Opinion ID: 3015202
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: 161-62 (Dep. Shuman).

Text: Following this meeting, Gale instructed Shuman to sit in a small conference room across the hallway from Gale’s office. Shuman stayed in the conference room and did schoolwork for the next several hours. During that time, Gale claims that he re- 4 interviewed Becker, informing her that Shuman had denied her version of the events and characterized the incident between them as consensual. According to Gale, Becker adamantly denied that the incident was consensual and encouraged Gale to speak with three friends with whom she confided after the incident. Gale claims he interviewed these students after his second meeting with Becker. Shuman disputes that Gale spoke with Becker a second time or that he spoke to these additional witnesses at all.1 At approximately 11:30 a.m., Gale escorted Shuman to the cafeteria, where Shuman ate alone and apart from Gale and the other faculty members. After lunch, Gale escorted Shuman back to the conference room where Shuman stayed for the remainder of the day. Shuman left the room only one other time, before lunch, to get a drink of water. Gale later returned to the conference room with Assistant Principal Brian D. Baddick (“Baddick”). Together, Gale and Baddick questioned Shuman again about the incident with Becker. This meeting lasted about ten minutes. Gale returned to the conference room again around 1:15 p.m. and informed Shuman that he was going to be suspended as punishment for the “inappropriate conduct.” A. 177 (Dep. Shuman). Sometime after 1:00 p.m., Gale telephoned Shuman’s mother, Teresa Shertzer (“Shertzer”), and informed her of the incident involving Shuman and of the resulting four-day suspension. Gale 1 Because we do not find this dispute to be material for purposes of summary judgment, we accept Shuman’s account that Gale spoke to Becker only one time and did not interview her confidantes. 5 also requested that Shertzer pick Shuman up from school at that time. Shertzer arrived at the school around 2:00 p.m. On December 13th, Shertzer received a letter dated December 10, 2001, indicating that Shuman would be suspended from December 11, 2001 until December 14, 2001, for “Sexual harassment[.] More specifically: Inappropriate conduct.” A. 982. The letter also stated that Shuman and Shertzer were required to attend a reinstatement conference with Gale before Shuman could return to school. Shuman’s reinstatement conference was held on December 14, 2001, and was conducted by Janice M. Mindish (“Mindish”), the principal of the Penn Manor High School, and Gale. Shuman attended with his mother, his step-father, and his attorney. Shuman returned to school on December 17, 2001. On June 5, 2002, by and through his mother, Shuman filed a Complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, alleging a series of federal constitutional and state law claims.2 On August 27, 2002, the District Court granted in part 2 Shuman’s Complaint originally named the following defendants: Penn Manor School District, Penn Manor School Board, C. Willis Herr, Richard L. Frerichs, Jeffrey E. Lyon, Patrick T. Kline, Donald H. Anderson, H. Thomas Herr, Kelly K. Withum, Donna Wert, Jeffrey Kreider, Dolores Warfel, Steve Syrocki, each individually and as members of the Penn Manor School Board; Gary B. Campbell, individually and as Superintendent of the Penn Manor School District; Donald Stewart, individually and as Acting Superintendent of the Penn Manor School District; Mindish, individually and as Principal of Penn Manor High School; Baddick, individually and as Assistant Principal of the Penn Manor High School; Gale, individually and as Dean of Students of the Penn Manor High School; and Carole Fay, individually and as a Teacher 6 and denied in part the defendants’ motion to dismiss. The following claims in nine counts then remained: violation of procedural due process rights (in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments); violation of Fourth Amendment rights; violation of the right to equal protection of the law under the Fourteenth Amendment; violation of First Amendment rights; intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligence; and negligent infliction of emotional distress. On May 17, 2004, the District Court granted the Penn Manor Defendants’ motion for summary judgment on Shuman’s First, Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendment claims and dismissed his state law claims for lack of jurisdiction. On June 15, 2004, Shuman filed a timely notice of appeal. On appeal, Shuman contends that the District Court erred in its determination that the Penn Manor Defendants did not violate Shuman’s due process rights under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments and his right to equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment. Shuman additionally argues that should the Court reverse any part of the District Court’s decision, remanding the matter for trial, then his state law claims should be reinstated and heard by the District Court. and Agriculture Coordinator of the Penn Manor High School. By Orders dated June 24, 2003, October 1, 2003, and November 6, 2003, the District Court dismissed defendants Herr, Frerichs, Lyon, Kline, Anderson, Herr, Withum, Wert, Kreider, Warfel, and Syrocki from the action. On February 11, 2004, the court also dismissed Campbell from the action by stipulation of the parties. The remaining defendants in the action are the Penn Manor School District, Penn Manor School Board, Stewart, Mindish, Baddick, Gale, and Fay (collectively, “Penn Manor Defendants” or “the school”). On October 1, 2003, Counts I through VII were dismissed against Fay. 7