc h a s di s c ove ry ) . T he di s tr i c tc ourtdi d not e rrin d is m is s in g D o llo n n e ’s c la im s a g a in s t th e D is tr ic t. A di stri ctcourt ’ s dec i si on t o g rantqu al i fi ed i m m un i ty, i ncl ud i ng w hether the r i ght s a ti s s ue w e r e c l e a r l y e s t abl i s he d a tthe t i m e of the e ve nt s , i s r e vi e w e d de n o v o . Se e E lde rv . H

ol low ay , 51 0 U . S . 51 0, 51 6 (19 94 ). W e e xp re ss no op i ni on as to w h e th e ro rn o t s c h o o l e m p lo y e e s v io la te d D o llo n n e ’s c o n s titu tio n a l r ig h ts . See P e ars on v . Cal lahan , 5 5 5 U . S . 2 2 3 , 1 2 9 S . C t . 8 0 8 , 8 2 0

– 2 1 (2 0 0 9 ). N ev erth el ess, the i ndi vi dua l e m pl oy e e s a r e e nt i t l e d t o qua l i f i e d i m m uni ty , be c aus e , a tthe t i m e of th e e v e n ts in q u e s tio n , n o c le a r ly e s tab lis h e d la w w o u ld h a v e g iv e n s c h o o l o f f ic ia ls n o tic e th a t th e irc o n d u c t v io la te d a n y c o n s titu tio n a l r ig h t. I d. a t823. D e n ia l o f

le a v e to a m e n d is r e v ie w e d f o rab u s e o f

d is c r e tio n . See J

oh nson v. B uckley , 356 F . 3d 1067, 1077 ( 9th C i r . 2004) . T he di sc re t i on i s part i cul ar l y broad w h e r e ap la in tif

f h a s p r e v io u s ly b e e n p e rm itte d to a m e n d . See Ch o do s v . W.4

P ubl ’ g C o. , 292 F . 3d 992, 1003 ( 9th C i r . 2002) . D ol l one ha s pr e vi ous l y a m e nde d, a n d , b e c au s e a ll d e f

e n d a n ts a r e im m u n e f

r o m s u it, a n y f

u rth e ra m e n d m e n t w o u ld b e f u tile . J ohns on , 356 F . 3d a t1077. AF F I RME D.