Case Name: Michael HOLLAND, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES; et al., Defendants-Appellees
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2018-02-15
Citations: 711 F. App'x 439
Docket Number: No. 16-56428
Parties: Michael HOLLAND, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES; et al., Defendants-Appellees.
Judges: Before: McKEOWN and WARDLAW, Circuit Judges, and QUIST, District Judge.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 711
Pages: 439–440

Head Matter:
Michael HOLLAND, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES; et al., Defendants-Appellees.
No. 16-56428
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.
Submitted February 13, 2018 Pasadena, California
Filed February 15, 2018
Lauren Alane Dean, Esquire, Attorney, Magnánimo •& Dean, LLP, Sherman Oaks, CA, for Plaintiff-Appellant
Tomas A. Guterres, Esquire, Attorney, Christie Bodnar Swiss, Esquire, Attorney, Collins, Collins, Muir & Stewart, LLP, South Pasadena, CA, James Christopher Jardín, Esquire, Attorney, Collins Collins Muir & Stewart LLP, Orange, CA, for Defendants-Appellees County of Los An-geles
Tomas A. Guterres, Esquire, Attorney, Christie Bodnar Swiss, Esquire, Attorney, Collins, Collins, Muir & Stewart, LLP, South Pasadena, CA, for Defendants-Ap-pellees Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, Kathleen Brunson-Fluker, Vickie D. McCauley, Shiloh Davenport, Natalie Oster, Sue Pom-merville
Before: McKEOWN and WARDLAW, Circuit Judges, and QUIST, District Judge.
The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).
The Honorable Gordon J. Quist, United States District Judge for the Western District of Michigan, sitting by designation.

Opinion:
MEMORANDUM
Michael Holland appeals from the district judge's grant of summary judgment in favor of defendants in this 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, and we affirm.
1. The district court properly granted summary judgment in favor of the defendant, the County of Los Angeles (County), under Monell v. Department of Social Services, 436 U.S. 658, 98 S.Ct. 2018, 56 L.Ed.2d 611 (1978). Holland failed to raise a genuine dispute of material fact as to whether the County had a policy or custom of routinely delaying grievance hearings, refusing to conduct internal reviews, or requiring communication by telephone only. The County's written policy allowed internal reviews and written communications, and required compliance with statutory deadlines. Although Holland presented evidence that suggested that, due to understaffing, the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) routinely missed statutory deadlines, the undisputed evidence showed that DCFS's customary delay, if any, was not the "moving force behind the [alleged] constitutional violation." See Oviatt v. Pearce, 954 F.2d 1470, 1474 (9th Cir. 1992). DCFS's chief grievance review officer called Holland multiple times, and sent emails and letters for several months. The district court did not err in concluding that on this record no reasonable juror could conclude that Holland did not have an opportunity to schedule a grievance hearing, or that DCFS policy caused the delay.
2. The district court correctly concluded that the DCFS social worker defendants, Kathleen Brunson-Fluker, Vickie McCau-ley, Shiloh Davenport, Natalie Oster, and Sue Pomerville, are entitled to qualified immunity. Holland failed to adduce any evidence that the social workers lied, fabricated, or suppressed evidence in their investigation or in court documents. Nor was there any evidence at summary judgment that the social workers started their investigation or reported Holland to the California Child Abuse Central Index in retaliation for Holland's 2007 book. Thus Holland has failed to demonstrate a genuine dispute of material fact as to whether the social workers fabricated evidence. Cf. Costanich v. Dep't of Social Servs., 627 F.3d 1101, 1111 (9th Cir. 2010) (citing Devereaux v. Abbey, 263 F.3d 1070, 1076 (9th Cir. 2001) (en banc) (describing the standard for a deliberate fabrication of evidence claim in the context of a juvenile dependency proceeding)). The district court properly concluded that the social workers were entitled to qualified immunity from suit under § 1983.
AFFIRMED.
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.