Opinion ID: 2785909
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: July 15, 2011 Incident

Text: After Mr. Goguen returned to SCJ, Mr. Goguen again was placed in A-pod on July 15, 2011, as a result of a dispute ‐11‐ concerning his bunk assignment. During cell reassignments, Mr. Goguen was assigned an upper bunk. Mr. Goguen, however, told Officer Michael Rizzo that he needed a lower bunk. When Officer Rizzo inquired of the medical department whether Mr. Goguen had a bottom-bunk restriction, the medical department responded that he did not. The parties give vastly different accounts of the events that followed. According to the defendants,5 Officer Rizzo ordered Mr. Goguen to move to the upper bunk, but Mr. Goguen refused and told Officer Rizzo to send him to A-pod, which Officer Rizzo did. Officer Rizzo also wrote a disciplinary report and a notice of infraction for a violation of B–11, “Order, Refusing to obey.”6 In his deposition, Mr. Goguen denied that he had been ordered to take an upper bunk; he testified that, after Officer Rizzo called the medical department and discovered that Mr. Goguen did not have a medical restriction for a lower bunk, Officer Rizzo “slammed [him] against the wall,” handcuffed him, and escorted him to A-pod.7 The B-11 infraction eventually was dismissed. 5 The defendants’ version is set forth in their brief. See Appellants’ Br. 27–28. 6 R.56-11 (SCJ Policy-“Inmate Discipline”) at 71. 7 R.83 (Goguen Dep.) at 58–59. ‐12‐ Mr. Goguen’s placement in administrative segregation was reviewed by Lieutenant Campbell on July 18, 2011. He determined that Mr. Goguen should remain in administrative segregation. Mr. Goguen received notice of the decision and notice that his placement would be reviewed on July 22, 2011. On July 22, 2011, a hearing was held to review Mr. Goguen’s administrative segregation status; Lieutenant Campbell served as the hearing officer, and non-defendant Officers Jewell and Madore served as committee members. At the hearing, Mr. Goguen did not dispute that he told Officer Rizzo that he should be taken to A-pod if he was not going to be assigned a lower bunk; he does dispute that he was disruptive, that he argued, and that he refused an order, which were the bases for his transfer to A- pod.8 The hearing committee determined that Mr. Goguen should remain in administrative segregation because of his habit of “arguing, wanting [his] own way, [and being] non-cooperative.”9 On July 28, Mr. Goguen was removed from administrative 8 See R.56-3 (Administrative Segregation Status Placement dated 7/15/11) at 14 (“Inmate Robert Goguen placed on Ad Seg for disrupting the pod during cell moves. Inmate Goguen argued with the pod officer during cell moves.”). 9 Id. ‐13‐ segregation and moved back to E-pod because he was “[r]eady to follow orders” and was placed in an upper bunk.10 Shortly after Mr. Goguen returned to E-pod, Officer Rizzo approached Mr. Goguen and stated: “‘I will make sure that you do not come back to this block. I will do whatever it takes in my personal power to make sure you spend the rest of your time in A[-]pod. I don’t care who I have to talk to.’”11