Opinion ID: 464614
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Expanding the Scope of the Trial

Text: 28 Appellants next claim the district court impermissibly manipulated the substantive grounds of the suit by injecting a new issue--the atmosphere of racial harassment--that had not specifically been alleged in the complaint. The County denies it ever consented either expressly or implicitly to this new cause of action, and hence did not receive its day in court. 29 We are, of course, mindful of the mandate of procedural due process, requiring adequate notice and an opportunity to be heard. Doubleday & Co., Inc. v. Curtis, 763 F.2d 495, 502-03 (2d Cir.1985). Nevertheless, we are compelled to reject appellants' arguments. Although a racially charged environment was not specifically alleged in the complaint, the record clearly supports appellees' contention that the County had ample notice and sufficient time within which to prepare its defense. Accordingly, appellants' characterization of the district court's action as an eleventh hour adoption of a legal theory is wholly unavailing. 30 During presentation of the plaintiffs' case, there were several explicit indications that an atmosphere of racial harassment was an independent cause of action being tried both to the jury pursuant to Sec. 1983, and to the court pursuant to Title VII. Midway through the plaintiffs' case, Chief Judge Weinstein dictated for the record the substance of a conference at which the parties agreed that racial harassment was an independent ground upon which relief was being sought. Shortly thereafter, in denying Suffolk County's motion to dismiss Officer Delgado's complaint, the district court ruled that a reasonable juror might find for Delgado based upon a racially discriminatory environment. 31 Moreover, both sides to the litigation requested differing jury instructions on the standard for finding employer liability by failing to correct a racially hostile atmosphere. At the charging conference, once the trial court had modified the charge with the approval of appellants, defense counsel did not raise an objection. Finally, the district court explicitly relied on an atmosphere of racial hostility to deny the County's motion to dismiss at the conclusion of plaintiffs' case. 32 Despite these repeated indications, counsel for the County never objected. Failure of defense counsel to do so further demonstrates the absence of surprise on the County's part. Moreover, appellants never asked for a continuance to prepare an adequate defense. Having actually litigated the issue of racial hostility, the County cannot belatedly claim to have been prejudiced. Accordingly, appellants impliedly consented to trial on this issue, within the meaning of Fed.R.Civ.P. 15(b). See, e.g., Grand Light & Supply Co., Inc. v. Honeywell, Inc., 771 F.2d 672, 680-81 (2d Cir.1985); Browning Debenture Holders' Committee v. DASA Corp., 560 F.2d 1078, 1086 (2d Cir.1977). 33