2009 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 5-8-2009 

# S ol an v . R anck 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 . 07-4571

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w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/1388NOT 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

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___________ DAVI D S OL AN, A ppel l ant v . Ms. RANCK, nee Hur sh; L IEUTENA NT CLARKSON, fo rm e r Lieutena

nt, F CI Al le nw oo d; M R. B I TT ENB ENDE R, Disciplinary

Hea ringOffic er, F CIAllenwood; LIEUTENA

NT SHEPARD, L ieutenant, F CIAllenwood; MS. L EVI , former

Unit 4 Manag er, F CIAllenwood; L T. FELTMAN, SI S Officer, F CIAllenwood; WARD ENTRO Y WILLIAM SON , f or me r Wa rde n, F CI Allenwood; all other unna med FCI Allenwood c or re c tio nal pers onne l, cur

rently unkn own to Plaintiff, who either pa

rticipated in the 6/10/05 attack on Plaintiff, and/or who pa rtic ipate d a ft e r in re taliator y me a sure s ag a ins t Plaintiff to punish, di ssuade, or sabotag e him; all in their individual capac ities

____________________________________ 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 . C i vi l A ct i on N o. 06- C V - 00049) D istric t Ju d g e : H o n o ra b le W ill iam W . C a ld w e ll

____________________________________ Subm i tt ed Pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

February27, 2009 B efor e: M cK E E , H A R D I M A N and R O T H , C i r cui tJ udgesW e have j ur i s di ct i on pur s uantt o 28 U . S. C . § 1291. W e mayaff i r m on any 1 g rou n d s su p p o rt ed b ythe re co rd. S ee H u g h es v . L o n g , 2 4 2 F . 3 d 1 2 1 , 1 2 2 n . 1 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 1 ). W h en rev iew ing a d istri ct co u rt ’s gra n t of su m m aryjud g m en t, w e e x erc ise p lena ry r evi ew , vi ew i ng t he fa ct s i n t he l i ghtm os tfavor abl e t o t he non- m ovi ng par t y . D ee v. B or ough of D unm or e, 549 F. 3d 225, 229 ( 3d C i r . 2008) . W e appl ythe s ame st andar d t hat g o v ern s in d istri ct co u rtp roc ee d ing s, u n d er w h ich a p artyis en ti tl ed to su m m ary j udgm ent“i f the pl eadi ngs , t he di s coveryand di s cl os ur e mat er i al s on fi l e, and any aff i davi t s s how t hatt her e i s no genui ne i s s ue as t o anym at er i al fac tand thatthe movi ng p artyis en ti tl ed to jud g m en t as a m att er o f law . ” F ed . R . C iv. P. 56 (c). 2 ( O pi ni on fi l ed : M ay8, 2009)

___________ OP I NI ON

___________ P E R C UR I AM Pr o s e appe l l antD avi d Sol an, curr ent l yan i nm at e atFC C - Pet er s bur g, Pet er s bur g, V i r gi ni a, fi l ed a c i vi l r i ght s act i on forvar i ous event s occurr i ng w hi l e he w as an i nm at e at FC I - A l l enw ood, W hi t e D eer , Penns y l vani a. H e appe al s the dec i s i ons of the D i s t r i ct Co u r tg r a n t i n g s u mma r yj u d g me n ti n f a v o ro f th e De f e n d a n t - Ap p e l l e e s a s t o a l l c l a i ms a n d d e n y in g h im b o th in ju n c tiv e re lief

a n d p e rm iss io n to a m e n d h is c o m p lain t. 1 I Sol an al l eges t hati n J une 2005, w hi l e he w as an i nm at e atFC I - A l l enw ood, the pr i s on w as pl ace d on l ockdow n fol l ow i ng a r i ot . T w o day s aft erthe r i ot , the pr i s on r es t or ed l i m i t ed ac ces s t o s how er s and pr i s oner s w er e gi ven betw een f ourand fi ve mi n u t e s e a c h t o u s e t h e s h o we r s . S o l a n c l a i ms th a ta l t h o u g h h e c o mp l i e d wi t h th e t i me3

l i m i t at i ons pl ace d on t he s how er s , he w as for ci bl yr emoved fr om a s how ers t al l and, w h il e sti ll n u d e, dra g g ed to h is cell in f ron t of n u m ero u s g u ard s, sev era l of w h o m w ere femal e, and atl eas t100 ot herpr i s oner s . H e does notal l ege thathe s uffe r ed phy s i cal i njur i es. A ppel l ees m ai nt ai n t hatSol an di d notcompl yw i t h t he r es t r i ct ed s how erpol i cyand w as w al ked bac k t o hi s cel l as a r es ul t . T heyconce de thathi s bodym ayhave be en expos ed w hen he w as r etur ned t o t he ce l l , butcl ai m thathe w as perm i t t ed t o have a to w e l, w h ic h h e w a s s im p ly u n a b le to k e e p a ro u n d h is w a is t w ith h is h a n d s c u f f e d . Soon aft ert he s how eri nci dent , Sol an i ni t i at ed ( and s ubs equent l yexhaus t ed) admi ni s t r at i ve r emedypr ocedur es . A few day s l at er , he l earned thata r eques tt o t r ans fer h im to U S P -C a n a a n , a n e w f e d e ra l p riso n , h a d b e e n a p p ro v e d . S o lan a lleg e s th a t th is t r ans ferw as m ade i n r et al i at i on forfi l i ng a compl ai nt . A l t hough the r ecor d demonstr at es th a t h e w a s in iti a llyre c o m m e n d e d f o r tra n sf e r six m o n th s p rio r to th e sh o w e r in c id e n t, Sol an al l eges t hatt he fi r s tt r ans ferr ecomm endat i on had bee n abandone d and thatthe new r ecomm endat i on w as r et al i at or y . A ppel l ees cont end thathe had be en s el ect ed fortr ans fer to th e n e w p riso n b e c a u se th a t in stitu tio n n e e d e d a lar g e r p o p u latio n a n d S o lan is reg ard ed as a n o n -vio lent p ri so n er. O n Ju ly3 , 2 0 0 5 , S o lan b ro k e h is le f t ar m w h ile p layi n g h a n d b a ll. H e w a s ta k e n to t he hos pi t al t hatday , i nform ed thathe w oul d have a fol l ow - up appoi nt m enton J ul y7, and re tu rn e d to th e p riso n . R a th e r th a n re tu rn in g h im to h is c e ll, B O P o f f icia ls p lac e d h im in4

t he Secur e H ous i ng U ni t( SH U ) . Sol an al l eges thatthe pr i s on has a gene r al pol i cyof r etur ni ng i nm at es w ho l eave t he pr i s on forbr i ef medi cal vi s i t s back t o t hei ras s i gned cel l s , and thathi s pl ace m enti n SH U w as done i n r et al i at i on forcompl ai ni ng aboutthe s how eri nci dent . A ppel l ees cont end thatpl ace m enti n SH U w as appr opr i at e bec aus e he knew of hi s upcomi ng appoi nt m entdat e and thatthi s know l edge pos ed a s ecur i t yr i s k. O n J ul y7, 2005, Sol an underw ents ur geryon hi s arm . Pr i ort o hi s departur e, he al l eges t hathi s uni tm anage rpr om i s ed t o r es erve hi s cel l as s i gnm ent , w hi ch i ncl uded a bot t om bunk i n a tw o- m an ce l l . U pon hi s r eturn t o t he pr i s on, how ever , he w as r eas s i gned t o a di r t yt op bunk i n a s i x- per s on cel l . Sol an r efus ed the bed a s s i gnm entand w as pl ace d i n SH U . Fol l ow i ng hi s s t ayi n SH U , Sol an w as gi ven a bott om bunk i n a s i xm an ce l l . Sol an al l eges t hatt he pr i s on has a pol i cyof r es ervi ng bunk as s i gnm ent s for i nm at es w ho t empora r i l yl eave t he pr i s on and thathi s new bed as s i gnm entand s ubs equentSH U confi nementar e furt herexampl es of r et al i at i on. A ppel l ees ar gue that p ri so n o ff

ici als tri ed to rea ssign S o lan h is origina l bed , b u t th at an inf lux o f p ri so n ers fr om SH U ( i . e. , pr i s oner s w ho had bee n confi ned s i nce the J une r i ot s ) r es ul t ed i n t hatbed bei ng occupi ed. Sol an’ s s ubs equentpl ace m enti n SH U s i m pl yr es ul t ed fr om hi s r efus al t o a c c e p tt h e b e d o f

f e r e d t o h i m. II In g ran ti n g the A p p ell ee s’ m o ti o n fo r sum m aryjud g m en t, the D istri ct C o u rt c o n c lu d e d th a t th e f

a c ts o f th e sh o w e r in c id e n t, as a lleg e d b yS o lan , es tab lish e d a n E ig h thB ec au se S o lan d id n o t i n clud e a n ap p en d ix w ith h is brief, refe ren ce s to D istri ct C o u rt 2 do cum ents are i den t i fi ed b yD i stri ctC ou rtdo cket entrynu m bers. W e not e thatt he U ni t ed St at es Supr eme C ourt ’ s r ece ntdeci s i on i n Pear s on v. 3 C al l ahan , 55 5 U . S . __ _ (200 9), w hich r e-exam i nes t he tw o-prong qu al i fi ed im m un i t yt est ar t i cul at ed i n Sauci erv. K at z, 533 U . S. 194 ( 2001) , does notaff ectouranal y s i s i n t he i ns t antcas e. 5 A m endmentvi ol at i on. D oc. N o. 154, 19. H ow ever , the courtdet erm i ned thatthe 2 D e f e n d a n ts a re e n tit led to q u a lifie d im m u n ityb e c a u se th e rig h t re c o g n ize d b yth e c o u rt is not“cl ear l yes t abl i s hed. ” See i d. at23- 25. A defe ndanti s ent i t l ed t o qual i fi ed i m m uni t y“i ns ofaras [hi s ] conductdoes not vi ol at e cl ear l yes t abl i s hed s t atut or yorcons t i tut i onal r i ght s of w hi ch a r eas onabl e per s on w oul d have know n. ” M i l l erv. C l i nt on C ount y , 544 F. 3d 542, 547 ( 3d C i r . 2008) ( quot i ng H ar l ow v. Fi t zger al d, 457 U . S. 800, 818 ( 1982) ) . W her e ther e i s no bi ndi ng cas e l aw r ecogni zi ng a cons t i tut i onal r i ghtw i t hi n a fe der al ci r cui t , and the ext entorexi s t ence of s uch a r i ghti s debat ed among ot herfede r al ci r cui t s , the r i ghti s not“cl ear l yes t abl i s hed. ” S e e W ilso n v . L a yn e , 5 2 6 U .S . 6 0 3 , 6 1 8 (1 9 9 9 ); M u rp h yv . D o w d , 9 7 5 F .2 d 4 3 5 , 4 3 7 (8 th C ir . 1 9 9 2 ). 3 W e nee d notaddr es s att hi s t i m e w hetherSol an demonstr at ed a c ons t i tut i onal v io latio n b e c a u se , as su m in g a rg u e n d o th a t h e d id , w e a g re e th a t th e rig h t is n o t cle a rly es t abl i s hed. A s t he D i s t r i ctC our tnot ed, w e have notcons i der ed w hethera cl ai m al l egi ng m er e ps y chol ogi cal harm r es ul t i ng fr om for ced obs ervat i on of one’ s nude bodyi m pl i cat es the E igh th A m en d m en t. M o reo v er, th o se c o u rt s w h ich h av e d o n o t agre e. C o m p are6

C a lh o u n v . D e T e lla, 3 1 9 F .3 d 9 3 6 , 9 3 9 (7 th C ir. 2 0 0 3 ) (s trip se a rc h o f m a le in m a te in fr ontof fe m al e guar ds w oul d vi ol at e C ons t i tut i on i f conduc t ed t o i nfl i ctps y chol ogi cal pai n) , w i t h Som er s v. T hur m an, 109 F. 3d 614, 622- 23 ( 9th C i r . 1997) ( ps y chol ogi cal h a rm in c u rr e d f

ro m c ro s s -g e n d e r s e a rc h e s d o e s n o t im p lic a te E ig h th A m e n d m e n t) . A ccor di ngl y , s um m aryj udgm entas t o t he cl ai m agai ns tR anck, B i t t enbende r , and C l arks on w as appr opr i at e. III Sol an al l eges t hatM s . L evi , a form eruni tm anage r , and TroyW i l l i amson, the form erw ar den atFC I - A l l enw ood, vi ol at ed hi s Fi r s tA m endmentr i ght s t o t he ext entt hat t heyauthor i zed hi s t r ans fert o U SP-Canaan, a move he cl ai m s w as done i n r et al i at i on for hi s fi l i ng a gr i evanc e aboutt he s how eri nci dent . “A defe ndanti n a ci vi l r i ght s act i on m us thave pe r s onal i nvol vementi n t he al l eged w r ongs ; l i abi l i t ycannotbe pr edi cat ed s ol el yon t he oper at i on of r es pondeats uper i or . ” R ode v. D el l ar ci pr et e, 845 F. 2d 1195, 1207 ( 3d C i r . 1988) . “Per s onal i nvol vementcan be s how n t hr ough al l egat i ons of p erso n al direc ti o n o r of ac tual k n o w ledg e a n d ac q u iesce n ce . ” Id . T h e D istri ct C o u rt gr ant ed s um m aryj udgm entas t o bot h D efe ndant s , r eas oni ng thatSol an fa i l ed t o al l ege e ith e r o f f ic ia l’ s p e rs o n a l in v o lv e m e n t in h is tr a n s f e r. S e e D o c . N o . 7 6 , 1 4 -1 6 . W e agr ee w i t h t he D i s t r i ctC our tthatSol an fa i l ed t o al l ege M s . L evi ’ s per s onal i nvol vementi n hi s t r ans fer . H i s bar e al l egat i on thatL evi “pr obabl y ” had s om ethi ng t o do w i t h hi s t r ans ferbas ed on herpos i t i on of author i t yfai l s t o s etfor t h fac t s i ndi cat i ng that7

L e v i p e rs o n a lly d ir e c te d o r k n e w o f a n d a c q u ie s c e d in h is tr a n s f e r f o r r e ta lia to ry re a s o n s . S ee E v an ch o v . F ishe r, 4 2 3 F . 3 d 3 4 7 , 3 5 3 -54 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 5 ). H ow ever , w e di s agr ee w i t h the D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s r eas oni ng as t o W ar den W i l l i amson. I n or dert o s at i s fyt he “pe r s onal i nvol vement ” r equi r ement , a § 1983 compl ai ntneed onl yal l ege the conduc t , t i m e, pl ace , and per s on r es pons i bl e. See i d. at 353 ( ci t i ng B oyki ns v. A m br i dge A r ea Sch. D i s t . , 621 F. 2d 75, 80 ( 3d C i r . 1980) ) . H er e, Sol an ar gued thatW ar den W i l l i amson, pos s es s ed of the know l edge of Sol an’ s compl ai nt r egar di ng t he s how eri nci dent , appr oved of the tr ans feri n r et al i at i on forSol an’ s pr ot ect ed conduct . See A ppel l ant ’ s B r . at13- 17, 24. “Fr om the fa ct s al l eged w e ca n w ei gh the s ubs t ant i al i t yof the cl ai m . N o m or e i s r equi r ed. ” B oyki ns , 621 F. 2d at80. N e v e rt h e le s s , s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t in f a v o r o f W a rd e n W illia m s o n w a s a p p ro p ri a te . I n or dert o es t abl i s h a r et al i at i on cl ai m , a pr i s onerm us ts how thathe enga ged i n a cons t i tut i onal l ypr ot ect ed ac t i vi t y , t hathe s uffe r ed an a dver s e ac t i on atthe hands of pr i s on offi ci al s , and thatt her e w as a ca us al l i nk betw een the tw o. See R aus erv. H orn, 241 F. 3d 330, 333 ( 3d C i r . 2001) . H er e, Sol an has nots how n a “c aus al l i nk betw een the e x e rc is e o f

h is c o n s titu tio n a l r ig h ts a n d th e a d v e rs e a c tio n ta k e n a g a in s t h im .” Id . A l t hough Sol an al l eges t hatW ar den W i l l i amson knew of the s how eri nci dentand r el at ed compl ai ntatt he t i m e of the tr ans fer , the r ecor d s how s thatSol an’ s B P- 9 admi ni s t r at i ve r emedyr eques tw as r ece i ved on J une 28, 2005, s ee Exs. 2 and 3 t o D oc. N o. 1, w her eas S o lan ’s tra n sf

e r w a s a p p ro v e d o n Ju n e 2 4 , 2 0 0 5 . S e e L a v e lla D e c l., ¶ ¶ 9 -1 2 (E x . 1 8 to8

D oc. N o. 117) . Sol an does notpr es entanyot herevi dence thatthe w ar den knew of the in c id e n t an d /o r a n ysta f f m e m b e r’s a lleg e d re talia to rym o tiv e f o r th e tra n sf

e r p rio r to obt ai ni ng Sol an’ s B P- 9 r eques t . A s s uch, s um m aryj udgm entas t o W ar den W i l l i amson w as appr opr i at e. T o th e e x ten t th a t S o lan ’s r e talia to rytra n sf e r im p lica tes o th e r B O P p e rso n n e l, s um m aryj udgm entw as appr opr i at e fortw o r eas ons . Fi r s t , Sol an has notexpl ai ned how o f f ice rs B itt e n b e n d e r, R a n c k , C lar k so n , F e ltm a n , o r S h e p a rd w e re p e rso n a llyin v o lv e d in re ta lia to ry c o n d u c t. S e e R o d e v . D e lla rc ip re te , 8 4 5 F .2 d 1 1 9 5 , 1 2 0 7 (3 d C ir . 1 9 8 8 ). S e c o n d , the A p p e llee s h a v e d e m o n stra ted a leg iti m a te p e n o lo g ica l re a so n f o r th e tra n sf

e r: th e n e e d to b u ild th e p ri s o n p o p u la tio n a t U S P -C a n a a n . S e e R a u s e r, 2 4 1 F .3 2 a t 3 3 3 . IV Sol an cl ai m s t hatfol l ow i ng hi s r eturn fr om arm s ur gery , B O P offi ci al s as s i gned hi m t o an i m pr operbunk i n a s i x- per s on cel l , even though he had be en pr om i s ed thathe c o u ld re tu rn to th e tw o -m a n c e ll h e o c c u p ied b e f o re th e su rg e ry , an d th a t h is re f u sa l to acc eptt he r eas s i gnm entr es ul t ed i n SH U pl ace m ent . Sol an al l eges thatthi s r eas s i gnm ent w a s m a d e in re talia tio n f o r h is g rie v a n c e s. A p p e llee s a rg u e th a t alth o u g h p riso n o f f icia ls t r yt o r eas s i gn i nm at es w ho r etur n fr om m edi cal vi s i t s t o t hei ror i gi nal cel l s , s uch r e a s s i g n m e n ti s n o tg u a r a n t e e d a n d i n m a t e s a r e a s s i g n e d w h e r e v e rs p a c e i s a v a i l a b l e . We agr ee thatt he ca us at i on pr ong of R aus eri s nots at i s fi ed her e, as the evi dence – u n c o n tes ted b yS o lan – d e m o n stra tes th a t B O P o f f icia ls a c tu a llytried to re a ss ig n S o lan to9

h i s o r i g i n a l b e d , b u tt h a ti tw a s u n a v a i l a b l e . S e e E x . 1 6 t o D o c . N o . 1 1 7 . A c c o r d i n g l y, s um m aryj udgm entas t o t he r et al i at orycel l r eas s i gnm entcl ai m w as appr opr i at e. V W e have r evi ew ed Sol an’ s r emai ni ng ar gum ent s on appea l and conc l ude thatt hey ar e mer i t l es s and w arr antno fur t herdi s cus s i on. A ccor di ngl y , and forthe for egoi ng r eas ons , w e w i l l aff

i r m t he j udgm entof the D i s t r i ctC our t . I n l i ghtof thi s di s pos i t i on, Sol an’ s “M ot i on t o C om pel M edi cal C ar e and/ oran Ext ens i on of Ti m e” i s deni ed.