BOYD N. BOLAND, Magistrate Judge.
This matter arises on the following motions:
(1)
(2)
The motions are GRANTED.
The plaintiff is proceeding pro se, and I must liberally construe his pleadings.
In ruling on a motion to dismiss, the court must accept the plaintiff's well-pleaded allegations as true and must construe all reasonable inferences in favor of the plaintiff.
The plaintiff is currently incarcerated by the Colorado Department of Corrections ("DOC") at the Sterling Correctional Facility ("SCF"). He filed his Amended Prisoner Complaint on May 7, 2014 [Doc. #6] (the "Complaint"). The Complaint contains the following allegations:
1. On February 21, 2008, the City of Sterling's Public Water System sent to its customers a notice that the drinking water contained uranium and other "cancer causing" contaminants. Complaint, p. 7, ¶¶ 1, 3, 4.
2. The notice "was prompted by" the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (the "CDPHE") who, through its Water Quality Control Division, alerted the Sterling Public Water System. The CDPHE reports directly to the Governor of Colorado. The Water Quality Control Commission is statutorily selected and supported by the Governor and his office.
3. At the time the notice was issued, Bill Ritter was the Governor of Colorado and Aristedes Zavaras was the Executive Director of the DOC.
4. The notice was intentionally kept from the SCF prison population.
5. After the prisoners became aware of the contamination, defendant Chapdelaine issued a number of statements to the prison population.
6. The plaintiff believed the statements issued by Chapdelaine and continued to consume the SCF tap water.
7. On September 2, 2008, Governor Ritter issued an "Enforcement Order" that declared the Sterling city drinking water to be unsafe for human consumption.
8. On August 22, 2013, DOC Executive Director Raemisch issued a memorandum (the "Raemisch Memorandum") to the prison population which represented that it came from the Governor's office and had been approved by Governor Hickenlooper. The Raemisch Memorandum stated that the DOC "had just discovered, for the first time, via notice from the CDPHE issued February 4, 2013, that the `SCF tap water' was contaminated."
9. The plaintiff submitted an Informal Resolution Form on August 28, 2013. He referred to the water report issued on February 2008 and to the statements issued by Chapdelaine.
10. On August 28, 2013, Warden Falk issued a memorandum (the "Falk Memorandum") to the SCF prison population which provided much of the same information as the Raemisch Memorandum.
11. On September 5, 2013, a "general grievance response" was issued to the plaintiff's Informal Resolution. The response was simply a copy of the Falk Memorandum.
12. On September 6, 2013, the plaintiff filed a step one grievance which was a reiteration of his Informal Resolution.
13. On October 9, 2013, the plaintiff filed a step two grievance.
14. On November 14, 2013, the plaintiff submitted a step three grievance, which was denied by defendant Griffith on January 8, 2014.
15. SCF officials allege that the alternative drinking water was brought in from a correctional facility in Canon City, Colorado. On November 19, 2013, the plaintiff filed an Informal Resolution Form concerning the alternative drinking water.
16. On November 30, 2013, the plaintiff was called to the medical department regarding his symptoms. He explained to medical personnel that his gums were swelling, he was nauseous, and he was dehydrated for no apparent reason.
17. On December 4, 2013, the plaintiff filed a step one grievance about the alternative drinking water. It was denied on December 9, 2013.
18. The plaintiff was seen by the medical department on February 7, 2014, for his reactions to the contaminated water. He was seen by a nurse, defendant Jane Doe. His blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature were taken. The nurse was "outrageously confrontational and verbally abusive." She told the plaintiff that his reported symptoms of swollen gums, extreme dehydration, and nausea were normal and that "she saw nothing that would cause her any concern."
19. The plaintiff has been afraid to return to the medical department "for fear of what medical and SCF personnel may do to him if he remains persistent in seeking medical treatment for his symptoms and keeps complaining about the water. The SCF medical facility, through nurse Jane Doe, has made it absolutely clear that they will not tolerate prisoners complaining of the water, nor will they provide medical care for anyone who appears to be suffering as a result of their consumption of the contaminated water."
20. On March 6, 2014, a memorandum was posted at SCF stating that the new state-of-the-art water treatment facility was opened and the problem with the water had been fixed.
21. Another inmate told the plaintiff that the alternative drinking water was also polluted with uranium and other toxic contaminants, had been polluted for years, and defendants Hickenlooper, Milyard, Falk, Clements, Zavaras, and Raemisch were aware that the water was toxic before shipping it to SCF.
22. Defendant Milyard was the acting warden of SCF when the 2008 report was issued and when Governor Ritter submitted the Enforcement Order and the correction to the Enforcement Order.
23. Defendants Ritter and Hickenlooper were well-informed of the hazardous condition, the risk it posed to the plaintiff's health, and the CDPHE's recommendation to provide prisoners water from an alternate source.
24. Defendant Chapdelaine was well-informed of the hazardous condition, the risk it posed to the plaintiff's health, and the CDPHE's recommendation to provide prisoners water from an alternate source. Chapdelaine failed to take action and lied to the plaintiff by repeatedly telling him the water was safe to consume
25. Defendant Falk was well-aware of the hazardous condition, the risk it posed to the plaintiff's health, and the CDPHE's recommendation to provide prisoners water from an alternate source.
26. Defendants Soucie, Fuller, Griffith, and Lombard were provided with same memorandums as the plaintiff. Therefore, they were informed of the hazardous condition, the threat it posed to the plaintiff's well-being, and the CDPHE's recommendation to provide prisoners water from an alternate source.
27. Defendant Jane Doe had been provided with the memorandums and had personal knowledge of the contaminated water.
The Complaint asserts three claims for relief. Claim One alleges that all of the defendants violated the plaintiff's Eighth Amendment rights by exposing him to a hazardous condition of confinement. Claim Two alleges that all of the defendants were deliberately indifferent to his serious medical needs in violation of the Eighth Amendment. Claim Three alleges that defendant Chapdelaine's lies prevented the plaintiff from accessing the courts for six years in violation of the plaintiff's First, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The plaintiff is suing defendants Hickenlooper and Ritter in their individual capacities and the remainder of the defendants in both their individual and official capacities.
This action is brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, which provides:
42 U.S.C. § 1983.
The defendants assert that, insofar as they are sued in their official capacities, the claims against them for compensatory damages are barred by Eleventh Amendment immunity. The plaintiff is not suing defendants Hickenlooper and Ritter in their official capacities. Therefore, my analysis applies only to the DOC defendants.
The Eleventh Amendment bars suits in federal courts against unconsenting states by the state's own citizens and by citizens of another state.
The Eleventh Amendment precludes federal jurisdiction over state officials acting in their official capacities for retroactive monetary relief, but not for prospective injunctive relief.
Qualified immunity shields government officials sued in their individual capacities from liability for civil damages provided that their conduct when committed did not violate "clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known."
When analyzing the issue of qualified immunity, I consider two factors. I must determine whether the plaintiff has sufficiently alleged a violation of a statutory or constitutional right. In addition, I must inquire whether the right was clearly established at the time of the violation.
In Claim One, the plaintiff alleges that all of the defendants violated his Eighth Amendment rights by exposing him to the contaminated water. The Eighth Amendment provides that "[e]xcessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted." U.S. Const. amend. VIII. The Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment requires prison officials to provide humane conditions of confinement by ensuring that inmates receive adequate food, clothing, shelter, and medical care and take "reasonable measures to guarantee the safety of the inmates."
A prisoner claiming an Eighth Amendment violation must establish both objectively and subjectively that particular conditions of confinement constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
The defendants argue that the plaintiff has failed to allege that they personally participated in the alleged violation of his Eighth Amendment rights. An individual cannot be held liable under section 1983 unless he caused or participated in an alleged constitutional violation.
The defendants attach to their motions copies of memoranda which they state are the Raemisch Memorandum and the Falk Memorandum. Hickenlooper's Motion, Exs. A and B; DOC Defendants' Motion, Exs. A and B. When, as here, a plaintiff refers to a document in the complaint that is central to his claim but does not attach it to the complaint, a defendant may submit an indisputably authentic copy to be considered on a motion to dismiss.
The plaintiff states that the Raemisch Memorandum "represents" that it came from the Governor's office; "represents" that it had been approved by Governor Hickenlooper; states that the DOC had just discovered that the tap water at SCF was contaminated; states that "people who drink water containing uranium in excess of drinking water standards over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer and kidney toxicity"; and states that some prisoners "may be at increased risk of getting cancer or kidney toxicity and should seek advise from the facility medical staff."
The Raemisch Memorandum does not represent that it came from the Governor's office, nor does it represent that it was approved by Governor Hickenlooper. Hickenlooper's Motion, Ex. A; DOC Defendants' Motion, Ex. A. The Raemisch Memorandum states that it was issued by the SCF Public Water System; SCF receives its drinking water from the city of Sterling; in February 2013, the city found that its water contained a uranium level of 0.031 mg/L; the drinking water standard for uranium is 0.030 mg/L; during the DOC's continued testing of its drinking water, a "small increase in the allowable amount of uranium was found" during the month of July; and the CDPHE "believes that uranium is not considered to be a contaminant associated with health effects from short-term exposure at the recently observed levels."
The plaintiff alleges that the Falk Memorandum also represents that it came from Governor Hickenlooper's office and was approved by Governor Hickenlooper. The Falk Memorandum does not represent that it came from the Governor's office, nor does it represent that it was approved by Governor Hickenlooper. Hickenlooper's Motion, Ex. B; DOC Defendants' Motion, Ex. B.
The plaintiff attempts to hold defendants Hickenlooper and Ritter liable for his exposure to contaminated water because they were "well-informed" of the situation and the risk it posed to the plaintiff's health. The allegations of their knowledge of the risk to the plaintiff's health are vague and conclusory. The plaintiff does not allege any specific facts to show that defendants Hickenlooper and Ritter had any knowledge that the plaintiff's health was at risk from contaminated water. Nor does he allege any facts to show that either one of the defendants created a policy that created contamination of the water. Claim One is dismissed as to defendants Hickenlooper and Ritter.
The plaintiff's only specific factual allegation against defendant Raemisch is that he issued the August 22, 2013 memorandum. Similarly, the plaintiff's only specific factual allegation against Falk is that he issued the August 28, 2013, memorandum. The Complaint does not contain any specific factual allegations against defendants Clements, Milyard, and Zavaras. The plaintiff provides only conclusory allegations that all of these defendants knew of the hazardous condition and failed to address it.
A complaint must contain specific allegations sufficient to establish that it plausibly supports a claim for relief.
The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals has stated:
To state a claim in federal court, a complaint must explain what each defendant did to the plaintiff; when the defendant did it; how the defendant's action harmed the plaintiff; and what specific legal right the plaintiff believes the defendant violated.
Here, the plaintiff's conclusory allegations are insufficient to state a plausible claim that defendants Raemisch, Falk, Clements, Milyard, and Zavaras personally participated in the alleged constitutional violation. In addition, to the extent the plaintiff is attempting to hold those defendants liable because of their supervisory positions, he has failed to allege any facts to show that they created a policy that caused the alleged violation. Claim One is dismissed as to defendants Raemisch, Falk, Clements, Milyard, and Zavaras.
The plaintiff attempts to hold defendants Fuller, Soucie, Griffith, and Lombard liable because they responded to his grievances. Denial of a grievance is insufficient to establish personal participation in an alleged constitutional violation.
The plaintiff summarily alleges that Jane Doe "had the ability to provide the plaintiff with, at the minimum, alternative, uncontaminated drinking water." Complaint, p. 18, ¶ 66. That conclusory allegation is insufficient to state a plausible claim for relief against Jane Doe for exposing the plaintiff to contaminated drinking water. Claim One is dismissed as against Jane Doe.
The plaintiff alleges that defendant Chapdelaine issued three statements: (1) a statement acknowledging that the city's water was contaminated with hazardous waste and a new state-of-the-art water treatment facility was being built to fix the problem; (2) a statement that SCF's water came from a different and uncontaminated source than the water supplied to the city of Sterling; and (3) a statement that nothing was wrong with SCF tap water, it was safe to consume, it came from an uncontaminated source, the new treatment facility was up and running, and the city's water was also now contaminant-free. Complaint, p. 8, ¶¶ 6-9. The plaintiff alleges that the statements were issued in approximately 2008.
Based on the issuance of an Enforcement Order in September 2008 which declared that the water was unsafe for human consumption and the Raemisch Memorandum issued in 2013 which states that the tap water was contaminated in the month of July, the plaintiff draws the implausible conclusion that the water was contaminated from 2008 through 2013 and that Chapdelaine's statements were, therefore, false. That conclusion is not supported by any factual allegations. The plaintiff has failed to state a plausible claim against Chapdelaine, and Claim One is dismissed as against him.
In Claim Two, the plaintiff alleges that all of the defendants were deliberately indifferent to his serious medical needs. He alleges that he was seen in the medical department on November 30, 2012, by unnamed medical personnel and again on February 7, 2014, by Jane Doe. The Complaint does not contain any specific factual allegations to show that any of the other defendants were involved in his medical care or that they were otherwise deliberately indifferent to his medical needs. Therefore, Claim Two is dismissed as to defendants Hickenlooper, Ritter, Clements, Zavaras, Raemisch, Milyard, Falk, Chapdelaine, Soucie, Griffith, Fuller, and Lombard.
The plaintiff alleges that he was seen on November 30, 2012, by unnamed medical personnel "concerning the symptoms he believed [were] being caused by both the contaminated `SCF tap water' and the `alterative drinking water.'" He states that his "gums were swelling," he was "constantly dehydrated in spite of drinking plenty of water," and he was "nauseous for no apparent reason." Complaint, p. 11, ¶ 31. The nurse took his blood pressure, temperature, and heart rate and ordered that blood be drawn and further tests be conducted.
He alleges that he saw defendant Jane Doe on February 7, 2014, for his symptoms of swelling gums, extreme dehydration, and nausea.
Rather than demonstrating deliberate indifference, the plaintiff's allegations demonstrate that he was seen by Jane Doe, his vital signs were taken, and she told him nothing was wrong with him. To the extent the plaintiff believes Jane Doe should have done more or should have done something differently, "a prisoner who merely disagrees with a diagnosis or a prescribed course of treatment does not state a constitutional violation."
429 U.S. 97, 106 (1976).
In addition, verbal abuse, taunting, or harassment—even if extreme—is generally insufficient to establish a constitutional violation.
The plaintiff has failed to allege specific facts to show that defendant Jane Doe was deliberately indifferent to his serious medical needs. Claim Two is dismissed as against Jane Doe.
In Claim Three, the plaintiff alleges that the statements issued by defendant Chapdelaine caused the plaintiff to believe that the SCF drinking water was safe for six years. As a result of Chapdelaine's fraudulent statements, the plaintiff was denied access to the courts for six years in violation of his First, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
The right of access to the courts is a fundamental constitutional right.
Here, the plaintiff has not alleged actual injury. To the contrary, he was able to present his claims against Chapdelaine in this action. Claim Three is dismissed.
IT IS ORDERED:
(1) Defendants Hickenlooper and Ritter's Motion to Dismiss [Doc. #29] is GRANTED;
(2) CDOC Defendants' Motion to Dismiss Amended Complaint [Doc. #37] is GRANTED;
(3) The Complaint is DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE; and
(4) Judgment shall enter in favor of the defendants on all claims.