Toma v. Univ. of Haw.
Toma v. Univ. of Haw.
Opinion of the Court
Before the Court is Defendant's Motion to Dismiss Second Amended Complaint, filed on November 14, 2017 ("Motion"). ECF No. 38. Plaintiff's Opposition was filed on December 6, 2017; Defendant filed its Reply on December 19, 2017. ECF Nos. 41, 42, 43. Pursuant to Local Rule 7.2(d), the Court found the Motion suitable for disposition without a hearing. ECF No. 44. After carefully reviewing the parties' submissions and the relevant legal authority, the Court GRANTS IN PART and DENIES IN PART the Motion.
BACKGROUND
After the Court granted Defendant's Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings, Plaintiff filed a Second Amended Complaint. See ECF Nos. 35, 36. In his Second Amended Complaint, Plaintiff alleges that he matriculated as a medical student at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, in July 2005. ECF No. 36 ¶ 9. Shortly after July 2005, Plaintiff began to experience episodes of anxiety, depression, and inabilities to sleep or focus. Id. ¶ 10. Beginning in 2007, Plaintiff was under psychiatric care. Id. ¶ 17.
Plaintiff was placed on academic probation on January 24, 2009, with the requirement that Plaintiff take a medical licencing exam by the end of May 2009. Id. ¶ 23. On July 1, 2009, Plaintiff requested a hearing before the Student Standing and Promotion Committee to request an extension of time to take the medical licencing exam to accommodate the episodes of anxiety that he was experiencing. Id. ¶ 24. The Student Standing and Promotion Committee directed Plaintiff to take the exam by the end of July 2009. Id. ¶ 25. Plaintiff took the medical licencing exam on July 27, 2009, and did not pass. Id. ¶¶ 26, 27. Plaintiff's failure on the exam caused a major depressive episode as diagnosed by his treating psychiatrist pursuant to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV TR) criteria for Major Depressive Episode. Id. ¶ 28.
In October 2009, Dr. Mary Ann Antonelli, Director of the Office of Student Affairs at the medical school, asked Plaintiff to appear before the Student Standing and Promotion Committee to evaluate his academic progress. Id. ¶ 41. In response, Plaintiff emailed Dr. Antonelli about his depression and disability. Id. ¶ 42. Dr. Antonelli did not refer Plaintiff to the office for students with disabilities, but accommodated Plaintiff by twice postponing Plaintiff's appearance before the committee. Id. ¶¶ 44-45.
Plaintiff appeared before the Student Standing and Promotion Committee on February 10, 2010. Id. ¶ 47. The committee *959allowed Plaintiff to re-take the medical licencing exam by April 28, 2010, to accommodate his disability. Id. ¶ 48. Plaintiff then experienced another episode of depression. Id. ¶ 31. In April 2010, Plaintiff's treating psychiatrist advised Plaintiff to take a medical leave of absence from school and not to take the medical licencing exam by the April 28, 2010 deadline. Id. ¶ 49. Plaintiff's treating psychiatrist wrote a letter to the medical school on June 7, 2010, stating that she recommended a 4-6 month leave of absence to accommodate Plaintiff's depression. Id. ¶ 50. Dr. Antonelli approved Plaintiff's medical leave of absence on June 23, 2010. Id. ¶ 51. In the following months, Plaintiff's episode of depression continued without relief. Id. ¶ 34.
In August 2010, Plaintiff was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and began treatment. Id. ¶ 35. In the following months, Plaintiff's episode of depression started to resolve. Id. ¶ 36. By November 2010, Plaintiff's ability to study was not substantially limited anymore, and subsequently he resumed his review for the exam. Id.
On December 1, 2010, the new Director of the Office of Student Affairs at the medical school, Dr. Richard Smerz, ordered Plaintiff to attend a meeting before the Student Standing and Promotion Committee to evaluate his academic progress on January 12, 2011. Id. ¶ 55. Plaintiff met with Dr. Smerz on January 5, 2011, and informed him of his medical disabilities, including depression and recently diagnosed hypothyroidism. Id. ¶ 56. Plaintiff's episodic depression and hypothyroidism had begun to respond to treatment by January 2011. Id. ¶¶ 39, 57. Plaintiff asked Dr. Smerz to continue Plaintiff's medical leave to allow time for his treatment to become fully effective, which Dr. Smerz refused. Id. ¶¶ 57, 58. Dr. Smerz encouraged Plaintiff to withdraw from medical school or face almost certain expulsion. Id. ¶ 58. Dr. Smerz also told Plaintiff that he needed to learn to cope with his problems. Id. ¶ 59. Dr. Smerz did not recommend or contact the office for students with disabilities. Id. ¶ 61. Plaintiff's treating psychiatrist also contacted Dr. Smerz to ask that Plaintiff be given continuing accommodation to allow time for his treatment to become fully effective, which Dr. Smerz refused. Id. ¶¶ 62-63.
The Student Standing and Promotion Committee met on January 12, 2011, to review Plaintiff's case and voted unanimously to dismiss Plaintiff from the medical school for academic malperformance. Id. ¶¶ 64-68.
Plaintiff appealed the committee's decision on January 24, 2011. Id. ¶ 79. Plaintiff's treating psychiatrist submitted a letter regarding Plaintiff's depression and hypothyroidism stating that these conditions "affected his energy, motivation, concentration and cognitive clarity." Id. ¶ 81. Plaintiff's appeal was dismissed on February 18, 2011, concluding that there were no grounds for a formal hearing. Id. ¶ 82.
On March 1, 2011, Plaintiff appealed the decision to Dr. Jerris Hedges, Office of the Dean of Medicine, asking permission to re-take the licencing exam as an accommodation for his depression and hypothyroidism. Id. ¶¶ 87-93. Plaintiff met with Dr. Hedges regarding his appeal on April 6, 2011. Id. ¶ 94. Plaintiff received a letter from Dr. Hedges on April 7, 2011, upholding the decision to dismiss Plaintiff from the medical school. Id. ¶ 95.
In December 2011, Plaintiff filed discrimination complaints against Dr. Hedges and Dr. Smerz with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Students. Id. ¶ 122. A fact-finding report prepared by an investigation team regarding Plaintiff's complaints was submitted to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Students on May 21, 2012. Id. ¶ 123. As part of that investigation, the *960team interviewed the Director of the University of Hawaii's Kokua Program, which is the office for students with disabilities. Id. ¶¶ 124, 44. On June 20, 2012, Reed Dasenbrock, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, issued his decision finding no discrimination by Dr. Hedges and Dr. Smerz. Id. ¶¶ 130-142.
On July 21, 2012, Plaintiff appealed the decision finding no discrimination by Dr. Hedges and Dr. Smerz to Vassilis Syrmos, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education, acting as the Chancellor's designee. Id. ¶ 149. Plaintiff's appeal regarding the decision finding no discrimination by Dr. Hedges and Dr. Smerz was denied on September 11, 2012. Id. ¶ 154.
Plaintiff filed this action four years later on September 11, 2016. See ECF No. 1. Plaintiff asserts claims under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), as amended. ECF No. 36 ¶¶ 166-173. In his Second Amended Complaint, Plaintiff alleges that Defendant "created a hostile environment" in violation of the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act. Id. ¶¶ 163-165, 170, 173.
DISCUSSION
Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), a complaint must be dismissed if it fails "to state a claim upon which relief can be granted." Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). Review under Rule 12(b)(6) is generally limited to the contents of the complaint. Daniels-Hall v. Nat'l Educ. Ass'n,
Here, Defendant asks the Court to dismiss Plaintiff's Second Amended Complaint because all of Plaintiff's claims are time-barred by the statute of limitations. ECF No. 38. "A claim may be dismissed under Rule 12(b)(6) on the ground that it is barred by the applicable statute of limitations only when the running of the statute is apparent on the face of the complaint." Von Saher v. Norton Simon Museum of Art at Pasadena,
I. Plaintiff's Claims are Subject to the Four-Year Statute of Limitations in
As an initial matter, the Court must determine the applicable statute of limitations for Plaintiff's Rehabilitation Act and ADA claims. As detailed in the Court's prior Memorandum Opinion and Order Granting Defendant's Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings with Leave to Amend, see ECF No. 35, like many federal statutes, neither the Rehabilitation Act nor the ADA contains an express statute of limitations. See Ervine v. Desert View Reg'l Med. Ctr. Holdings, LLC,
In order to establish a violation of Title II of the ADA, a plaintiff must show that: "(1) he is an individual with a disability; (2) he is otherwise qualified to participate in or receive the benefit of some public entity's services, programs, or activities; (3) he was either excluded from participation in or denied the benefits of the public entity's services, programs, or activities, or was otherwise discriminated against by the public entity; and (4) such exclusion, denial of benefits, or discrimination was by reason of his disability." O'Guinn v. Lovelock Corr. Ctr.,
The element at issue is whether Plaintiff qualifies as an individual with a disability. Under the ADA, a disability was defined as "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual." ADA § 3(2)(A). The ADA did not define "physical or mental impairment," "substantially limits," or "major life activities." See
Congress expressly rejected these two cases in passing the ADAAA and revised the definition of "disability" for both the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act. See
Here, accepting the allegations of the Second Amended Complaint as true, the Court finds that Plaintiff's claims were only made possible by the ADAAA. Specifically, Plaintiff alleges that his anxiety and *962depression were episodic in nature and that his depression, anxiety, and hypothyroidism responded to treatment with medication. See ECF No. 36 ¶¶ 10, 25, 29, 31, 38, 39, 57. Based on these allegations, the Court finds that Plaintiff's claims were "made possible" by the ADAAA because he would not have been able to allege that he qualified as an individual with a disability under the ADA.
The Court rejects Defendant's arguments that Hawaii's two-year statute of limitations applies to Plaintiff's claim based on the denial of Plaintiff's appeal to Vassilis Syrmos because that claim is not "dependent" on the episodic nature of Plaintiff's disability or the ameliorative effects of medication. See ECF No. 38-1 at 13-14. All of Plaintiff's claims are dependent on him establishing that he qualifies as a person with a disability. Based on Plaintiff's allegations regarding the episodic nature of his depression and his response to medication for his hypothyroidism, Plaintiff's claims "necessarily depend" on the amendments enacted by the ADAAA. See Jones,
Plaintiff filed his Complaint on September 11, 2016. ECF No. 1. As detailed in the recitation of facts above, only one act alleged in Plaintiff's Second Amended Complaint occurred within four years of Plaintiff filing his original Complaint: the decision by Vassilis Syrmos, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education, which was issued on September 11, 2012. ECF No. 36 ¶ 154. All other acts alleged in Plaintiff's Second Amended Complaint occurred more than four years prior to the filing of Plaintiff's original Complaint.
In the present Motion, Defendant argues that all of Plaintiff's claims regarding acts that occurred prior to September 11, 2012, are time-barred. ECF No. 38. In his Opposition, Plaintiff does not specifically address the statute of limitations arguments raised in Defendant's Motion. See ECF No. 42-1. Rather, Plaintiff's Opposition details the alleged facts and then summarily concludes that there are sufficient allegations of "direct discrimination, systemic discrimination, and a hostile educational environment to be put to a finder of fact." See
Claims of direct discrimination, without more, that occurred prior to September 11, 2012, would be time-barred by Section 1658's four-year statute of limitations. In order for Plaintiff's claims regarding discriminatory acts that occurred prior to September 11, 2012, to survive, Plaintiff must allege a theory of discrimination under the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act that allows the court to consider acts that occurred outside of the statutory period. Here, Plaintiff argues that he has alleged a hostile education environment claim and a systemic violation, which allow the acts that occurred outside of the statutory period to be considered. As discussed below, the Court finds that all of Plaintiff's claims based on acts that occurred prior to September 11, 2012, are time barred.
II. The Court Declines to Recognize a Hostile Education Environment Claim.
The parties dispute whether the Ninth Circuit recognizes a hostile learning environment claim under the Title II of the ADA or the Rehabilitation Act. In addressing hostile environment claims in the employment context, the Supreme Court explained that "[a] hostile work environment claim is composed of a series of separate acts that collectively constitute one 'unlawful employment practice.' "
*963National R.R. Passenger Corp. v. Morgan,
Defendant argues that Plaintiff's claims regarding discriminatory acts that occurred prior to September 11, 2012, are time-barred because the Ninth Circuit does not recognize a hostile educational environment claim under the ADA or the Rehabilitation Act. ECF No. 38-1 at 8. Plaintiff argues in a footnote that "[h]ostile educational environment claims have been upheld in multiple jurisdictions." ECF No. 42-1 at 3 n.5. In support of that argument, Plaintiff cites two cases: a 1997 district court case from the District of Massachusetts; and a 2006 Eighth Circuit case.
In Guckenberger v. Boston University, the district court found that a hostile learning environment claim did exist under the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act.
In M.P. ex rel. K. & D.P. v. Independent School District. No. 721, New Prague, Minnesota, the Eighth Circuit listed "failed to investigate allegations of disability discrimination, student-against-student harassment, hostile education environment, and disclosure of personal information" as one of three claims asserted by the plaintiff against the defendant.
After examining the authorities cited by Plaintiff, the Court declines to recognize a hostile educational environment claim. Plaintiff's citation to the Eighth Circuit's decision in M.P. is unpersuasive. As discussed above, the Eighth Circuit's decision does not contain any discussion of a hostile educational environment claim. Further, although the district court in Guckenberger conducted a thoughtful statutory analysis, it appears to be an outlier. Plaintiff does not cite and the Court has not been *964able to find any decision within the Ninth Circuit that recognizes a hostile educational environment claim under Title II of the ADA
III. Plaintiff Fails to Allege Systemic Policy or Practice of Discrimination.
Discrete discriminatory acts are only actionable when the acts occur within the limitations period "even when they are related to acts alleged in timely filed charges." Nat'l R.R. Passenger Corp. v. Morgan,
Here, Plaintiff has not alleged a systemic policy or practice. See ECF No. 36. Plaintiff does not allege that Defendant had a general discriminatory policy or maintained a discriminatory practice against disabled individuals. Instead, as detailed above, Plaintiff alleges that Defendant engaged in a series of related discrete acts against him, only one of which falls within the four-year statute of limitations.
Accordingly, Plaintiff's claims of discrimination based on acts that occurred prior to September 11, 2012, are time-barred by Section 1658's four-year statute of limitations. Because those claims are time barred, Defendant's Motion is GRANTED as to all claims of discrimination based on acts that occurred prior to September 11, 2012; Defendant's Motion is DENIED as to Plaintiff's claims of discrimination based on acts that occurred after September 11, 2012.
CONCLUSION
The Court GRANTS IN PART and DENIES IN PART Defendant's Motion to Dismiss Second Amended Complaint as follows:
1. The Court declines to recognize a claim for hostile education environment.
2. Plaintiff's claims based on acts that occurred prior to September 11, 2012, are time barred and DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.
3. Plaintiff's claims based on acts that occurred on or after September 11, 2012, are not time barred and remain pending.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
As noted by Defendant, the Ninth Circuit has expressly considered whether a hostile work environment claim exists under Title I of the ADA, which applies to employment, and has stated that it "has not yet held that such a claim exists, let alone what its source in the statute might be." See Brown v. City of Tucson,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- John TOMA v. UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII
- Cited By
- 6 cases
- Status
- Published