FIL ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTHCI RCUI T J ULY 11, 2011 J OHN L EY CL ERK [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE U

NITED STATE S COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ No. 1 0- 14 29 7 Non -Arg um en t Ca le nd ar

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ D.C. Dock etNo. 1 :1 0- cv -0 24 46 -WSD SONYA BRAXTON, ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll Pl ai nt iff -Ap pe ll an t, ve rs us GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS , LARUTH HOL LOWAY, In di vi du al ly andinhe r Offi ci al App oi nt m en t o f Reg io na l Hou si ng Adm in is tra to r, Geo rg iaDepa rtment o f Co m m un ity Affai rs , KAREN LOVE LESS, In di vi du al ly andinhe r Offi ci al App oi nt m en t o f Ass is tant Reg io na l Ho us in g Ad m in is tra to r, Geo rg iaDepa rtment of Co m m un ity Affai rs , JEFF ERY ABNEY, In di vi du al ly andinhi s Off ic ia l Ap po in tm en t o f Fam il y Hou si ng Co un se lo r, Geo rg iaDepa rtment o f Co m m un ity Affai rs , GEOFFREY PARKER, In di vi du al ly andinhi s Off ic ia l Ap po in tm en t o f Co m pl ianc e Offi cer, Geo rg iaDepa rtment o f Co m m un ity Affai rs , et al ., ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll Defen da nt s- App el le es .__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co urt forth e North ernDis tri ctof Ge or gi a

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (Jul y 11 , 20 11 ) Befo re WILSON, PRYOR an d B LACK, Circ ui t J ud ge s. PER CURI AM: So nya Brax to n app eal s p ro se the di sm is sa l of he r co m pl ai ntas f riv ol ou s. 28 U.S.C. § 1 91 5( e)(2 )(B) (i) . Brax to n c om pl ai ne d tha t the Geor gi a Dep art m en t o f Co m m un ity Affai rs an d i ts em

pl oyees, LaR

ut h Ho ll owa y , KarenLov el es s, J effr ey Abn ey , andGeof

frey Parke r, vi ol at edth e Fai r Hou si ng Act, 4 2 U.S.C. § 36 04 (d ), th e Geo rg iaFai r Hou si ng Act, Ga. Co de Ann . § 8 -3 -2 02 (a), an d B rax to n’s ri gh ts to du e p ro ces s an d e qu al pro te ct io n b y di sc riminat in g a ga in sthe r ba se d o n h er race . W e aff

irm. W e rev ie w th e d is m is sa l o f a co m pl ai ntas f riv ol ou s fo r ab us e o f di sc ret io n. Mi ll er v . Don al d, 5 41 F.3d10 91 , 11 00 (11 th Cir . 20 08 ). W e co ns tru e p ro se pl ead in gs li be ral ly, bu t we wi ll affi rm th e d is m is sa l o f a co m

pl ai ntas f riv ol ou s i f it“ ‘lack s anarg uabl e b as is eithe r in law o r in fact .’ ” Id . (qu ot in g Nei tz ke v. W il li am s, 4 90 U.S. 31 9, 3 27 , 10 9 S . Ct. 1 82 7, 1 83 1– 32 (19 89 )). The di stric t co urt d idno t ab us e it s d is cret io n wh enitdi sm is se d B rax to n’s 2fri vo lo us an d i nt ern al ly inc on si st en t co m pl ai nt . Brax to n fa il edto “ st at e a cl ai m to rel ie f th atis pl au si bl e o n i ts face ,” th atis , fro m whi chth e d is tri ctco urt co ul d

“ dr aw th e rea so nabl e in fere nc e th atth e d efen da nt [s ] [were ] li ab le ” fo r vi ol at in g Brax to n’s ci vi l ri gh ts . Ash cro ft v . Iqb al , 12 9 S . Ct. 1 93 7, 1 94 9 (2 00 9) (in te rn al qu ot at io n m ark s o m it te d) . Brax to n c om pl ai ne d tha t s he was d en ie d due pro ces s b y Hol lo way , Lov el es s, an d P ark er wh enth ey “ strip pe d away ” h er h ou si ng vo uc he r an d l at er d en ie d h er an “ in fo rm al he ari ng ” to rei ns ta te he r vo uc he r, bu t Br ax to n adm it te d tha t Ho ll owa y

lat er re in st at edth e v ou ch er. Bra xt on als o c om pl ai ne d tha t sh e was di sc riminat edag ai ns t i n v io la ti on of t he Geor gi a Fai r Hou si ng Act wh en Hol lo way fai le d t o i ns pe ctad equa te ly som e ren ta l p ro pe rty, butBrax to n a dm it te d th at“ al l i te m [s ] were fi xe d.” Brax to n a ccu se d ano th er em pl oyee of th e Dep artm en t, J acque li ne Nun is , of ra ci al st eeri ng by “warn [in g] [Brax to n] no t t o”
m ov e in to si x c ou nt ie s i ns pe ct edby Abn ey th atwere p red om in an tl y whi te co un ti es an d e nc ou rag in g B rax to n t o m ov e to Ro m e, Geo rg ia , wher e m or e m in or it ie s re si de d, b utBrax to n a dm it te d tha t Nu ni s s ai d tha t h ou si ng was av ai labl e inth e si x c ou nt ie s an d tha t “ Je ff Ab ne y [wou ld ] ta ke [Bra xt on ’s]
vo uc he r if

[sh e] m ov e[d ] th ere.” Brax to n a ls o a ccu se d Ab ne y of r aci al st eeri ng by

“pr ob ab ly ass um [in g]” th atBrax to n “ was a bl ackpe rs on ” b as edon he r vo ic e m es sa ge an d t el li ng Brax to n s he wou ldhave a “ ha rdti m e fi nd in g aren ta l” intwo 3pa rti cu lar co un ti es , bu t Br ax to n fa il edto all eg e th atAbn ey ha d m ad e a d iff

eren t rep res en ta ti on to or m ad e h ou si ng av ai labl e to a si m il arl y -s itua te d wh it e v ou ch er ho ld er. Altho ug h B rax to n a ll eg edth atren ta l p ro pe rti es were av ai labl e “ withi n [h er] sect io n 8 vo uc he r ran ge ” an d “ ho m e o wne rs an d apt . m an ag ers inth atarea. . . acce ptSect io n 8 ,” Brax to n fa il edto all eg e th atan y of t he pro pe rti es av ai labl e pa rti ci pa te d i n the sec ti on 8 v ou ch er p ro gr am . Brax to n e xp res se d i nd ig na ti on th at

“ [s ]ecti on 8 [wo ul d] un lawfu ll y tam pe r[] with go ve rn m en t re co rd s” an d i de nt ify he r an d h er ch il dr enas b la ckin st eadof a s Am eri canInd ians , bu t Br ax to n fa il edto st at e h ow the all eg edtam pe rin g v io la te d h er ci vi l ri gh ts . Brax to n a ls o arg ue s tha t s he is en ti tl edto rel ie f fo r cl ai m s i nv ol vi ng ret al ia ti on , di sabi li ty dis cri m in at io n, an d “ st at e cre at eddang er,” b utsh e d idno t pr es en t tho se cla im s t o the di st ric t co urt. We will no t co ns id er Br ax to n’s cl ai m s fo r th e fi rs t t im e o n app eal . See Bl ue Cro ss an d B lu e Sh ie ldof Al a. v. Weit z, 91 3 F.2 d 1 54 4, 1 54 9– 51 (11 th Cir . 19 90 ). W e AFFIRMth e d is m is sa l o f Bra xt on ’s com pl ai nt .

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