Professional Documents
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Simmons, #9936
Joshua Townsend Sr., #8001
Simmons Townsend PLLC
Defendant.
High School (hereinafter “Ridgevue”), in the Vallivue School District No. 139, (hereinafter
“District”) who is currently scheduled to graduate in Spring of 2019. Recently, on February 23,
2018, the District, without disclosing witness statements or producing a singe witness against
B.W., expelled B.W. for one calendar year based on allegations of sexual harassment and
bullying.
Prior to his expulsion, B.W. was enrolled in advanced classes including Advance
Physiology. Plaintiff was an honor roll student every term during his enrollment at Ridgevue
and maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.363. B.W. was also part of the Ridgevue
On February 9, 2008, B.W. and two of his friends, J.M. and M.S. were engaging in
horse play in the locker room of Ridgevue. A video of such horse play was uploaded to “Snap
Chat” by M.S. Three days later, when faculty learned of the video, J.M., M.S., and B.W. were
asked to provide written statements. B.W. was detained by the school resource officer, a
Nampa Police Officer, and denied access to his parental guardian before and while making the
written statement.
The next day a school board hearing was held where the Vice Principal read the
Eventually BW tackled JM down to the ground and continued to pin him down,
using his key and jabbing in in various parts of the body. BW eventually probed
JM in the buttocks where it has been reported that the key penetrated the
rectum. At this point, BW or MS referred to the event as an "oil check". Victim
reports multiple incidents of penetration with the key. JM got up and ran out of
the locker room. MS was recording the incident and send the footage to BW.
KB was a witness. Moments later, after the students had taken showers, BW
went over to JM in the PE locker room and poured shampoo on his head.
Later that day the incident was on snapchat and available for others to see.
Victim stated that he saw the video on BW's phone.
No written statements were presented, no basis for the statement read into the
record was given, no witnesses were presented. 1 Upon reading the aforementioned statement,
the board asked Plaintiff if the statement was accurate or if there was anything to add. Although
Plaintiff denied “penetrating the rectum,” on the advice of Superintendent Pat Charlton, the
A second hearing was held on February 20, 2018. Again, no written statements
1
Although it is unclear what was provided in the DDRC packet, it is believed that the board received the
written witness statements of students J.M., M.S., and K.B. and adult faculty Tom Dewitz, Neil Stuzman, and Ryan
Anderson. It is also believed that the investigative report read into the record was based upon these witness
statements.
“I deny that the key penetrated his rectum. I jabbed him but at no point did it
go up his butt or into his rectum. I do take full responsibility for what I did. [. .
.] This was not an attack. I’ve never had a problem with [J.M.]. It was boys
being boys . . .”
The board, without offering any explanation, decided to expel B.W. for one year.
Thereafter, B.W. obtained counsel and through counsel requested a new hearing in
which the witnesses against B.W., whom gave written statements (which were not provided to
counsel until two weeks after the expulsion hearing), could be present so that B.W. could
inquire into and seek clarification of some of the accusations made and into some of the
erroneous recollections provided. The District originally agreed to provide a new hearing but a
month later and a mere two hours before the hearing, rescinded its agreement and cancelled
the hearing.
B.W. has filed with the Court an action for declaratory judgement and damages for
violation of his due process rights. B.W. has also requested in the Complaint and herein that
the Court enter a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction preventing the
District from enforcing the expulsion in violation of Planitiff’s due process rights. If the
expulsion is enforced in the interim, any recovery by B.W. would be futile because he would
already have lost the year of education he is entitled to. The harm to B.W. from the expulsion
This Court properly issues a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction
where there are serious questions going to the merits, irreparable injury to the plaintiff is
likely, the balance of hardships tips in the plaintiff’s favor, and injunction is in the public
interest. M.R. v. Dreyfus, No. 11-35026, 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 24986 at * 18, 663 F.3d 1100,
1107–08 (9th Cir. Dec. 16, 2011). However, the Plaintiff need not make an absolute showing
of each of those four elements. Rather, they can overcome a weak showing of one element
with a strong showing of another. Vanguard Outdoor, LLC, v. City of Los Angeles, 648 F.3d
III. ARGUMENT
A. Because the District Did Not Present Witnesses or Witness Statements, there are
Serious Questions Going to the Merits of the Plaintiffs’ Procedural Due Process.
The District expelled B.W. after two hearings. However, the District did not produce a
single witness at either hearing, did not allow B.W. to cross examine adverse witnesses and
did not allow B.W. to review the written statements made against him. Federal due process
and Idaho law both require much more form the District.
The Idaho Constitution, the Idaho legislature, and the federal government have
repeatedly recognized a child’s right to a free common education. I.C. § 6-2203, et. seq.;
Thornock v. Boise Indep. Sch. Dist., 115 Idaho 466, 470, 767 P.2d 1241, 1245 (1988); Doe v.
The United State Supreme Court has held over 40 years ago that “[h]aving chosen to
may not withdraw that right on grounds of misconduct, absent fundamentally fair
procedures to determine whether the misconduct has occurred.” Goss v. Lopez, 419
U.S. 565, 574, 95 S. Ct. 729, 736 (1975) (analyzing identical Ohio education law).
Id. quoting Tinker v. Des Moines School Dist., 393 U.S. 503, 506 (1969), and West Virginia
As the United States Supreme Court recognized, “‘education is perhaps the most
important function of state and local governments,’ and the total exclusion from the
educational process for more than a trivial period, and certainly if the suspension is for 10
days, is a serious event in the life of the suspended child.” Goss v. Lopez, 419 U.S. 565, 576
(1975) quoting Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483, 493 (1954).
constitutionally be imposed by any procedure the school chooses, no matter how arbitrary.”
Goss, 419 U.S. at 576. Likewise, “[t]he Due Process Clause also forbids arbitrary deprivations
of liberty. ‘Where a person’s good name, reputation, honor, or integrity is at stake because of
what the government is doing to him,’ the minimal requirements of the Clause must be
satisfied.” Id. quoting Wisconsin v. Constantineau, 400 U.S. 433, 437 (1971); Board of
In Goss v. Lopez, School authorities suspended the appellant students from school for
10 days based on charges of misconduct. Id. The United States Supreme Court held that due
process applied to the suspension because “[i]f sustained and recorded, those charges could
seriously damage the students’ standing with their fellow pupils and their teachers as well as
interfere with later opportunities for higher education and employment.” Id. at 574-75. The
Court went on to hold that “[i]t is apparent that the claimed right of the State to determine
unilaterally and without process whether that misconduct has occurred immediately collides
The District in this case went even further than the school board in Goss by expelling
B.W. for an entire year. Regardless of what Idaho law requires, the clear and unequivocal
precedent set forth in Goss requires that B.W. be afforded due process before he is expelled for
allegations of misconduct. B.W. was denied even the most basic notions of due process.
a) Notice of the Allegations and the Factual Basis for the Allegations is
required
United States v. James Daniel Good Real Prop., 510 U.S. 43, 77 (1993). Without any notice of
the information being used against him and the actual facts alleged, B.W. was unable to
meaningfully defend himself before the panel. In re Gault, 387 U.S. 1, 21 (1967).
The notice requirement “lies at the heart of due process.” Gray Panthers v. Schweiker,
652 F.2d 146, 168 (D.C. Cir. 1980). “‘The fundamental requisite of due process of law is the
opportunity to be heard,’ a right that ‘has little reality or worth unless one is informed that the
matter is pending and can choose for himself whether to . . . contest.’” Goss v. Lopez, 419 U.S.
565, 579 (1975) quoting Grannis v. Ordean, 234 U.S. 385, 394 (1914).
“Part of the function of notice is to give the charged party a chance to marshal the facts
in his defense and to clarify what the charges are, in fact.” Wolff v. McDonnell, 418 U.S. 539,
564 (1974). As such, adequate notice, must “set forth the alleged misconduct with
particularity” so that the student can challenge both the application of the law to their factual
circumstances and the factual premises of the school’s action. see e.g. In re Gault, 387 U.S. 1,
19-20 (1967).
after he was referred to the system for “deviational behavior”—specifically for making a lewd
notice of the allegations until the fact finding hearing. The Court held that where the “initial
hearing” is a hearing on the merits[,] Notice at that time is not timely.” Id. at 33.
B.W. was not given notice of the factual allegations against him until the Vice
Principle read the investigative report before the panel. B.W. wasn’t given notice of what
information was relied on for the investigative report until almost a month after his expulsion.
Without notice of the factual allegations against him, the witness statements, or an opportunity
to hear or question the adverse witnesses, B.W. and the District, had no ability to evaluate the
truth of the facts behind the allegations, and B.W. had no way of disproving inaccurate witness
B.W. was further denied any meaningful opportunity to question the allegations when
he was told by a member and leader of the judging panel, Superintendent Pat Charlton, that he
should “take responsibility” and “everything would be OK.” Under the influence of Mr.
Charlton, and with little information to dispute, B.W. disputed what he could but generally
apologized for what he believed the “wrongdoing” to be—wrestling in the locker room.
has resulted in instances, which might have been avoided, of unfairness to individuals and
inadequate or inaccurate findings of fact and unfortunate prescriptions of remedy.” Id. Had
B.W. had prior notice of the witness statements, the investigative report, and the boards
understanding of the “incident,” B.W. could and would have—as best he could without being
that ultimately resulted in his expulsion. Perhaps, had the board heard the true nature of the
“incident”—wrestling in the locker room—they would not have proscribed the “unfortunate”
and “extreme” remedy of expulsion and B.W. could be in school pursuing his education rather
While “[t]he requirement of a prior hearing will depend primarily on the nature of the
penalty imposed, the extent to which the underlying facts are in dispute, and the need for swift
action to preserve order and discipline within the school.” Black Coal. v. Portland Sch. Dist.,
484 F.2d 1040, 1044 (9th Cir. 1973). In addition to notice, in cases of expulsion, the United
States Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit have unequivocally stated that the Fourteenth
Amendment’s Due Process requires the opportunity to question adverse witnesses. Id.; Goss v.
Lopez, 419 U.S. 565, 584 (1975). Similar to the federal due process requirements, Idaho law
requires that the student be given the right “to cross-examine any adult witnesses who may
B.W. was not made aware of the allegations against him—inter alia that he “attacked”
another student and “penetrated his rectum” with a car key—until Vice Principle Berquist read
the investigative summary before the panel. Additionally, B.W. was not informed of the
witness statements given to the panel, the contents or those statements, or the authors of those
statements. Although it is believed that the board and the investigative report relied on written
Stuzman, and Ryan Anderson, B.W. was not informed of these witnesses nor allowed to
question these witnesses or their statements. No witnesses testified in person to the panel at
either hearing and B.W. was given no opportunity to cross examine the adult nor student
witnesses or question their written statements since B.W. was not made aware of those
statements.
The discipline and expulsion hearings conducted by the District lacked any and all
forms of due process and were conducted in clear violation of Plaintiff’s Constitutional rights.
Based on the case law set forth above and the facts of this case, there are not only serious
questions going to the merits of Plaintiff’s due process claims but serious questions going to
the merits of the grounds for expulsion and the hearing conducted by the District. As such,
Plaintiff should be granted a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction preventing
the District enforcing the expulsion, disparaging or defaming B.W., or otherwise reprimanding
B.W. in any way, including athletic or academic restrictions; and require the District to
reinstate and re-enroll B.W., with full rights and standing, at Ridgevue High School until this
Court adjudicates Plaintiff’s due process rights and the District conducts a proper hearing with
B. Enforcing the Expulsion of Plaintiff without First Requiring a Proper Hearing with
Notice and the Right to Cross Examine Adverse Witnesses will Irreparably Harm
Plaintiff.
One of the fundamental purposes for due process is to avoid “the risk of an erroneous
additional or substitute procedural safeguards.” Mathews v. Eldridge, 424 U.S. 319, 334-35
(1976)
[T]he procedural rules which have been fashioned from the generality of due
process are our best instruments for the distillation and evaluation of essential
facts from the conflicting welter of data that life and our adversary methods
present. It is these instruments of due process which enhance the possibility that
truth will emerge from the confrontation of opposing versions and conflicting
data. ‘Procedure is to law what 'scientific method' is to science.’
In re Gault, 387 U.S. 1, 21 (1967). As stated above, without the meaningful hearing and an
opportunity to challenge the evidence and testimony relied upon, the District had no way of
confirming the witness statements—which were largely based on hearsay—or verify the true
nature of the “incident.” Without procedural safeguards guaranteed by the Courts and the
Constitution, there is a substantial likelihood that the factual allegations asserted against B.W.
turn out to be incorrect and a substantial likelihood that B.W. should have never been expelled
in the first place. However, by allowing the District to expel B.W. while this Court decides the
Regardless of whether B.W. is correct and is entitled to a new and procedurally proper
hearing before the board, if B.W. remains expelled during this litigation then any new hearing
granted at the end would be moot because, even if the expulsion is reversed, B.W. would have
nevertheless been out of school—and expelled—for the entirety of the one year expulsion and
would have nevertheless lost the opportunity to graduate next year and to play sports—or gain
athletic scholarships—as a senior. B.W. would likely lose any potential athletic scholarships
injunction preventing the District enforcing the expulsion, disparaging or defaming B.W., or
otherwise reprimanding B.W. in any way, including athletic or academic restrictions; and
require the District to reinstate and re-enroll B.W., with full rights and standing, at Ridgevue
High School until this Court adjudicates Plaintiff’s due process rights and the District conducts
In an expulsion situation, the United States Supreme Court has held that the students
interest in not erroneously being excluded from education and the accompanying social and
students. Goss v. Lopez, 419 U.S. 565, 580 (1975). Specifically, the Court explained it’s
reasoning as follows:
School’s interest in expediency is valid, “We do not believe that school authorities must be
totally free from notice and hearing requirements if their schools are to operate with acceptable
The competing interests in this case are almost identical to those in Goss. While the
District faces some difficulties in conducting a more thorough and reliable fact finding and
evidentiary hearing, the consequences to B.W. for the failure of that slight hardship affect his
reputation, his current education, his collegiate education, and his future employment
opportunities. Contrary to B.W., who would have no remedy if the expulsion is served and then
found to be wrongful, in the event that B.W. does not prevail on his claims before this Court,
the District suffers no detriment from the temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction
Furthermore, this Court should grant the temporary restraining order because, in light of
missing the spring semester awaiting a proper hearing, B.W. is required to take summer school
classes in order to graduate next spring and enrollment in those classes has already begun.
As discussed in detail supra, it is this extreme deprivation and the consequences the
expulsion creates that not only justify the procedural safeguards the United State Supreme
Court has prescribed but that justify the Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary
Injunction requested.
uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools.” ID Const. Sec. 1 Art. 9. Stated
in the express language of the mandate is that the “[t]he stability of a republican form of
government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people[.]” Id. As such, the public
interest in not wrongfully denying B.W. an education is the same compelling reason that give
government.
In cases involving the public interest, no bond or a nominal bond is appropriate when
granting a preliminary injunction. Save Our Sonoran, Inc. v. Flowers, 408 F.3d 1113, 1126
(9th Cir. 2005). This case involves the public interest in providing a free education to its
citizens. Secondly, the Plaintiff is entitled to finish his high school education whether that be
right now or after his one-year expulsion. Thus, the District will suffer no financial costs from
the Court enjoining Plaintiff’s one-year expulsion because, regardless, B.W. is entitled to the
same amount of education from the District. Lastly, the Court should not require the bond
because the Plaintiff is a minor of little to no financial means, any bond required would be
unfeasible. As such, the Plaintiff requests that the Court not set a bond for the preliminary
relief he seeks.
IV. CONCLUSION
restraining order and preliminary injunction preventing the District enforcing the expulsion,
disparaging or defaming B.W., or otherwise reprimanding B.W. in any way with regard to
the “incident”, including athletic or academic restrictions; and require the District to reinstate
and re-enroll Plaintiff, with full rights and standing, at Ridgevue High School until this
Court adjudicates Plaintiff’s due process rights and the District conducts a proper hearing