T hi s di s pos i t i on i s n o t ap p ro p ri at e fo r p u b l i c a t i on a nd i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by N i nth C i r c ui tR ul e 36- 3. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T
AM ER I CAN FEDER ATI ON OF ST ATE, C OU NT Y A ND MUNI C I P AL E M P L O Y E E S L O C A L 4 0 4 1 , in its i ndi vi dua l c apa c i ty a nd i t s r e pr e s e nt a t i ve cap aci ty o n b eh al f o f i t s m em b ers; R AN DY L E E C OO K, P l ai n t i ffs,
a nd R O B E R T L E E B IA N C H I, P la in tif

f - A p p e lla n t,
v. S T A T E O F N E V A D A , e x r e l its D e p a r tme n to f

Co rr e c t i o n s ; H O W A RD S K O L N IK , i nd i vi du al l y a nd i n h i s off i ci al c apa c i ty a s D i r e c t orof

the N e va da De p a r tme n to f

Co rr e c t i o n s ; CARL A C R E V L IN G , i nd i vi du al l y a nd i n h er c apa c i ty a s P e r s onne l O f f i c e rof the Ne v a d aDe p a r tm e n to f

C o rr e c t i o n s ; P AT C O N M A Y , i nd i vi du al l y a nd i n h i s off i ci al c apa c i ty a s I ns pe c t orG e ne r a l f orthe N ev ad a D ep artm en to f C o rrect i o n s; N o. 10- 17046 D
. C
. N o. 3 : 0 9
- c v - 0 0 2 3 5
- L R H- R AM
ME MOR AN DU M * 

# FI LED DE C 05 2011 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U
. S. C O U R T OF APPE ALST he pa ne l una ni m ous l y c onc l ude s t h i s c a s e i s s u i t a b l e f o r de c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R
. A pp . P
. 34 (a )( 2). 2 W I L L I A M D O N A T , in d iv id u a lly a n d in hi s of f i c i a l c apa c i ty a s W a r de n f orthe N e va daS t a t e P r i s on, D efen d an t s - A p p el l ees.

A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt

f orthe D i s tr i c tof

N e va da L a rry R
. H i c ks , D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d N ove m be r16, 2011 ** S a n F r a n c is c o , C a lif

o rn ia B efo re: H A W K IN S , M cK E O W N , an d M
. S M IT H , C i rcu i tJu d g es. R obe r tB i a nc hi ( “ B i a nc hi ” ) , a l i e ut e na nta tthe N e va daS t a t e P r i so n w i th the N ev ada D e pa r tm e ntof C orr e c t i ons ( “ N D O C ” ) , appe a l s the s um m a ry j udgm e nt d i s m i s s a l o f

h i s § 1 9 8 3 a c t i o n , a l l e g i n g th a th e wa s r e t a l i a t e d a g a i n s tb y th e ND OC in v io la tio n o f

h is F ir s t A m e n d m e n t r ig h ts . W e h a v e ju r is d ic tio n u n d e r2 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 9 1 , a n d a f

f i rm. B i a nc hi c ont e nds tha tN D O C de m ot e d h i m i n r e t a l i a t i on f orhi s i nvol ve m e nt i n ano - c on f

i de nc e pe t i t i on r e ga r di ng the A s s i s t a ntW a r de n o f O pe r a t i on s , W a l t er D ona t( “ D o n a t ” ) , a n d i s s u e d h i m al e tt e ro f r e p r i ma n d i n r e t a l i a t i o n f o rt e s t i f y i ng
re gardi ng the pet i t i on ata tri al
. H ow ever , B i anchi succes sf u ll y appeal ed ea ch3

di s c i pl i na ry a c t i on, w a s r e i ns t a t e d t o hi s f orm e r r a nk a s a l i e ut e na nt , a nd the l e tt e rof
r e pr i m a nd w a s r e m ove d f r om hi s f i l e . N D O C a l l e ge s tha t i t ha d l e gi t i m a t e r e a s ons f or
r e pr i m a ndi ng B i a nc hi : he ha d f a i l e d t o r e porton orpr ope r l y s upe rvi s e am i s be ha vi ng
s ubor di na t e , a nd h ad m i s us e d as i c k da y a nd ha d gi ve n m i s l e a di ng s t a t e m e nt s about it. R evi ew i ng the grantof sum m ary j ud gm ent de no vo , w e con cl ud e B i anchi has
n o t p r o v id e d e v id e n c e s u f f ic ie n t to s h o w a n y g e n u in e is s u e o f m a te r ia l f

a c t. F i rst , i ti s n o tcl ear th atret al i at i o n an al ysi s i s ev e n w a r ran t ed h ere b ecau se B i anchi has notdem on stra t ed thathe has s uffe re d an y i nj ury w hi ch w e m i gh tthen det erm i ne w as or w as no tthe prod uctof re t al i at i on . T he di sc i pl i naryac t i on s that B ian ch i all eg es w er e r etaliato ry w er e b o th re v er se d as th e r es u lto f B ian ch i’ s adm i ni stra t i ve appeal s. A l tho ug h B i anchi prov i ded som e e vi dence of emo ti o nal di s tr e s s he s uf

f e r e d dur i ng the c our s e of the di s c i pl i na ry a c t i ons a s a pos s i bl e ba s i s f or h i s ret al i at i o n cl ai m , h e m ak es n o arg u m en tco n n ect i n g th atd i stress t o th e ad v erse
e m p lo y m e n t a c tio n s . B uteven i f are t al i at i on anal ys i s w er e w arra nt ed here , sum m ary j ud gm entw as
s t i l l pr ope r . R e t a l i a t i on c l a i m s a ga i ns tgove rnm e nte m pl oy e r s m us tbe s uppor t e d by p ro o f th atp ro t ect ed sp eech w as a “ su b stan t i al o r m o t i v at i n g fact o r i n th e ad v erse
em pl oym entac t i on . ” E ngv. C oo l ey , 552 F
. 3d 1062, 1070- 72 ( 9th C i r . 2009)
. T o do4

s o, apl a i nt i f

f m us tf i r s tpr e s e nte vi de nc e the de f e ndan t h ad know l e dge of the p la in tif f’s p r o te c te d s p e e c h
. A l

ph a E nergy Savers, Inc. v. H an se n , 381 F
. 3d 917, 928 ( 9 th Ci r . 2 0 0 4 ) ( c i t i n g Ke y s e rv . Sa c r a m e n to C ity U n ifie d Sc h . D is t. , 265 F
. 3d 741, 7 5 0
- 5 2 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 1 ) ) . B ia n c h i r e lie s o n a lle g a tio n s in h i s c o m p l a in t a s w e ll a s in hi s af fi davi t

— concl usory, se l f- se rvi ng , and l ac ki ng any s up po rt i ng evi dence— w hi ch f a il to e s tab lis h ag e n u in e is s u e o f m a te r ia l f

a c t o n s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t r e v ie w . F. T. C.
v. P ub l ’g C l eari ngH

ou se, Inc. , 104 F
. 3d 1168, 1171 ( 9t h C i r. 1997) ( c i t a t i ons
o m itte d )
. A F F I R M E D .