Opinion ID: 1882060
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Claims Against the University Employees

Text: Initially, we address the question whether Matthews's claims against the university employees are asserted against them in their official capacities or in their individual capacities. The trial court determined that Matthews had sued the university employees in their official capacities, and, therefore, concluded that they were immune from suit, under § 14. Based on the allegations in his amended complaint, we disagree with the conclusion that Matthews sued the university employees in their official capacities. Yet, had Matthews sued the university employees in their official capacities and had sought to recover money damages, to that extent the trial court is correct that they would be entitled to absolute immunity under § 14. See DeStafney, 413 So.2d at 393 (`[W]hen the action is in essence one for the recovery of money from the state, the state is the real, substantial party in interest and is entitled to invoke its sovereign immunity from suit even though individual officials are nominal defendants.'); Phillips, 555 So.2d at 83 (State officers and employees, in their official capacities and individually,... are absolutely immune from suit when the action is, in effect, one against the State.). To the extent Matthews might have sued the university employees in their official capacities and sought injunctive or declaratory relief, however, the trial court erred in stating that they are entitled to absolute immunity under § 14. See Ex parte Alabama Dep't of Forensic Sciences, 709 So.2d 455, 457 (Ala.1997); Gill v. Sewell, 356 So.2d 1196, 1198 (Ala. 1978); Unzicker v. State, 346 So.2d 931 (Ala.1977) (declaratory-judgment action). We understand Matthews's amended complaint to assert claims against the university employees in their individual capacities. In his amended complaint, Matthews sued the university employees, alleging (1) false imprisonment; (2) malicious prosecution; (3) libel and slander; (4) negligence; (5 through 7) several state constitutional violations; and (8) the tort of outrage; and seeking, in counts 9 and 10, declaratory relief and injunctive relief, respectively. Matthews alleges that the university employees violated clearly established Constitutional and statutory rights, that they exceed[ed] the scope of their statutory and administrative authority, and that they acted willfully, fraudulently, outrageously, and maliciously. The university employees did not file an answer or any other pleading denying the allegations in Matthews's complaint, nor did they produce any admissible evidence in support of their motion for summary judgment. Thus, the university employees, in moving for a summary judgment based on the allegations in Matthews's complaint, did not make a prima facie showing and thereby shift the burden to Matthews to produce substantial evidence. See Underwood v. Allstate Ins. Co., 590 So.2d 258, 259 (Ala.1991); cf. Pack, 612 So.2d at 403. Because Matthews has alleged in his amended complaint that the university employees acted willfully, maliciously, fraudulently, and beyond their authority, and because the university employees presented no evidence indicating that they were exercising a discretionary function when Matthews was arrested for allegedly trespassing on the A & M campus, but instead relied solely on the pleadings, we cannot conclude that they are entitled either to sovereign immunity or to qualified/substantive/ discretionary-function immunity. See Ex parte Alabama Dep't of Forensic Sciences, 709 So.2d 455, 457 (Ala.1997); Wright v. Wynn, 682 So.2d 1, 2 (Ala.1996); Pack v. Blankenship, 612 So.2d 399, 403 (Ala.1992); Phillips, 555 So.2d at 86 (holding that to be entitled to qualified/substantive/discretionary-function immunity at the summary-judgment stage, the defendant must meet his burden of showing that the alleged tortious act or omission arose out of a discretionary function). Therefore, the trial court erred in entering a summary judgment in favor of the university employees on the false-imprisonment, malicious-prosecution, libel and slander, negligence, and outrage counts (counts 1 through 4 and count 8). The trial court also erred in entering a summary judgment in favor of the university employees on Matthews's claims for declaratory and injunctive relief in counts 9 and 10; such claims come within exceptions to the sovereign immunity provided by § 14. See Phillips, 555 So.2d at 83; Aland v. Graham, 287 Ala. 226, 250 So.2d 677 (1971). Matthews also alleges that the university employees violated certain rights he claims are guaranteed to him by the Constitution of Alabama of 1901. For these alleged violations, Matthews seeks both compensatory and punitive damages. However, Matthews presented no authority to the trial court, and he has presented no authority to this Court, that recognizes a private cause of action for monetary damages based on violations of the provisions of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, and we have found none. Accord Ross v. Alabama, 893 F.Supp. 1545, 1555 (M.D.Ala.1995) (finding no authority under Alabama law for bringing an action seeking monetary damages against a state employee for violations of state constitutional law). Therefore, the trial court properly entered the summary judgment in favor of the university employees on counts 5 (A and B) through 7. See Henderson v. Alabama A & M Univ., 483 So.2d 392 (Ala. 1986) (`Where an appellant fails to cite any authority, we may affirm, for it is neither our duty nor [our] function to perform all the legal research for an appellant.').