2005 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 7-12-2005 

# H arri s -Thom a s v

. C hri s t in 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 . 04-1184

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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 " H arri s -Thom as v

. C hri s t in a S ch Di s t " (2005). 2005 D e cisio n s . P ape r 874. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005/874NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT N O . 04- 1184

________________ L ORRA I NEG. HARRI S- TH OMAS, Appellant

v. CH RI STI NASCH OO LDI STRI CT

____________________________________ O n A p p ea l Fro m the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt

F o r th e D istri ct of

D elaw are ( D . C . C i v. N o. 02- cv- 00253) D i s tr i ctJ udge: H onor abl e K entA . J or dan

_____________________________________ Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

J ul y1, 2005 Be f o r e : REN DELL, AM BRO AN D FU ENTES, CI RCU I T J UD GES

( Fi l ed: J ul y12, 2005 )

_______________________

OP I NI ON

_______________________ P E R C UR I AM L o rra in e G . H a rris- T h o m a s f iled a c o u n se led c o m p lain t an d a m e n d e d c o m p lain t toO n appea l , H arr i s - T hom as , on hers on’ s behal f, al s o pr es s es a Four th A m endment 1 c laim o f u n law f u l se a rc h a n d se izu re a n d a F if th A m e n d m e n t se lf

-in c rim in a tio n c laim beca us e hers on w as t aken t o a s chool confe r ence r oom and as ked bythe s chool pr i nci pal t o w r i t e dow n hi s ver s i on of the fi ght . A l l egat i ons of unr eas onabl e s ear ch and s ei zur e or compel l ed s el f- i ncr i m i nat i on di d notappea ri n H arr i s - T hom as ’ compl ai ntoramended compl ai ntand w er e ment i oned onl yi n pas s i ng i n herr es pons e t o C hr i s t i ana School D is tr ic t’ s m o tio n f

o r s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t. su e C h ristin a S c h o o l D istric t o n b e h a lf o f h e rse lf a n d h e r m in o r so n , Isa a c H a rris, f o r c iv il r i ght s vi ol at i ons ar i s i ng fr om the manneri n w hi ch C hr i s t i ana School D i s tr i ctempl oy ees tr eat ed hers on aft erhe w as i n a fi ghtw i th anotherm i ddl e s chool s tudent . She cl ai m ed thatC hr i s t i ana School D i s tr i ctvi ol at ed Ti t l e V I of the C i vi l R i ght s A ctof 1964 and the Four t eenth A m endment , and i nt ent i onal l yi nfl i ct ed emot i onal di s tr es s . Shor t l yaft ert he 1 a m e n d e d c o m p lain t w a s f iled , h e r a tto rn e ym o v e d to w ith d ra w a l f ro m th e c a se , an d h is m o tio n w a s g ra n ted . S in c e th e n , H a rris- T h o m a s h a s re p re se n ted h e rse lf a n d h e r so n in th e irc iv il a c tio n . C h ri s tia n a S c h o o l D is tr ic t m o v e d f o r s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t in its f a v o r. T h e D istric t C o u rt c o n sid e re d w h e th e r Is a a c h a d b e e n ill e g a llyd isc rim in a ted a g a in st, w hetherI s aac H arr i s had bee n depr i ved of hi s due pr oces s r i ght s , and w hetherI s aac had su ff ere d inten ti o n all y -i n fli cted em o ti o n al distr ess, an d g ran ted C h ri sti n a S ch o o l D istri ct’s m oti on . H arr i s- T ho m as then m ov ed fo r r econ si derat i on , w hich w as denied. H arr i sT h o m a s a p p e a ls. F o r th e re a so n s s e t f o rth b e lo w , w e w ill v a c a te in p a rt a n d a f f irm in p a rt . W e w ill v a c a te th e D istric t C o u rt’s o rd e r e n ter in g ju d g m e n t ag a in st Is a a c H a rris beca us e hi s m otherr epr es ent ed hi m as a pr o s e l i t i gant . H arr i s - T hom as w as notent i t l ed to re p re s e n t h e r s o n in p la c e o f a n a tto rn e yin f

e d e ra l liti g a tio n . See O s ei -A f r i yi e v. Med.C ol l . of

P a. , 937 F. 2d 876, 882- 83 ( 3d C i r . 1991) . O n r emand, H arr i s - T hom as m ay deci de t o s ecur e couns el forhers on and cont i nue t o pur s ue hi s cl ai m s , ors he maydeci de n o t to p ro c e e d , at w h ich p o in t Isa a c H a rris’ c laim s c a n b e d ism iss e d w ith o u t p re ju d ice , to a c c ru e f o r sta tu te o f

lim itatio n s p u rp o se s w h e n h e tu rn s e ig h tee n y e a rs o ld , o r so o n e r, if h e b e c o m e s a n e m a n c ip a te d m in o r. S e e id . B eca us e I s aac H arr i s appea r s t o be a p p ro a c h in g th e a g e o f

m a jo rity , the D istric t C o u rt m a yw ish to c o n sid e r w h e th e r it w o u ld be appr opr i at e t o s t ayhi s cas e unt i l he ca n m ake a deci s i on aboutw hetherhe w oul d l i ke to p ro c e e d o n h is o w n b e h a lf , w ith o r w ith o u t th e a s s is ta n c e o f c o u n s e l. H arr i s - T hom as , of cour s e, w as perm i t t ed t o r epr es entherow n i nt er es t s i n fede r al c o u rt . See 2 8 U .S .C . § 1 6 5 4 (2 0 0 5 ). S e e a lso O se i-A friy ie , 937 F. 2d at882 ( ci t i ng C heung v. Y

outh O r ches tr a Found. of B uf f al o, I nc. , 9 0 6 F .2 d 5 9 (2 d C ir . 1 9 9 0 )) . C hr i s t i na School D i s tr i ctm oved fors um m aryj udgm enton hercl ai m s , ar gui ng thatany act i ons t aken t ow ar d I s aac H arr i s di d notharm herori nt end t o caus e herharm . T he D istric t C o u rt d id n o t cle a rlyd e lin e a te w h ich c laim s w e re b ro u g h t b yH a rris- T h o m a s in herow n r i ghtbefor e gr ant i ng C hr i s t i na School D i s tr i ct ’ s m ot i on. N onethel es s , t o the e x ten t th a t th e D istric t C o u rt’s o rd e r e n ter e d ju d g m e n t ag a in st H a rris- T h o m a s, it is aff i r m ed. She fai l ed t o s t at e a c l ai m on herow n behal f i n m os tcount s of the amended compl ai nt . T o t he ext entthats he di d s t at e a c l ai m , s he coul d notpr evai l i n the fa ce of C hri st i na S cho ol D i stri ct ’s m oti on for sum m aryj ud gm ent. F or exam ple, i n h er r espon se to th e m o tio n f

o r su m m a ryju d g m e n t, H a rris- T h o m a s p re se n ted n o e v id e n c e th a t co u ld estab li sh that C h ri sti n a S ch o o l D istri ct i n tention all yinf li cted em o ti o n al distr ess o n h er.Forthe r eas ons s t at ed above , the D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s or derw i l l be vac at ed t o the

ext enti tent er ed j udgm entagai ns tI s aac H arr i s , and af fi r m ed t o the ext enti tgr ant ed j udgm entagai ns tH arr i s - T hom as . T hi s m att eri s r emanded t o the D i s tr i ctC our tfor f u rt h e r p ro c e e d in g s c o n s is te n t w ith th is o p in io n .