Opinion ID: 4534187
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Abandonment and Waiver of Claims on Appeal

Text: As a preliminary matter, Spagnuolo does not challenge the District Court’s dismissal of his slander and § 1983 claims against Hubbard, his emotional distress claims against Hubbard premised on her statements to a 911 operator, his battery and excessive force claims, and his claims against the police and sheriff’s departments. He also does not address any claims arising under the New York Constitution. We therefore find these claims abandoned and decline to consider them. See LoSacco v. City of Middletown, 71 F.3d 88, 92–93 (2d Cir. 1995). We also find that he abandoned his negligent infliction of emotional distress claim against Hubbard by failing to address the basis of the District Court’s grant of summary judgment on that claim, which was his failure to establish that a special relationship existed between the parties. See id. Additionally, we find that Spagnuolo waived his challenge to the District Court’s dismissal of his § 1983 claim against the County for failure to present evidence of a custom or policy that caused his injury because it is insufficiently argued. See Norton v. Sam’s Club, 145 F.3d 114, 117 (2d Cir. 1998) (“Issues not sufficiently argued in the briefs are considered waived and normally will not be addressed on appeal.”); see also Monell v. Dep’t of Soc. Servs. of City of New York, 436 U.S. 658, 694 (1978). His argument on appeal consists of a single conclusory sentence, and points to no evidence in the record of a County policy or custom of conducting identifications using improper procedures or inadequately training and supervising employees.