Opinion ID: 1010
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: West’s Deficient Complaint

Text: West argues that the District Court erred in finding that he failed to adequately allege in the amended complaint that he was discriminated against when the City did not promote him to supervising fire prevention specialist. Rule 8(a) articulates the requirements of a civil complaint: a short and plain statement that sets out the jurisdictional grounds, the claim or claims showing that the pleader is entitled to relief, and a demand for relief. Fed. R. Civ. P. 8. Although Rule 8(e) instructs that pleadings “must be construed so as to do justice,” the amended complaint here makes no mention at all of West’s pursuit of the supervising specialist post. Quite to the contrary, it specifically sets out (twice) that he and others “were denied the opportunity to be promoted to Captain due to their race.” (App. at 28, 33 (emphasis added).) Nonetheless, West argues that his failure to be promoted to the supervising specialist position was sufficiently pled in the amended complaint. We disagree. The amended complaint was filed in March 2003, which was before West learned in July of the same year that he would not be appointed to a supervising specialist position. He never sought leave to amend the complaint to include that particular failure to promote, with the result that, as to that claim, “the factual detail in [the] complaint is so -5- undeveloped that it does not provide . . . defendant[s] the type of notice of claim which is contemplated by Rule 8.” Phillips v. County of Allegheny, 515 F.3d 224, 232 (3d Cir. 2008). And, of course, the numerous unsubstantiated allegations of various forms of mistreatment sprinkled throughout the amended complaint and before us fare no better. Summary judgment was properly granted.