Opinion ID: 161569
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Tribal defendants

Text: 17 Plaintiffs asserted claims under 42 U.S.C. 1983 for compensatory and punitive damages against Mssrs. Kennah and Lone Bear individually, alleging that these defendants violated their rights to liberty and due process. The district court dismissed these claims upon concluding that the complaint failed to adequately allege action under color of state law. In reviewing the grant of a motion to dismiss under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, we apply the same standard used by the district court. See David v. City & County of Denver, 101 F.3d 1344, 1352 (10th Cir. 1997). We must accept the well-pleaded allegations in the complaint as true, construe them most favorably to the plaintiffs, and determine whether plaintiffs can prove any set of facts establishing that these defendants acted under color of state law. See id. 18 Section 1983 created a federal cause of action for damages to vindicate alleged violations of federal law committed by individuals acting under color of state law. . . . Therefore, the only proper defendants in a Section 1983 claim are those who represent [the state] in some capacity, whether they act in accordance with their authority or misuse it. 19 Jojola v. Chavez, 55 F.3d 488, 492 (10th Cir. 1995). The traditional definition of acting under color of state law requires that the defendant in a 1983 action have exercised power possessed by virtue of state law and made possible only because the wrongdoer is clothed with the authority of state law. David, 101 F.3d at 1353 (internal quotations omitted). [I]t is the plaintiff's burden to plead, and ultimately establish, the existence of 'a real nexus' between the defendant's conduct and the defendant's 'badge' of state authority in order to demonstrate action was taken 'under color of state law.' Jojola, 55 F.3d at 494. 20 As the district court recognized, plaintiffs' complaint contains no factual allegations in support of the bare conclusory assertions of action under color of state law. 21 All of plaintiffs' nonconclusory factual allegations regarding these defendants reveal that they are alleged to have acted under authority of Tribal law. There is a complete lack of allegations of involvement of State of Wyoming Agencies or State of Wyoming officials or employees. Plaintiffs allege A.T.B. was identified as a suicide risk and possible victim of abuse or neglect by a counselor at a Bureau of Indian Affairs school at Wind River Reservation. The Complaint alleges that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is a federal agency. The Complaint alleges A.T.B. was transported to the hospital by a BIA officer, as the direction of a BIA officer and that the transporting BIA officer was not qualified. The Complaint alleges that the BIA school counselor and principal acted improperly and refused E.F.W. information about her daughter. All of the officials that plaintiff E.F.W. allegedly contacted or who allegedly contacted her regarding her daughter's removal from school and hospitalization and the events relating to the abuse/neglect proceedings are Tribal officials and employees or are federal officials or employees or federal agencies, with two exceptions: One, defendant Cook-Gambler, who is not alleged to be an employee or official of the State of Wyoming or any State agencies. And, two the unnamed non-parties who are alleged to have answered the phone at the Lander Valley hospital. 22 The pleadings of the neglect/abuse proceedings show the proceedings were conducted by SATSS and/or the Tribal Children's Court. 23 E.F.W., 51 F. Supp. 2d at 1229 (citation and footnote omitted). 24 We agree with the district court's assessment of the record and its conclusion that plaintiffs failed to adequately allege state action by defendants Kennah and Lone Bear. We decline plaintiffs' request on appeal to place significance on bare conclusory allegations of state action when, as here, they are not only unsupported by any factual allegations but are in fact contradicted by the factual allegations plaintiffs do make. See Southern Disposal, Inc. v. Texas Waste Mgmt., 161 F.3d 1259, 1262 (1998) (we need not accept Appellant's conclusory allegations as true in reviewing the grant of a motion under Rule 12(b)(6)). 25 Plaintiffs also appear to argue on appeal that defendants Kennah and Lone Bear acted under color of state law because the Agreement required SATSS to comply with state rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to state law. Plaintiffs contend that as a result of this provision SATSS, and its employees Mssrs. Kennah and Lone Bear, derived their authority from state law and used state law to seize A.T.B. As we have stated above, the fact that the Tribes agreed to use state law as their own does not establish that the Tribes therefore derived their authority to act from state law. The Tribes merely exercised their sovereignty in deciding what law would govern their actions. Moreover, the Agreement specifically provides that SATSS and its employees are not to be considered agents of the state, and that a child may only be removed from her home or maintained in a place other than her home pursuant to tribal law. Plaintiffs have failed to allege facts demonstrating that the actions of defendants Kennah and Lone Bear were an exercise of power possessed by virtue of the state and possible only because they were clothed with the authority of state law. We therefore affirm the dismissal of the claims against these defendants individually. 26