Opinion ID: 201670
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Dismissal of the Claims against Díaz, Santiago and Phillip

Text: 17 Unlike their co-defendants on the Appeals Committee, defendants Díaz, Santiago, and Phillip did not seek Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal of the claims against them. Nevertheless, the district court dismissed the claims against Díaz, Santiago, and Phillip sua sponte. We find that the court's sua sponte dismissal was in error, but that the error was harmless because the court should have granted defendants' motion for summary judgment. 18 Sua sponte dismissal is rarely appropriate, and should not have been entered under these circumstances. Sua sponte dismissals are strong medicine, and should be dispensed sparingly. Chute v. Walker, 281 F.3d 314, 319 (1st Cir.2002) (quoting González-González, 257 F.3d 31 at 33). The general rule is that `in limited circumstances, sua sponte dismissals of complaints under Rule 12(b)(6) . . . are appropriate,' but that `such dismissals are erroneous unless the parties have been afforded notice and an opportunity to amend the complaint or otherwise respond.' Id. (quoting Futura Dev. of P.R., Inc. v. Estado Libre Asociado de P.R., 144 F.3d 7, 13-14 (1st Cir.1998)). Because the plaintiffs in this case were not given notice or an opportunity to amend their complaint, sua sponte dismissal was in error. 19 Nevertheless, we find that the error is harmless because the district court should have granted Díaz's, Santiago's and Phillip's motion for summary judgment. In its decision, the district court dismissed the claims against Díaz, Santiago, and Phillip in the course of its analysis of Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment. Rivera, 301 F.Supp.2d at 110-11. The court found that Cepero-Rivera had failed to establish a prima facie case against Díaz, Santiago, and Phillip by failing to demonstrate that they were personally and directly involved in the alleged violation of his rights. Id. at 111. Having found that the appellants failed to meet this summary judgment threshold, the district court should have granted summary judgment in favor of these defendants. However, at this point, the court erroneously chose to grant sua sponte dismissal instead. Nevertheless, we find, for the same reasons alluded to by the district court, that appellants' failed to establish a prima facie case, and thus, summary judgment should have been granted. 20 With regard to defendants Díaz, Santiago, and Phillip, appellants alleged in their complaint that: 21 8. Co-defendant Santiago Cancel, [sic] planned along with co-defendant Howard Phillip Figueroa to provoke an incident with plaintiff, which took place as follows: Co-defendant Phillip Figueroa went to plaintiff's office to provoke him, informing the latter that he was coming to see him under the instructions of co-defendant Santiago Cancel. Co-defendant Phillip Figueroa asked plaintiff Why [sic] he did not resign and leave his position to a PDP attorney. 22 9. Co-defendant Harry Díaz Vega, Area Director for Human Resources of the PRHA, talked to plaintiff several times, criticizing him because plaintiff was protesting for the illegal action taken by co-defendant Fagundo in appointing some female personnel with a high salary and in violation of the merit system. Also, he told plaintiff the new administration's goals, which was [sic] to have employees in key positions, loyal to the PDP and pointed to plaintiff that he was from the NPP and that he should join the PDP. Plaintiff refused and replied I'd rather be dead. 23 Rivera, Amended Complaint, paras. 8-9. Nothing in appellants' Opposition to [Defendants'] Motion for Summary Judgment or in the record significantly adds to these allegations. The district court described these claims as a general and unsubstantiated `conspiracy theory,' and found that Cepero-Rivera had failed to show how these defendants played any role in the alleged violation of his rights. Rivera, 301 F.Supp.2d at 111. Cepero-Rivera claims that these defendants all conspired with Fagundo to provoke Cepero-Rivera into confrontations in order to justify his dismissal. Id. However, even assuming — as we must on summary judgment — that these confrontations occurred exactly as Cepero-Rivera recounts them, they played little if any role in creating the primary basis cited for Cepero-Rivera's dismissal: his alleged use of confidential documents. Furthermore, Cepero-Rivera makes no other claim as to how defendants Díaz, Santiago and Phillip played any role in the actual termination decision or process. 24 In order for appellants to succeed on their claim of political discrimination, they must demonstrate that the defendants were involved in the alleged deprivation of their rights — in this case, Cepero-Rivera's dismissal from the PRHA. Imposition of liability requires that the conduct complained of must have been causally connected to the deprivation. Gutiérrez-Rodríguez v. Cartagena, 882 F.2d 553, 559 (1st Cir.1989) (internal quotations omitted). In this case, the allegations against Díaz, Santiago, and Phillip could help build a prima facie case against Fagundo, who the record suggests was involved in the decision to terminate Cepero-Rivera's employment. However, since appellants have made no allegation, and we see no reason to infer, that defendants Díaz, Santiago and Phillip were involved in the decision to dismiss Cepero-Rivera, or that their alleged attempts to provoke Cepero-Rivera led to his discharge, summary judgment should have been granted in favor of these defendants. Furthermore, we note that these defendants would also be entitled to summary judgment for the same reasons we explain below with regard to defendant Fagundo. Therefore, the district court's sua sponte dismissal, though in error, did not prejudice the appellants, and we do not disturb the final disposition reached by the district court with regard to these defendants. 25