J. THOMAS RAY, Magistrate Judge.
Plaintiff Reginald Dunahue ("Dunahue") has filed this pro se § 1983 action alleging that, on or about July 19, 2015, Defendants used excessive force against him, failed to provide him with adequate medical care for his injuries, denied him adequate nutrition, and exposed him to toxic vapors. Doc. 7.
There are four non-dispositive Motions pending, which the Court will address separately.
On October 23, 2017, Dunahue filed a Motion for an Extension of Time to provide a service address for Defendant Sergeant Sedrick Foote ("Foote") and Lieutenant John Herrington ("Herrington"), both of whom no longer work for the Arkansas Department of Correction. Doc. 31. The Motion is denied, as moot, because: (1) the Court has not imposed a deadline for Dunahue to provide service information for either Defendant; (2) on October 26, 2017, the Court ordered the U.S. Marshal to attempt service on Herrington at his sealed private address; and (3) on November 8, 2017, Foote filed an Answer. Docs. 37 & 42.
Defendants have filed a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, a Brief in Support, and a Statement of Facts arguing that some of Dunahue's claims should be dismissed, without prejudice, because he failed to properly exhaust his administrative remedies as to those claims. Docs. 32, 33, & 34.
At the summary judgment stage, a plaintiff cannot rest upon mere allegations and, instead, must meet proof with proof. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e). This means that Dunahue's Response should include his legal arguments, as well as affidavits,
Finally, if Dunahue intends to rely on documents that have been previously filed in the record, he must specifically refer to those documents by docket number, page, date, and heading. The Court will not sift through the file to find support for Plaintiff's factual contentions. See Crossley v. Georgia-Pacific, Corp., 355 F.3d 1112, 1113-14 (8th Cir. 2004) (affirming the grant of summary judgment because a plaintiff failed to properly refer to specific pages of the record that supported his position).
Defendants have filed a Motion seeking a Protective Order that stays all discovery until there is final ruling on their pending Motion for Partial Summary Judgment. Doc. 35. The Court finds good cause for granting that Motion as to the merits of Dunahue's claims, but not as to any documents or information Dunahue may need to properly respond to the pending Motion for Partial Summary Judgment.
Accordingly, the Motion for a Protective Oder is granted, as modified. Discovery in this case is stayed, with the exception of any documents or information related to Dunahue's attempts to exhaust his administrative remedies regarding the claims raised in this lawsuit. The stay will be lifted, in a separate Order, after a final ruling on Defendants' Motion for Partial Summary Judgment is entered.
IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED THAT:
1. Dunahue's Motion for an Extension of Time (Doc. 31) is DENIED, AS MOOT.
2. Dunahue has until and including,
3. Defendants' Motion for a Protective Order (Doc. 35) is GRANTED, AS MODIFIED IN THIS ORDER.