WILLIAM H. STEELE, Chief Judge.
This matter comes before the Court on the Motion for Summary Judgment (doc. 69) and Motion to Strike (doc. 75) filed by defendant City of Demopolis. Both Motions have been briefed and are now ripe for disposition.
Plaintiff, Jane Doe ("Doe"), brought this action by and through her mother and next friend, Mary Doe, against the City of Demopolis (the "City") and Terrance Smith based on allegations that Smith repeatedly sexually assaulted her in 2006 while he was employed as a Demopolis police officer. Doe's Amended Complaint (doc. 51) interposes the following causes of action: (i) a claim against the City for violation of Alabama Code § 11-47-190 on the theory that the City, despite "knowledge of Smith's obvious propensity for sexual abuse and molestation, ... failed to take prompt remedial action reasonably likely to prevent the misconduct from recurring" (Count One); (ii) a Fourteenth Amendment due process claim against the City pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging that the City "had either actual or constructive notice of Smith's propensity for sexual abuse," but "showed deliberate indifference to the abuse by failing to correct the problem and prevent Smith from continuing to act as a Police Officer with access to children" (Count Two);
The relevant facts are largely undisputed as between the City and Doe.
Sometime between September 2006 and November 2006, Smith placed a call to Doe at her home telephone number. (Id. at 9-10.) During the ensuing conversation, Smith asked Doe questions about herself, including her age, to which she responded (inaccurately) that she was 14 years old. (Id. at 10-11.) For some time thereafter, Smith and Doe called each other on a daily basis, with the topic of sex sometimes arising in those conversations. (Id. at 14-15.) In one such conversation, on November 10, 2006, Smith asked Doe to meet him at the old jailhouse around the corner from her house. (Id. at 15-16.) Doe understood that Smith was propositioning her for sex. (Id. at 16.) She agreed to meet with him and, later that afternoon, the two had sexual intercourse inside the jail. (Id. at 17-21.) Afterwards, Smith told Doe "not to tell anybody" because "he can get in a lot of trouble." (Id. at 24.)
Shortly after the December 5 liaison, the principal of Demopolis Middle School, Clarence Jackson, received a report from a friend of Doe's that Smith might be "taking advantage" of Doe. (Jackson Dep. (doc. 69, Exh. 5), at 6-7.) Upon receiving this information, Jackson confronted Doe, who eventually disclosed her sexual relationship with Smith. (Id. at 9-13.) Jackson promptly reported the matter to Jeff Manuel, who was at that time Police Chief of the City of Demopolis. (Id. at 9-10; Manuel Dep., at 27-28, 51.) Chief Manuel testified that he was shocked by these allegations. (Manuel Dep., at 52.) Nonetheless, he placed Smith on administrative leave and contacted the Marengo County Sheriff's Office to request that parallel investigations be initiated, with the Sheriff's Office handling the criminal investigation and the Demopolis Police Department contemporaneously conducting an internal investigation. (Id. at 28.) Chief Manuel ordered Smith to cooperate with the internal investigation, and recommended that Smith's employment be terminated when he refused. (Id. at 22-24.)
As a result of the Sheriff's Office investigation, Smith was arrested on December 19, 2006, and charged with three counts of rape in the second degree. (Doc. 69, Exh. 6.) Pursuant to Alabama Code § 13A-6-62, a person commits the crime of rape in the second degree, a Class B felony, if he or she, being 16 years old or older, engages in sexual intercourse with a person of the opposite sex who is less than 16 and more than 12 years old, provided that the perpetrator must be at least two years older than the victim. The City and Doe appear to concur that Smith was ultimately convicted of violating § 13A-6-62 based on his conduct in this matter. (Manuel Dep., at 23-24; Soronen Dep., at 22; see also doc. 69, at 4; doc. 71, at 1.)
The parties' summary judgment briefs devote considerable attention to whether the City was on notice prior to November 2006 that Smith and/or other Demopolis police officers were preying on underaged girls. There are three lines of record evidence on this point, to-wit: (i) evidence concerning Chief Manuel's knowledge of inappropriate sexual behavior by Demopolis officers, and his response or lack thereof; (ii) evidence concerning a complaint lodged against Officer Tommy Johnson; and (iii) testimony of a former Demopolis police officer named Robert Clayton. Each of these categories will be summarized in turn.
Viewed in the light most favorable to Doe, the record evidence concerning what Chief Manuel knew or did not know is as follows: By his own admission, Chief Manuel had heard "rumors" (at unspecified times) that "Officer X is sleeping with Officer B's spouse or things like that." (Manuel Dep., at 25.) He had heard rumors of officers (including Smith) "engaging in sexually inappropriate conduct" before November 2006, albeit "not necessarily [with] underaged people." (Id. at 34-35.)
As for Officer Johnson, plaintiff's evidence reflects that at an unspecified time, the Demopolis Police Department received a citizen's complaint that an officer named Tommy Johnson was in a consensual sexual relationship with a 17-year old female. (Soronen Dep., at 9-10.)
Finally, plaintiff would rely on the Declaration of Robert Clayton (doc. 71, Exh. A), who was a Demopolis police officer from 1995 through 2002. Clayton's Declaration states that "[i]t was common knowledge within the police force that some Demopolis police officers were having sexual relationships with minor girls," and names four such officers (but not Smith). (Clayton Decl., at 1.) Clayton's
Summary judgment should be granted only "if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Rule 56(a), Fed.R.Civ.P. The party seeking summary judgment bears "the initial burden to show the district court, by reference to materials on file, that there are no genuine issues of material fact that should be decided at trial." Clark v. Coats & Clark, Inc., 929 F.2d 604, 608 (11th Cir.1991). Once the moving party has satisfied its responsibility, the burden shifts to the non-movant to show the existence of a genuine issue of material fact. Id. "If the nonmoving party fails to make 'a sufficient showing on an essential element of her case with respect to which she has the burden of proof,' the moving party is entitled to summary judgment."
As noted, Doe has asserted a pair of claims against the City. Count One is a claim under Alabama Code § 11-47-190, alleging that the City had "actual notice of potential abuse" because Smith "had committed similar acts within the department." (Doc. 51, ¶¶ 14-15.) According to Count One, despite the City's "knowledge of similar conduct and actual notice of other abuse alleged victims," it "failed to take prompt remedial action reasonably likely to prevent the misconduct from recurring." (Id., ¶¶ 15, 17.) Meanwhile, Count Two is framed as a Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Claim, wherein Doe alleges that the City "had either actual or constructive notice of Smith's propensity for sexual abuse," but "showed deliberate indifference to the abuse by failing to correct the problem and prevent Smith from continuing to act as a Police Officer with access to children." (Id., ¶¶ 20-22.) The City has moved for summary judgment as to both claims.
Under Alabama law, municipalities may not be held "liable for damages for injury done to or wrong suffered by any person... unless such injury or wrong was done or suffered through the neglect, carelessness, or unskillfulness of some agent, officer, or employee of the municipality engaged in work therefor and while acting in the line of his or her duty." Ala.Code § 11-47-190; see also Walker v. City of Huntsville, 62 So.3d 474, 502 (Ala.2010) ("the City, under § 11-47-190, may be liable only for acts of neglect, carelessness or unskillfulness"). Doe seeks to hold the City liable under that statute for the sexual assaults perpetrated by Smith, a City employee.
The glaring threshold problem with Doe's application of § 11-47-190 to these circumstances is that the statute "absolves a city from liability for an intentional tort committed by one of its agents." Ex parte City of Gadsden, 718 So.2d 716, 721 (Ala.1998); see also Brown v. City of Huntsville, Ala., 608 F.3d 724, 743 (11th Cir.2010) ("In sum, under § 11-47-190, a city is liable for negligent acts of its employees within the scope of their employment,
That said, careful inspection of the Amended Complaint suggests that Doe may be attempting to circumvent Alabama's prohibition on intentional-tort liability for municipalities by bootstrapping Count One to allegations that Chief Manuel negligently supervised or trained Smith. After all, the Amended Complaint reflects Doe's position that the City is liable under § 11-47-190 because of the City's failure to take remedial action to prevent Smith from sexually assaulting her, based on the City's actual knowledge of his similar acts. In other words, plaintiff's theory in Count One appears to be that the City is liable, not for Smith's rape of her, per se, but for Chief Manuel's neglect, carelessness or unskillfulness in supervising Smith.
Even if Count One were grounded in Chief Manuel's alleged carelessness, rather than Smith's alleged assault, this claim still could not survive summary judgment. This is because a claim against a municipality for a supervisor's negligent hiring or training is not cognizable under Alabama law. "Municipal liability under Section 11-47-190 is based on the doctrine of respondeat superior. ... For the employer to be liable under that doctrine, the
The point, then, is simple: Doe is seeking to hold the City liable in respondeat superior for negligent supervision or training by Chief Manuel. But the above authorities (which plaintiff has made no attempt to rebut or distinguish) demonstrate that Alabama law does not recognize a cause of action against a supervisor or municipality for negligent supervision/training. Because Chief Manuel could not be liable under Alabama law for negligent supervision/training, the City could not be derivatively liable under § 11-47-190 on such a theory. Accordingly, pursuant to the Ott/Hamilton line of authorities, the City is entitled to summary judgment on Count One.
Based on the foregoing, it is not necessary to reach the question of whether Doe has made a showing that Chief Manuel did, in fact, negligently supervise or train Smith. It bears noting, however, that even if Doe's claim for municipal liability predicated on a theory of negligent training/supervision were cognizable under Alabama law, entry of summary judgment in the City's favor would remain appropriate. To maintain a claim of negligent training/supervision against an employer in Alabama, a plaintiff must come forward with "affirmative proof that the employee's incompetence was actually or constructively known by the master." Borton, 734 F.Supp.2d at 1259 (citation omitted); see also Ott, 169 F.Supp.2d at 1315 (in Alabama, "the liability of an employer for negligent supervision or training requires, among other elements, proof of the employer's actual or constructive awareness of the employee's incompetency"). The summary judgment record lacks any affirmative proof that Chief Manuel or any
In sum, the City's Motion for Summary Judgment is
Count Two of the Amended Complaint asserts a § 1983 claim against the City, predicated on allegations that "[t]here was a clear pattern of sexual abuse by Smith," the City "had either actual or constructive notice of Smith's propensity for sexual abuse," and the City "showed deliberate indifference to the abuse by failing to correct the problem and prevent Smith from continuing to act as a Police Officer with access to children." (Doc. 51, ¶¶ 20-22.) A fair reading of this claim is that Doe attempts to impose § 1983 liability on the City for failure to train and supervise Smith to prevent him from violating Doe's rights. The City moves for summary judgment on the ground that, inter alia, Smith violated an obvious right of Doe, as to which there can be no municipal liability under § 1983, as a matter of law.
As mentioned, Count Two alleges that the City is responsible for the constitutional violation perpetrated by Smith because the City failed adequately to train or supervise him. To prevail on this theory, Doe must establish that the City exhibited deliberate indifference to the rights of its inhabitants. Indeed, the Eleventh Circuit has stressed that "[o]nly where a municipality's failure to train its employees in a relevant respect evidences a `deliberate indifference' to the rights of its inhabitants can such a shortcoming be properly thought of as a city `policy or custom' that is actionable under § 1983." Vineyard v. County of Murray, Ga., 990 F.2d 1207, 1212 (11th Cir.1993) (citation omitted); see also Cook ex rel. Estate of Tessier v. Sheriff of Monroe County, Fla., 402 F.3d 1092, 1116 (11th Cir.2005) (similar). "To establish a city's deliberate indifference, a plaintiff must present some evidence that the municipality knew of a need to train and/or supervise in a particular area and the municipality made a deliberate choice not to take any action." Lewis v. City of West Palm Beach, Fla., 561 F.3d 1288, 1293 (11th Cir.2009) (citation omitted); Belcher v. City of Foley, Ala., 30 F.3d 1390, 1397-98 (11th Cir.1994) ("Failure to train can amount to deliberate indifference when the need for more or different training is obvious, ... and when the failure to train is likely to result in the violation of a constitutional right."). Also, to satisfy § 1983's causation requirement, it is necessary for a plaintiff to prove "that the deficiency in training actually caused the police officers' offending conduct." Campbell v. Anderson County, 695 F.Supp.2d 764, 774 (E.D.Tenn.2010) (citations omitted).
On summary judgment, the City propounds a compelling argument that it could not have been deliberately indifferent here, because it was patently obvious to Smith and other police officers that they
As a general proposition, then, Doe's attempts to hold the City liable under § 1983 on a theory of failure to train or supervise Smith are doomed on their face for want of proof of deliberate indifference. The City was entitled to rely on the common sense of Smith and other police officers not to sexually assault children, and therefore was not bound to provide training or supervision to them on that point. Stated differently, the City's failure to train or supervise Smith on this matter was not sufficiently likely to produce a wrong decision by Smith to support an inference of deliberate indifference. Any police officer would know that he is not supposed to commit statutory rape. There is no evidence, and no reason to believe, that training or supervision by the City was reasonably necessary to educate and deter police officers from such conduct, as would be necessary for Doe to reach a jury on Count Two's deliberate indifference theory. In light of the foregoing considerations, and plaintiff's failure to address, much less distinguish, the Sewell/Floyd line of precedent, the Court agrees with the City that entry of summary judgment is warranted on this cause of action.
Doe apparently seeks to establish deliberate indifference using this approach, as she asserts that "[t]he Chief of Police had actual knowledge that his officers were having sex with minor girls." (Doc. 71, at 13.) The problem with this argument is that the record does not support it. With regard to Smith, specifically, plaintiff proffers no evidence that, prior to November 2006, Smith had ever directed sexually inappropriate conduct towards girls under the age of 16 (the legal age of consent in Alabama), much less that Chief Manuel or any other City official was aware of any such proclivities by Smith at that time. At best, plaintiff points to Chief Manuel's testimony that he had heard rumors of sexually inappropriate behavior by Smith; however, he denied that such rumors involved activity with underaged girls.
More generally, plaintiff's sole evidence that the City was aware of any problems with police officers engaging in sexually inappropriate conduct with minors was Chief Manuel's isolated statement at a Demopolis police meeting occurring sometime between 1995 and 2002 that he had "heard guys was messing with underaged girls"
In short, the evidence in the record on which Doe relies does not support a reasonable inference that the City of Demopolis was deliberately indifferent to the rights of its inhabitants by failing to train or supervise Smith or other police officers to refrain from statutory rape. Given that the conduct of which Doe accused Smith relates to basic norms of human conduct and constitutes a Class B felony in Alabama, and given the paucity of evidence that the City was on notice that Smith specifically (or police officers generally) were predisposed to carry on sexual relationships with girls under the age of 16, the City was entitled to rely on its employees' common sense not to do so. As such, the City was not deliberately indifferent in failing to train police officers not to engage in such conduct, or in failing to supervise Smith in such a manner to remove him from any assignments at which he might encounter underaged girls.
The net result of the above rulings is that all of Doe's claims against the City of Demopolis are being dismissed on summary judgment. Counts One and Two of the Amended Complaint, which were asserted solely against the City, are now out of the case. All that remains is Count Three, which purports to be a state-law cause of action against defendant Smith for assault and battery, and invasion of privacy.
This Court does not possess original jurisdiction over Count Three. That claim does not purport to arise under the Constitution, laws or treaties of the United States, as would be necessary to trigger federal question jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1331. Likewise, there is no diversity jurisdiction over this cause of action under 28 U.S.C. § 1332, inasmuch as both Doe and Smith appear to be Alabama citizens and, hence, non-diverse. The only possible source of jurisdiction over Count Three, then, is the supplemental jurisdiction framework prescribed in 28 U.S.C. § 1367, which provides that "in any civil action of which the district courts have original jurisdiction, the district courts shall have supplemental jurisdiction over all other claims that are so related to claims in the action within such original jurisdiction that they form part of the same case or controversy." 28 U.S.C. § 1367(a).
With the dismissal of Doe's § 1983 cause of action, however, there are no longer any claims pending in this action within the original jurisdiction of this District Court. This raises an important question as to the propriety of continued exercise of supplemental jurisdiction over Doe's state-law claim against Smith. By statute, "[t]he district courts may decline to exercise supplemental jurisdiction ... if... the district court has dismissed all claims over which it has original jurisdiction." 28 U.S.C. § 1367(c)(3); see also Cook, 402 F.3d at 1123 ("Because no basis for original federal jurisdiction presently exists, the district court has the discretion to decline to exercise supplemental jurisdiction."). The Eleventh Circuit "encourage[s] district courts to dismiss any remaining state claims when, as here, the federal claims have been dismissed prior to trial." Raney v. Allstate Ins. Co., 370 F.3d 1086, 1088-89 (11th Cir.2004). Nonetheless, declining to exercise supplemental jurisdiction is not a kneejerk action once all federal claims are dismissed; rather, "the court should take into account concerns of comity, judicial economy, convenience, fairness, and the like." Cook, 402 F.3d at 1123 (internal quotation marks omitted); see also Lewis v. City of St. Petersburg, 260 F.3d 1260, 1267 (11th Cir.2001) (similar). Of course, "in the usual case in which
If any remaining party (Doe or Smith) contends that, notwithstanding the Eleventh Circuit's preference for dismissal of state-law claims after all original-jurisdiction claims have been dismissed, this Court should exercise its discretion to retain supplemental jurisdiction over Count Three, it must file a memorandum on or before
For all of the foregoing reasons, it is