FI FTH DI VI SI ON REESE, P. J.

, M A RKLE and COLVI N, JJ.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

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O U R C O U R T R U LE S

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Febr uar y 23, 2021



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 0 A2 04 5

. PATRICK v

. BOARD OF REGENTS OF T HE

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA.

R E E S E
, Pres i di n g J u d g e.

Val o ri e Pat ri ck s u ed t h e Bo ard o f Reg en t s o f t h e Un i vers i t y Sy s t em of Geo rg i a

(t he “ Bo ard ”) fo r b rea c h o f c o n t ract aft er s h e was d i s m i s s ed fro m Val d o s t a St at e

Un i vers it y ’ s n u rs i n g p ro g ram . Th e t ri al co u rt d i s m i s sed h er s u i t , fi n d i n g t h at i t was

b arred by s o v erei g n i m

m u ni ty

. On ap p eal

, Pat ri ck arg u es th at h er ad m i s s i on l et t er,

Val d o s t a’ s g rad u at e st u den t h an d b o o k

, an d t h e u n i v ers i ty s t u d en t h an d b o o k

, t ak en

t o g et h er, co n s t i t u t e a wri t t en co n t ract t h at wai v es s ov erei g n i m m u n i ty

. W e di s ag ree,

an d fo r t h e reas on s s et fo rt h i n fra, affi rm t h e t ri al co urt ’ s d i s m i s s al of her co m p l ai n t

.Th e fact s rel at in g t o t h e i s s u e o f s o v erei g n i m m u n i t y are l arg el y u nd i s p u t ed

. 1

In 2 0 1 3

, Pat ri ck rece i v ed an accep tan ce l et t er fro m Val d o s t a’ s g rad u at e s ch o o l o f

n u rs i n g

. Th e o n e-p ag e l et t er w as s i g n ed by t h e i n t eri m d ean o f t h e s ch oo l

. It i n fo rm ed

Pat ri ck : “ Yo u are res po n s i b l e fo r fam i l i ari zi n g y o urs el f wi t h th e reg u l at io n s o f y o u r

d ep art m en t o f s tu d y a n d t h o se o f t h e Grad u at e Sch o ol

. Yo u can fi n d th e Grad u at e

Sch oo l p o l i ci es i n t he Gr a d u a t e S ch o o l Ca t a l og .” Th e g rad u at e s ch o ol cat al o g

co n tai n ed an a c a d em i c gri ev an ce s ect i o n , w h i ch s et fo rt h th e g ri ev an ce an d ap p eal

p ro ced ure, an d n o ti fi ed g rad u at e s t u d en t s t h at t h ey m u s t al so ad h ere t o t h e reg u l at i on s

i n t he Val d o s t a s t u d en t h an d b o o k

.

Val d o s t a d is m i s s ed Pat ri ck fro m t h e n urs i n g p r o g ram aft er s h e recei v ed a

fai l i n g g rad e i n a lab co u rs e. Acco rd i n g t o Pat ri ck

, s h e o n l y recei v ed a fai l i n g g rad e

b ecau s e o f p ro bl em s i n s u b m i t t i n g as s i g n m en t s to th e s ch o o l o n li n e p o rt al

. A l t h o u g h

Pat ri ck fi l ed s ev eral i n t ern al ap p eal s at Val d o s t a, t h e s ch o o l d ecl i n ed t o ch an g e h er

g rad e. Sh e lat er ap pl i ed fo r read m i s s i o n t o t h e nu rs i n g p ro g ram , b u t Val d o st a reject ed

h er ap p l i cat i o n

.

1 “ [W ] h ere t h e u n derl y i n g fact s are u n d i s p u t ed

, we rev i ew d e n o v o t h e t ri al

co u rt ’ s ap p l i cat i on o f t he law t o t h e u n d i s pu t ed fact s.” Gr a nt v. Ga

. Fo res t ry Co mm. , 3 3 8 Ga. Ap p . 1 4 6 , 1 4 8 (1 ) (7 89 SE2 d 3 4 3 ) (2 0 1 6).

2Pat ri ck su ed t h e Bo ard

, as s ert i n g t h ree cl ai m s fo r b reac h o f co n t ract

. Sh e

al l eg ed th at t h e Bo ard : (1 ) fai l ed t o fo l l o w t he ap peal an d read m i s s i o n pro ces s es s et

fo rt h i n t he s tu d en t h an d b o o k; (2 ) d i s m i ss ed h er fro m t h e nu rs i n g pro g ram wi t h o ut

a heari n g, i n v i ol at i o n o f t he s o ci al co d e fro m t h e s t u den t h an d b o o k ; an d (3 ) b reach ed

t h e “ term s an d co nd i t i o n s fo r [h er] cl as s es ” b y fai l i ng t o m ai n tai n t h e o n l i ne p o rt al

.

Th e Bo ard fi led a m o t i o n t o d i sm is s o n t he b as i s o f so v erei g n im m u n i t y , wh i ch t h e

t ri al co u rt g ran t ed . Th i s ap p eal fo l lo wed

.

“ W e rev i ew a t ri al co u rt ’ s ru l i n g o n a m ot i o n to d is m i s s b as ed o n so v erei g n

i m m u ni t y d e n ov o b ecau s e i t i s a m at t er o f l aw.” 2 Pat ri ck h as t he b u rd en o f p ro o f as

t h e p art y seek i n g t o dem o n s t rat e a wai v er o f s o v erei g n i m m u n i t y

. 3 W it h t h es e g u i d i n g

p ri n ci p l es i n m i n d , we n o w t u rn t o Pat ri ck ’ s s o l e cl ai m o f erro r.

Pat r i c k arg u es t h at t h e t ri al co u rt erred in fi n di n g t h at s h e d i d n o t h av e an

ex p res s , wri t t en co nt ract w i t h t h e Bo ard

, wh i ch wo u ld wai v e t h e Bo ard ’ s so v erei g n

i m m u ni t y

. Sp eci fi cal l y , s h e co n ten d s t h at t h e g rad uat e h an d b o o k

, t h e s t u d en t

h an db o o k

, an d t h e ad m is s i o n l et t er, t ak en t o get h er, co n s t i t u t e a b i n d i n g co n t ract wi th

2 Gwi nn et t

Co u n t y v. As h b y , 3 5 4 Ga. Ap p. 8 6 3 , 8 6 4 (8 4 2 SE2 d 7 0 ) (2 0 2 0 ).

3 S e e G a

. D e

p t

. o f La b o r v. RTT As s o c. , 2 9 9 Ga. 7 8, 8 1 (1 ) (7 8 6 SE2 d 8 4 0 ) (2 0 1 6) (“ Th e b u rd en o f d em o n st rat i n g a wai v er o f s o v erei gn i m m u n i t y res t s u p o n t h e

p art y as sert i n g i t .”).

3t h e Bo ard

. Sh e al s o arg u es th at s i g n at u res fro m b o t h p art i es are n o t req u ired t o creat e

a co n tract wai v i n g s o v erei g n i m m u n i t y

.

“ Th e d o ct ri n e of s o v erei gn im m u n i t y , al s o k n own as g o v ern m en tal i m m u n i t y ,

p ro t ect s al l lev el s o f g o v ern m en t s fro m l eg al act i o n u n l e s s t h ey h av e wai ved t h ei r

i m m u ni t y fro m s u i t .” 4 So v erei gn i m m u n i t y ap pl i es t o th e Bo ard

. 5 Ho wev er, t h e St at e

h as wai v ed s o verei gn i m

m un i t y fo r b reach o f a wri t t en co n t ract

. 6

“ Gen eral ru l es o f co n t ract l aw t h at m i g h t o t h erwi s e s u p p o rt a cl ai m fo r b reach

o f co n t ract d am ag es bet ween p ri v at e part i es

. . . w i l l n o t s u p p o rt a cl ai m ag ai n s t t h e

s t at e o r o n e of i t s ag en ci es i f t h e co n t ract i s n o t i n w ri t i n g s o as t o t ri g g er t h e wai v er

o f so v erei g n i m

m u n i t y. ” 7 Th at i s becau s e “ [t ] h e d o ct ri n e of s ov erei g n i m m u n i t y

req u i res th at t he co n d i t i o ns an d l i m i t a t i o n s o f t h e s t at u te t h at wai v es i m m u n i t y b e

s t ri ct l y fo l l o wed [.] ” 8 T h u s , a p art y m ay no t reco v er fo r b reach o f co n t ract ag ai n s t t h e

4 W ea ver v. Ci t

y o f S t a t es b o r o , 2 8 8 Ga. Ap p. 3 2

, 3 3 (1 ) (6 5 3 SE2 d 7 6 5) (2 0 0 7 ) (ci t at i o n an d p u nct u at io n o m i t ted ).

5 See W i l so n v. Bd

. o f Reg e n t s o f Un iv. S ys t em o f Ga

. , 2 6 2 Ga. 4 1 3

, 4 1 4 (3 ) (4 1 9 SE2 d 9 1 6 ) (1 9 9 2 ).

6 See Ga. Co n s t

. o f 1 9 8 3

, Art

. I, Sec. II, Par. IX (c) an d (e); OCGA § 5 0 -2 1 -1 (a).

7 RTT As s o c. , 2 9 9 Ga. at 8 2 (2 ).

8 Id . at 8 3 (2 ) (ci t at io n an d p u n ct uat i o n o m i t ted ).

4St at e b as ed o n an i m p l i ed co n t ract

, o n a t heo ry o f q uan t u m m eru i t

, o r b y t h e p art i es ’

co u rs e o f co n d uct ev en i f a d o cu m en t ex i st s t h at wo u l d o t herwi s e s u p p ly t h e m at eri al

t erm s o f t h e al l eg ed co n t ract

. 9

W h en det erm i n i n g if m

u l t i p l e d o cu m en t s fo rm an ex p res s co n t ract t h at wai v es

s o v erei g n i m

m u n i t y , “ [a] v al i d wri t t en co n t rac t m a y b e fo rm ed wh en t h ere are

m u lt i p l e, s i g n ed

, co n t em p oran eo u s ag reem e n ts b et ween t h e p art i es wh i ch

d em o n s t rat e t h ei r i n t en t t o en t er i n t o a b i n d i n g co n tract an d t h e in d i v i du al do cu m en t s ,

co n si d ered t o g et h er, i n cl u d e al l o f t h e n eces s ary t erm s o f a co n t ract .” 1 0

In t h i s cas e, th e accep t an ce l et t er, g rad u at e h an d b oo k , an d s t u den t h an d b o o k

d i d n ot co n s t i t u te a wri tt e n co n t ract t h at wai v ed s o verei g n im m un i ty

. No n e o f t h e

d o cu m en t s were s ig n ed by b o t h p art i es

. 1 1 Ad d i t io n al l y , t h e o ffer l et ter’ s s t at em en t to

9 See i d . at 8 2 -8 3 (2 ).

1 0 Bd

. of Reg en t s o f th e U n i v. S ys t em o f G a

. v. Ru

f f

, 3 1 5 Ga. Ap p

. 4 5 2, 4 5 6 (7 2 6

SE2 d 4 5 1 ) (2 0 12 ) (fo ot n o t e an d p u nct u at i o n o m i t ted ), o v erru led o n o th er g ro u n d s by

Ri ver a v. W

a s h i n g t on , 2 9 8 Ga. 7 7 0 , 7 7 8 & n

. 7 (7 8 4 SE2 d 7 7 5) (2 01 6 ).

1 1 See B r o wn i n g v. Ra b u n Co u n t y Bd

. o f Co mmr s

. , 3 4 7 Ga. Ap p

. 71 9

, 7 2 2 -7 2 3 (8 2 0 SE2 d 7 3 7 ) (2 0 1 8 ) (s u m m ary o f ben efi t s was n o t a wri t ten co n t ract b et ween t h e

p art i es wh ere i t was n o t s i g n ed b y ei t h er p art y a n d d i d n o t s h o w t h e as s en t o f t h e

p art i es t o t h e co nt ract ); R u f f

, 3 1 5 Ga. Ap p

. a t 4 5 6 -4 5 7 (ap p l i cat i o n t o s t u d y ab ro ad

p ro g ram , wri t t en refu n d p o l i cy , an d s t u d y ab ro ad m an u al d id no t wai v e so v erei g n i m m u ni t y becau se t h ey w ere n o t s i g n ed b y t h e Bo ard ); Bd

. o f Reg en t s of t h e Un i v. S ys t em o f Ga . v. Ba r n es , 3 2 2 Ga. Ap p

. 4 7

, 5 0 (2 ) (7 4 3 SE2 d 6 0 9 ) (2 0 1 3 ) (u n s i g n ed

5Pat ri ck t o “ fam i li ari z[e] ” h ers el f wi t h th e s t u d en t han d b o ok s an d d ep art m en t

reg u l at i o n s fai l ed t o d em o n s t rat e an i n t en t b y t h e Bo ard fo r t h e s t u d en t h an d b o o k s to

b e c o m e a b i n d i n g co n t ract

. 1 2 A t b es t, t h e co n d u ct o f Pat ri ck an d t h e Bo ard m i g h t

d em o n s t rat e t h e ex i s ten ce o f an i m p l i ed co n t ract

, b ut as n o t ed p rev i o u s l y , t h at i s n ot

en o ug h t o wai v e s o v erei g n i m m u n i ty

. 1 3

Th e o n l y cas e Pat ri ck ci tes t o wh ere th i s Co u rt h el d t h at an u n s i gn ed wri t i n g

wai v ed s o v erei g n i m

m u n i t y i s G a

. Lo t t er

y Co r p

. v. Pa t el

. 1 4 In th at cas e, we h el d t h at

a s crat ch -o ff l o t t ery t ick et co n s t i t u t ed a wr i t t e n co nt ract t h at wai v ed so v erei g n

an d u n a u t h en t i cat ed s tu d en t co d e o f co n d u ct an d co u n s el i n g cen t er co n s en t fo rm

s i gn ed o n l y b y t h e s t u d en t d i d n o t co n s ti t ut e a wri tt en co n t ract wai v i n g so v erei g n i m m u ni t y ), o v er r u l e d on o t h er g ro u n d s b y W o l f e v. Reg en t

s o f t h e Un iv. S

ys t em of

Ga

. , 3 0 0 Ga. 2 2 3

, 2 3 2 (2 ) (d ) (7 9 4 SE2 d 8 5 ) (2 0 1 6 ).

1 2 See Ca r r o l l v. Bd

. o f Reg en t s o f t h e Un i v. S

ys t em o f Ga

. , 32 4 Ga. Ap p

. 5 9 8,

6 0 2 -6 0 3 ( 2 ) ( 7 5 1 SE2 d 4 2 1 ) (2 0 1 3 ) (u n si g n ed em ai l s an d m eet i ng m in u tes d i d n ot
d em o n s t rat e an i n t en t t o m o d ify wri t ten co n t ract b et w een t he ap p el l a n t a n d t h e Bo ard ); s ee al s o W

i l s o n v. Bd

. o f Reg en t s o f Un i v. Sys t em o

f G a

. , 2 6 2 Ga. 4 1 3

, 4 1 4 (2 ) (4 1 9 SE2 d 9 1 6 ) (1 9 9 2 ) (h o l d i n g t h at th e Bo ard d i d n o t en t er i n t o a wri t t en

co n tract b as ed o n t h e co n s en t fo rm a n d am bu l at o ry s u rg ery p at i en t ag reem en t t h at

p l ai n t i ff s i g n ed b efo re h er o p erat i o n ); B d . o f Reg en t s o f Un i v. S ys t em v. Tys o n , 2 6 1

Ga. 3 68

, 3 69 (1 ) (4 0 4 SE2 d 5 5 7 ) (1 9 9 1 ) (co n sen t t o care fo rm an d o t h er p art s o f t h e

m ed i cal reco rd

, t ak en t og et h er, d i d n o t co n s t i t ut e co n tem po ran eo us wri t in g s fo rm i n g

a co n tract ).

1 3 See RTT As s oc. , 2 9 9 Ga. at 8 3 (2 ).

1 4 3 4 9 Ga. Ap p . 5 2 9 (8 2 6 SE2 d 3 8 5 ) (2 0 1 9 ) (p h y s ical p reced en t o n l y ).

6i m

m u ni t y

. 1 5 Ho wev er, Pa t el i s n o t b i n d i n g p reced en t

. 1 6 Yet

, ev en i f P a t el were

b i n d i n g , i t i s d i s t i n g u i s h ab l e fo r t wo reas o n s

. Fi rs t

, ou r Co urt in t h at cas e ap p l i ed cas e

l aw ad dres s i n g l o t t ery t i ck et s as “ g am b l i n g co n t ract s ” bet ween t h e s t at e an d t h e t i ck et

h o l d er. 1 7 Seco n d

, t h e t e r m s p ri n t ed o n th e lo t t ery t i ck et

, i n cl u d i n g t h e t i ck et p ri ce,

h o w t o wi n a p ri ze, an d t h e p ro ces s fo r cl ai m i n g p ri zes , m o re cl earl y i n di cat ed an

i n t en t i o n t o en t er i n t o a co n t ract b et ween t h e G eo rg i a Lo t t ery Co rp o rat i o n an d t h e

t i ck et h o l d er t h an t h e d o cu m en t s referen ced i n t h i s cas e. 1 8

Acco rd i ng l y , fo r th e rea s o n s s t at ed ab o v e, Pat ri ck d i d n o t d em o n s t rat e an

ex p res s , wri tt en co n t ract t h at wai v ed s o verei g n im m un i t y

. W e t h erefo re affi r m t h e

t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er g ran t i ng t h e Bo ard ’ s m o t io n t o d i s m is s

.

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . Ma r

kl e a n d Co l vi n , JJ., co ncu r

.

1 5 See i d . at 5 3 2 (a).

1 6 See Co urt of Ap p eal s Ru l e 3 3 .2 (a) (2 ).

1 7 Pa t el , 3 4 9 Ga. Ap p . at 5 3 1 (a) (p un ct u at io n o m it t ed ).

1 8 Id . at 53 2 (a).

7