Hugunin et al v. Rocklin Unified School District et al

Filing 26

ORDER signed by Chief Judge Morrison C. England, Jr. on 08/11/15. ORDERING that the 15 Motion to Appoint Todd Vrooman as Guardian ad Litem for plaintiff S.V. is GRANTED. (Benson, A)

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PETER W. ALFERT, SBN 83139
HINTON ALFERT & KAHN LLP
200 Pringle Ave., Suite 450
Walnut Creek, California 94596
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]

TODD BOLEY, SBN 68119
ZOYA YARNYKH, SBN 258062
LAW OFFICE OF TODD BOLEY
2381 Mariner Square Drive, Suite 280
Alameda, CA 94501
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]

Attorneys for PLAINTIFFS JENNIFER
HUGUNIN, PATRICK HUGUNIN, D.H., KEITH
CALDWELL, NICOLE HILL, X.C., TRISHA PITTS,
CARL PITTS, and N.P.
ALLISON S. HYATT, SBN 217567
HYATT LAW, PC
915 Highland Pointe Drive, Suite 250
Roseville, CA 95678
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]

Attorney for PLAINTIFFS TODD VROOMAN
LAURA VROOMAN, and S.V., RICHARD ROGERS,
TERRILL ROGERS and P.R., MICHELE MANCOUR
and G.I.

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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JENNIFER HUGUNIN, PATRICK HUGUNIN,
D.H., a minor by and through his guardian ad
litem JENNIFER HUGUNIN; KEITH
CALDWELL, NICOLE HILL, X.C., a minor by
and through his guardian ad litem KEITH
CALDWELL, TRISHIA PITTS, CARL PITTS,
N.P., a minor by and through his guardian ad
litem TRISHIA PITTS, TODD VROOMAN,
LAURA VROOMAN, S.V., a minor by and
through his guardian ad litem TODD
VROOMAN, RICHARD ROGERS, TERRILL
ROGERS, P.R., a minor by and through his
guardian ad litem RICHARD ROGERS,
MICHELLE MANCOUR and G.I., a minor by
and through his guardian ad litem MICHELLE
MANCOUR,
Plaintiffs,
v.
ROCKLIN UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT,
SHERRY MCDANIEL, CHARLES
THIBIDEAU, BETTY JO WESSINGER,
JANNA CAMBRA, KEVIN BROWN, ROGER
STOCK, DR. TODD CUTLER, and DOES 1-30,
Defendants.
ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO APPOINT GUARDIAN AD
LITEM
HUGUNIN, et al., v. RUSD, et al.,

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Case No: 2:15-cv-00939-MCE-DAD
ORDER GRANTING PLAINITFFS’
MOTION TO APPOINT TODD
VROOMAN AS GUARDIAN AD
LITEM OF PLAINTIFF S.V.

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INTRODUCTION

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In this case, six minor children, and the parents of those children, have commenced an

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action against defendants Rocklin Unified School District, Sherry McDaniel, Charles Thibideau,

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Betty Jo Wessinger, Janna Cambra, Kevin Brown, Roger Stock and Dr. Todd Culter under 42

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U.S.C. § 1983 for violation of their Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights and other federal and

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state laws. The substance of their Compliant is that the minor plaintiffs’ special education teacher,

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Defendant Sherry McDaniel, subjected her students to repeated verbal and physical abuse during

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class, that they suffered physical and emotional injuries as a result, and that Defendant Charles

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Thibideau, the principal of the school, Defendant Janna Cambra, the Director of Special Education,

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and other Rocklin Unified School District administrators responded to the incidents improperly.

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Plaintiffs Todd and Laura Vrooman (“Plaintiffs”) move this Court for an order appointing Todd

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Vrooman as guardian ad litem for minor plaintiff S.V. No party has opposed the motion.

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STANDARD

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Rule 17(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides that a minor or an incompetent

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person who does not have a duly appointed representative may sue by a next friend or by a

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guardian ad litem and “[t]he court must appoint a guardian ad litem -- or issue another appropriate

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order -- to protect a minor or incompetent person who is unrepresented in an action.” See

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Fed.R.Civ.P. 17(c)(2).

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An individual’s capacity to sue is determined by the law of the individual’s domicile. Fed.

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R. Civ. P. 17(b). Under California law, an individual under the age of eighteen is a minor. Cal.

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Fam. Code § 6502. A minor may bring suit if a guardian conducts the proceedings. Cal. Fam.

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Code § 6601. In making the determination concerning the appointment of a particular guardian ad

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litem, the court shall consider whether the minor and the guardian have divergent interests. Cal.

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Code Civ. P. § 372(b)(1).

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“‘When there is a potential conflict between a perceived parental responsibility and an
-2ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO APPOINT GUARDIAN AD
LITEM
HUGUNIN, et al., v. RUSD, et al.,

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obligation to assist the court in achieving a just and speedy determination of the action,’ a court has

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a right to select a guardian ad litem who is not a parent if that guardian would best protect the

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child’s interests.” Williams v. Super. Ct., 147 Cal.App.3d 36, 49 (2007) (quoting M.S. v. Wermers,

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557 F.2d 170, 175 (8th Cir. 1977).

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A parent may serve as a minor plaintiff’s guardian ad litem provided that the parent does

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not have interests adverse to those of the child, and “[g]enerally, when a minor is represented by a

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parent who is a party to the lawsuit and who has the same interests as the child there is no inherent

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conflict of interest.” Burke v. Smith, 252 F.3d 1260, 1264 (11th Cir. 2001); see also Gonzales v.

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Reno, 86 F.Supp.2d 1167, 1185 (S.D. Fla. 2000), aff’d 212 F.3d 1338 (11th Cir. 2000) (“[W]hen a

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parent brings an action on behalf of a child, and it is evident that the interests of each are the same,

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no need exists for someone other than the parent to represent the child’s interests under Rule

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17(c).”)

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ANALYSIS

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According to the Declaration of Todd Vrooman filed in support of Plaintiffs’ Motion, S.V.

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is a minor and is currently eleven years of age. Because S.V. is under the age of eighteen, he is a

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minor under California law. Cal. Fam. Code § 6502. As a minor, his ability to bring suit is

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contingent upon appointment by the court of a guardian ad litem. Todd Vrooman is S.V.’s father

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and is also a Plaintiff in this action. Mr. Vrooman may serve as S.V.’s guardian ad litem provided

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that he does not have any interests that are adverse to S.V.

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Upon review of the Complaint, the Notice of Motion and Motion to Appoint Todd

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Vrooman as Guardian ad Litem of Plaintiff S.V. and the declaration of Todd Vrooman submitted in

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support thereof, the Court finds that Plaintiff Todd Vrooman has no interests adverse to the

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interests of S.V. Mr. Vrooman brought this action on behalf of his minor son, and thus the Court

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finds no conflict with S.V.’s claims.

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ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO APPOINT GUARDIAN AD
LITEM
HUGUNIN, et al., v. RUSD, et al.,

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CONCLUSION

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Based on the foregoing, Plaintiffs Motion to Appoint Todd Vrooman as Guardian ad Litem

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for Plaintiff S.V. is GRANTED. The Court hereby appoints Todd Vrooman as the guardian ad

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litem for S.V.

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IT IS SO ORDERED.
Dated: August 11, 2015

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ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO APPOINT GUARDIAN AD
LITEM
HUGUNIN, et al., v. RUSD, et al.,

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