Paray v. VHF Inc.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK --------------------------------------------------------------x VENA PARAY, : : Plaintiff, : 24-CV-4526 (JHR) (OTW) : -against- : ORDER : VHF INC., et al., : Defendants. : : --------------------------------------------------------------x ONA T. WANG, United States Magistrate Judge: The Court is in receipt of ECF 52, wherein Defendants request that the Court strike a series of letters submitted by pro se Plaintiff Vena Paray. (See ECF Nos. 29, 30, 45-51). In certain of these letters, Plaintiff makes numerous derogatory statements about Defendants Rohde and Soliman concerning their race and/or religion, and accuses Defendants of being members of terrorist organizations. (See ECF Nos. 46, 47, 50). Plaintiff’s other letters do not contain such derogatory statements, but include material that is immaterial to this case and/or requests for relief that the Court cannot grant. (ECF Nos. 29, 30, 45, 48, 49, 51). After Defendants filed their letter request, Plaintiff filed two additional letters that make the same abusive allegations. (ECF Nos. 53, 54).

“Whether to grant or deny a motion to strike is vested in the trial court’s sound discretion.” Outlaw v. City of New York, 22-CV-9288 (PAE), 2024 WL 4825955, at *3 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 19, 2024). A court may strike filings that are “abusive or otherwise improper under the circumstances.” Id. “The inherent powers authorizing a court to strike improper materials derive not from rule or statute but from the control necessarily vested in courts to manage their own affairs so as to achieve the orderly and expeditious disposition of cases.” Id. (internal quotations omitted).

Defendants’ request to strike Plaintiff’s letters is GRANTED in part, DENIED in part. The Court will strike from the docket only those letters that contain abusive and derogatory accusations levied towards the Defendants. The Court declines to strike the remainder of Plaintiff’s letters.

Plaintiff is warned that future letters containing such information may be stricken from the docket and the Court may issue other sanctions as appropriate (e.g., requiring Plaintiff to obtain the Court’s permission before filing anything on the docket) under Fed. R. Civ. P. 16, 28 U.S.C. § 1927, and/or the Court’s inherent authority. If Plaintiff needs assistance with this case, she may contact the Pro Se Intake Unit at (212) 805-0175.

The Clerk of Court is respectfully directed to STRIKE ECF Nos. 46, 47, 50, 53, and 54 from the docket.

SO ORDERED.

_____/s/_Ona T. Wang___________ Ona T. Wang United States Magistrate Judge Dated: July 23, 2025 New York, New York