Doe v. Regier
Doe v. Regier
Opinion of the Court
A foster parent appeals a trial court order that dismissed two of seven counts against the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Secretary Regier. While not raised by the DCF or the Secretary, we have reviewed the order on appeal to determine whether it is a final appealable order. We find that it is not and therefore dismiss the appeal without prejudice.
The trial court’s order stated that “[t]o the extent that any of the claims set forth by the plaintiffs are not precluded by sovereign immunity, this order is without prejudice.” Sovereign immunity applied to only two claims against the DCF and Secretary Regier that alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. Thus, five counts are capable of being amended. The plaintiffs actually filed a motion for leave to amend, which is currently pending in the trial court. The plaintiffs suggest that the trial court’s denial of their motion for rehearing acted to “finalize” the order as to the remaining five counts. We disagree.
We therefore dismiss the appeal without prejudice to seek review of all issues upon entry of a final order as to all counts.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.