Opinion ID: 218644
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Phillis’s Claims Against Kimber and Bankus

Text: Phillis argues the District Court “could have and perhaps should have” substituted Kimber’s estate into the case sua sponte. This is inconsistent with the plain language of Fed. R. Civ. P. 25(a), which states that, absent a motion “made within 90 days after 4 She has now disavowed any equal protection claim based on age discrimination. 5 In Phillis’s opening brief, her counsel stated his belief that the “opinions of this [C]ourt . . . appear to give [district court opinions] some measure of deference.” Appellant Br. at 24-25. We assure Phillis and her counsel that this is not the case. 5 service of a statement noting the death, the action by or against the decedent must be dismissed.” (Emphasis added.) The mandatory language of this rule does not leave room for the District Court to save Phillis from her failure to file a motion for substitution. In any event, the Court correctly concluded that the settlement agreement between Phillis and the School District released any claims against Bankus, and that conclusion would apply equally to Kimber (and Kimber’s estate). “[T]he interpretation of a contract generally is a question of law” we review de novo. United States v. Hardwick, 544 F.3d 565, 570 (3d Cir. 2008). Paragraph Three of the settlement agreement specifies that Phillis “forever discharges District, and its board members, directors, officers, agents, employees and attorneys, and all other persons or entities who could be said to be jointly or severally liable with it,” except for “the pending actions against the District listed below . . . and any subsequent action in State or Federal Court arising therefrom . . . .” App. 612. Notably, the release covers a wide-ranging list of individuals, whereas the exception—found in the same paragraph—includes only the District. As the District Court held, the only reasonable interpretation of that language is that it releases Phillis’s claims against Bankus and Kimber, leaving only her claims against the School District.