Opinion ID: 707278
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: jensen's claims against the county defendants

Text: 6 Jensen appeals the district court's dismissals of each of her causes of action and of every county defendant.
7 The district court dismissed with prejudice Jensen's claims of personal injury incurred in the scope of employment on the grounds that they were preempted by the California Workers' Compensation Act, Cal.Lab.Code Secs. 3200-6240. 8 We review dismissals for lack of subject matter jurisdiction de novo. Carpenter v. DOT, 13 F.3d 313, 314 (9th Cir.1994). The Workers' Compensation Act provides an exclusive remedy for an employee injured in the course of employment. Cal.Lab.Code Sec. 3600(a). The Act exempts cases where the employer fraudulently conceals the existence of both the injury and its cause. Id. Jensen has not alleged that the County fraudulently concealed the existence of the injury. Thus, the exception does not apply to her case, and the district court's ruling must stand.
9 The district court dismissed on immunity grounds Jensen's claims against the five named members of the Board of Supervisors, the eight named public employees, and the County's Workers' Compensation attorney, Finn. We review the district court's decision regarding immunity of the county defendants de novo. See Harrison v. Hickel, 6 F.3d 1347, 1352 (9th Cir.1993). 10 The five named members of the County Board of Supervisors are not vicariously liable for injuries caused by acts or omissions of the Board. Cal. Gov't Code Sec. 820.9. The eight named public employees are immune from liability for actions taken within the scope of their employment. Id. 4 The communications between Finn and Jensen related to the adjudication of her Workers' Compensation claims are privileged and immune from tort liability. Cal.Civ.Code Sec. 47(b); Rubin v. Green, 4 Cal.4th 1187, 1193-94 (1993). Therefore, Finn is also exempt from liability. We affirm the district court rulings with respect to the immunity of the government defendants.
11 The district court dismissed Jensen's claims against the county defendants pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983 for failure to state a claim. We review that dismissal de novo. Everest & Jennings v. American Motorists Ins. Co., 23 F.3d 226, 228 (9th Cir.1994). The district court correctly determined that Jensen has not cited to any constitutional or statutory provision which has been violated. Her claimed freedoms to eat, work, read, embrace one's children, and be free from puzzling illness, while desirable, are not protected by any federal statutory or constitutional provision.
12 The district court found that Jensen could not file a claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. Secs. 12101-12213, (ADA) because the ADA, which is not retroactive, took effect on July 26, 1992, and Jensen stopped work on July 1, 1992. We review the district court's application of the statutory provisions de novo. See Boone v. United States, 944 F.2d 1489, 1492 (9th Cir.1991). The ADA is not retroactive. Burfield v. Brown, Moore, Flint, Inc., 51 F.3d 583, 588 (5th Cir.1995); Raya v. Maryatt Industries, 829 F.2d 1169, 1174 (N.D.Cal.1993). Jensen stopped working prior to the ADA's effective date. Thus, we affirm the district court's finding.
13 The district court found that Jensen lacked standing to sue for misuse of authority on behalf of the neighborhood children, her grandson, three opossums and five neighborhood cats who died, allegedly due to rat poisoning placed by agents of the County. It also found she lacked standing to sue for the County's alleged breach of her union's collective bargaining agreement. We review those determinations de novo. Wedges/Ledges of California, Inc. v. City of Phoenix, 24 F.3d 56, 61 (9th Cir.1994). 14 The district court was correct that Jensen lacks standing to sue on behalf of neighborhood animals that are not her property. It was also correct that she lacked standing to sue for the neighborhood children or her grandson since she was not their guardian ad litem. The district court was also correct that Jensen does not have standing as a union member to sue the County for an alleged breach of a collective bargaining agreement. See Cal. Gov't Code Sec. 3503.