Roberts v. Clark County School District
Filing
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ORDER that 116 CCSD's Motion to Compel is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part. Signed by Magistrate Judge Peggy A. Leen on 5/9/16. (Copies have been distributed pursuant to the NEF - MMM)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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DISTRICT OF NEVADA
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BRADLEY ROBERTS,
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Case No. 2:15-cv-00388-JAD-PAL
Plaintiff,
ORDER
v.
(Mot Compel Disc – Dkt. #116)
CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT,
Defendant.
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The court held a hearing on Plaintiff’s Motion to Compel Discovery of CCSD Policy
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Decisions (Dkt. #116) on March 29, 2016. Kathleen England and Danielle Barraza appeared on
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behalf of the Plaintiff, and Bruce Young appeared on behalf of the Defendant. The court has
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considered the motion, Defendant’s Opposition (Dkt. #118), Plaintiff’s Reply (Dkt. #120) and
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the arguments of counsel at the hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing, the court directed
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counsel for the CCSD to submit the documents in dispute for in camera review. Mr. Young was
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prepared to deliver the documents and provided them in open court. The court has now had an
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opportunity to review the 65 documents at issue. The court also directed counsel for CCSD to
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file and serve a description by job title and function, or any other information counsel deemed
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pertinent to assert a claim of privilege, for those individuals listed on the privileged logs, as
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sending or receiving documents withheld as privileged.
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After completing a review of the parties’ moving and responsive papers, the privileged
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logs and the documents submitted for in camera review, the Motion to Compel (Dkt. #116) is
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GRANTED in part and DENIED in part.
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BACKGROUND
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The complaint and amended complaint in this case were filed in state court and removed
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(Dkt. #1) March 4, 2015. Roberts has asserted claims for gender discrimination, retaliation in
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violation of state and federal law and a state tort claim for negligent selection, training
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supervision and/or retention.
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currently employed by Defendant Clark County School District (“CCSD”) as a police officer.
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Amended Complaint ¶14. He started as a part-time campus monitor in 1992 and was hired as a
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school police officer in March 1994.
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identified as female until late-2009 when he began formally transitioning to male. Id. ¶17.
Plaintiff Bradley Roberts (“Roberts”) is a transgender man
Id. ¶¶15-16.
He was born biologically female and
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By the beginning of the 2011 school year, he was identifying himself as a male
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transgender person. Id. Since then Roberts has been subjected to harassment and humiliation in
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his CCSD work place which began when he asked to have his records changed. Id. ¶18. Roberts
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believes CCSD had no policies or procedures in place for his request to be handled in a
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respectful and dignified manner, or that supervisory or managerial personnel were ignorant of
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any policies and procedures. Id. Roberts was subjected to inappropriate comments pertaining to
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his sexuality and experience, and to overly intrusive and unnecessary demands for information
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about his gender and genitalia by CCSD employees including supervisors and managers. Id.
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¶19. There were numerous meetings in the workplace in October and November 2011, with
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CCSD personnel. Id. ¶ 20. Roberts was sometimes given conflicting directions and was told
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others were complaining about him. Id. ¶21. CCSD allowed complaints to continue, did not
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address them, and demanded that Roberts produce overly intrusive medical and personal
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documentation. Id. Roberts believed that if he did not comply with the requests he would not be
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permitted to “function and present himself as male.” Id.
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CCSD’s actions interfered with his ability to properly perform his duties as a police
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officer and created troublesome situations which were blamed on him. Id. ¶22. At one point,
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Roberts was told he would be required to use the female restroom. Id. To avoid this awkward
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situation, Roberts was told to avoid and did avoid using any CCSD restroom facilities. Id. For a
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period of time he was forced to use outside commercial facilities. Id.
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CCSD’s actions resulted in unnecessary disclosure of Roberts’ private, personal and/or
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medical information to his supervisors and co-workers which subjected him to harassment and
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hostile work environment. Id. ¶23. In 2012, CCSD issued or instituted policies and procedures
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directed at transgender persons. Id. The policies seemed to be targeting Officer Roberts. Id. A
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memo prohibited CCSD police department employees from using children’s restrooms unless
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prior authorization was secured from the school principal. Id. Officer Roberts was summoned to
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CCSD police department headquarters and required to sit and read the memo. Id. Roberts is
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aware of no other CCSD police department employee who was required to do so. Id.
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In the current motion, Roberts seeks to compel CCSD to produce 65 documents withheld on
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the basis of attorney-client and work-product privilege. All 65 documents were listed in a series
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of privileged document logs as privileged based on the attorney-client privilege and work-
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product protection.
DISCUSSION
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I.
Legal Standards.
a. The Attorney-Client Privilege.
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The attorney-client privilege protects confidential disclosures made by a client to an
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attorney to obtain legal advice and an attorney’s advice in response to such disclosures. United
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States v. Chen, 99 F.3d 1495, 1501 (9th Cir. 1996) (quotation omitted), cert. denied, 520 U.S.
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1167 (1997). “The attorney-client privilege is the oldest of the privileges for confidential
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communications known to the common law.” Upjohn Co., v. United States, 449 U.S. 383, 389
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(1981). It serves to protect confidential communications between a party and its attorney in
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order to encourage “full and frank communication between attorneys and their clients and
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thereby promote broader public interests in the observance of law and administration of justice.”
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Id. The privilege applies where legal advice of any kind is sought from a professional legal
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advisor in her capacity as such, and the communication relates to that purpose, and is made in
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confidence by or for the client. Id. The Ninth Circuit has adopted Dean Wigmore's articulation
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of the elements of the attorney-client privilege: (1) where legal advice of any kind is sought, (2)
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from a professional legal advisor in his or her capacity as such, (3) the communications relating
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to that purpose, (4) made in confidence, (5) by the client, (6) are, at that instance, permanently
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protected, (7) from disclosure by the client or by the legal advisor, and (8) unless the protection
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is waived. In re: Fischel, 557 F.2d 209, 211 (9th Cir.1977); Admiral Insurance Co. v. U.S. Dist.
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Ct., 881 F.2d 1486, 1492 (9th Cir.1989).
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“The burden is on the party asserting the privilege to establish all the elements of the
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privilege.” United States v. Martin, 378 F.3d 988, 999–1000 (9th Cir.2002). The party asserting
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the attorney-client privilege must establish the attorney-client relationship and the privileged
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nature of the communication. United States v. Bauer, 132 F.3d 504, 507 (9th Cir.1997). A party
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claiming the attorney-client privilege “must identify specific communications and the grounds
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supporting the privilege as to each piece of evidence over which privilege is asserted.” Martin,
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278 F.3d at 1000. Blanket assertions of attorney-client privilege are “extremely disfavored.” Id.
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Additionally, “the communication must be between the client and lawyer for the purpose of
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obtaining legal advice.”
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communications with that person privileged.” Id. at 999. The party asserting the privilege must,
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at a minimum, make a prima facie showing that the privilege protects the information the party
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intends to withhold. In re Grand Jury Investigation, 974 F.2d 1068, 1071 (9th Cir.1992).
Id.
“The fact that a person is a lawyer does not make all
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Not all communications between an attorney and client are privileged. Information such
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as the identity of the client, the amount of the fee, the identification of payment by case file
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name, the general purpose of the work performed, and whether an attorney coached a client in
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his testimony is not privileged. See, e.g., United States v. Carrillo, 16 F.3d 1046, 1050 (9th Cir.
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1994); Clarke v. American Commerce Nat’l Bank, 974 F.2d 127, 129 (9th Cir. 1992). Similarly,
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when an attorney is merely communicating information, such as an order to appear in court, the
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communications between the attorney and the client are not privileged. United States v. Gray,
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876 F.2d 1411 (9th Cir. 1989) (holding attorney-client privilege did not preclude lawyer from
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testifying he advised client of the sentencing date in prosecution of client for failure to appear);
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McKay v. Commissioner, 886 F.2d 1237 (9th Cir. 1989) (holding testimony of taxpayer’s
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attorney that the gave taxpayer a copy of deficiency notice from the IRS in ample time to file a
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petition timely did not violate the attorney-client privilege).
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The attorney-client privilege is a rule of evidence; it has not been held a constitutional
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right. Clutchette v. Rushen, 770 F.2d 1469, 1471 (9th Cir. 1985). “Because it impedes the full
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and free discovery of the truth, the attorney-client privilege is strictly construed.” Weil v.
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Investment/Indicators, Research and Management, Inc., 647 F.2d 18, 24 (9th Cir. 1980). The
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party asserting the attorney-client privilege has the burden of proving the attorney-client
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privilege applies. Id. at 25. “One of the elements that the asserting party must prove is that it
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has not waived the privilege.” Id. The attorney-client privilege is waived when communications
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are made in the presence of third parties. United States v. Gann, 732 F.2d 714, 723 (9th Cir.),
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cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1034 (1984). It is well established that “voluntary disclosure of the
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content of a privileged attorney communication constitutes a waiver of the privilege as to all
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other such communications on the same subject.” Id. In Weil, the Ninth Circuit recognized that
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waiver of the privilege “may be effected by implication” and by inadvertent disclosure. Id.
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Additionally, “the subjective intent of the party asserting the privilege is only one factor to be
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considered in determining whether waiver should be implied.” Id.
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Any disclosure inconsistent with maintaining the confidential nature of the attorney-client
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relationship waives the privilege. United States v. Zolin, 809 F.2d 1411, 1415 (9th Cir. 1987),
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rev’d in part on other grounds by 491 U.S. 554 (1989). The Ninth Circuit employs a three-prong
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test to determine whether a waiver of the attorney-client privilege has occurred. United States v.
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Amlani, 169 F.3d 1189, 1195 (9th Cir. 1999). First, the court considers whether a party is
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asserting the attorney-client privilege as a result of some affirmative act. Id. Second, the court
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examines whether the party asserting the privilege through an affirmative act has put the
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privileged information at issue. Id. Third, the court evaluates whether allowing the privilege
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would deny the opposing party access to information vital to its case. Id.
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There are many contexts in which the courts have held that a party waives the attorney-
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client privilege by affirmatively relying on the advice of counsel to support a claim or defense.
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See, e.g., Trans World Airlines, Inc. v. Hughes, 332 F.2d 602, 615 (2nd Cir.1964), cert. denied,
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380 U.S. 248, 85 S.Ct. 934, 13 L.Ed.2d 817 (1965) (attorney client privilege waived where the
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advice of counsel defense raised in an antitrust case and attorney had submitted an affidavit to
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the Civil Aeronautics Board); Livingstone v. North Belle Vernon Boro., 91 F.3d 515, 537 (3rd
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Cir.1996) (civil rights plaintiff who asserted she relied on advice of counsel in waiving the right
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to sue put advice of counsel in issue and waived privilege); United States v. Amlani, 169 F.3d
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1189, 1195-96 (9th Cir.1999) (client asserting he discharged attorney for certain reasons cannot
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invoke the attorney-client privilege to deny government counsel access to the information needed
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to refute claim); Tsai-Son Nguyen v. Excel Corp., 197 F.3d 200 (5th Cir.1999) (executive
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deponents claiming during deposition that they relied on advice of counsel to substantiate good
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faith defense to violation of federal law waived attorney-client privilege, and opposing counsel
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could depose the attorneys on whose advice deponents testified they relied); Johnson v. Rauland-
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Borg Corp., 961 F.Supp. 208, 211 (N.D. Ill. 1997) (employer who asserted it acted reasonably by
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employing outside attorney to investigate Title VII claim waived privilege); Hernandez v
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Tanninen, 604 F 3d. 1095, 1100 (9th Cir. 2010) (attorney-client privilege waived in a race and
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national origin discrimination lawsuit where Plaintiff relied on communications and notes about
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Defendant with former attorney to support motion for summary judgement).
b. The Qualified Work Product Privilege.
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The work-product doctrine is a qualified privilege that protects “certain materials
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prepared by an attorney acting for his client in anticipation of litigation.” United States v Nobles,
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422 U.S.225, 237-238 (1975) (internal quotation marks omitted). (“At its core the work product
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doctrine shelters the mental processes of the attorney, providing a privileged area within which
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he can analyze and prepare his client’s case.”). The work-product doctrine “is an intensely
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practical one” which protects materials prepared by attorneys and their agents. Id at 238-39.
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Unlike the attorney-client privilege which is waived by voluntary disclosure, the work-product
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privilege is not waived unless voluntary disclosure to a third party “has substantially increased
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the opportunities for potential adversaries to obtain the information.” Goff V Harris Operating
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Co. Inc., 240 F.R.D. 659 (D. Nev. 2007) (citations omitted).
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II.
Analysis and Decision.
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Applying these principles the court finds that many of the documents CCSD has withheld
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on the grounds of attorney-client privilege are not privileged or that CCSD has waived any
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potential privilege by voluntarily disclosing the advice of its counsel relied upon to support its
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good-faith defense in this case. It is undisputed that CCSD disclosed some of the documents
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withheld in its privileged document logs to the EEOC in its response to Plaintiff’s administrative
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claims. CCSD relied upon legal advice of in-house counsel and conveyed that legal advice to the
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EEOC to explain and justify its decision to deny Roberts’ use of the men’s restroom associated
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with his gender identity. Although counsel for CCSD argues that CCSD is not relying on the
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advice of counsel as a defense to this action, CCSD disclosed the advice of counsel to the EEOC
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to support its claim that its actions with respect to Bradley were justified and complied with
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existing law. CCSD has also asserted an affirmative good-faith defense in its answer which
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claims its actions were justified and complied with existing law. Some of the documents merely
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disclosed factual information gleaned during the course of CCSD’s internal investigation which
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was then communicated either to Bradley and/or the EEOC.
Some of the documents
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memorialize meetings with Bradley, decisions regarding CCSD’s positons on Bradley’s request
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for a name change and use of the men’s room, and the rationales for those decisions, which were
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then communicated to Bradley. None of these documents are privileged.
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Although CCSD has waived its attorney-client privilege on the advice of counsel and
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communications to Bradley and the EEOC which formed the basis for denying Roberts’ use of
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the men’s restroom, it has not waived its qualified work product protection. The work product
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protection serves a different purpose than the attorney-client privilege, and is intended to allow
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the client to retain the benefits of the lawyers’ work without intrusion of opposing parties and
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their counsel. In reviewing the privileged document logs and documents themselves, very few of
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the documents qualify for work-product protection. However, the court finds CCSD has not
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waived its qualified work product immunity by disclosing some arguably attorney-client
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privileged documents to the EEOC during its investigation, or by asserting a good-faith defense
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to the claims in this complaint.
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In summary, CCSD has waived the attorney-client privilege on the subject matter of
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matters disclosed to the EEOC by placing its interpretation of the law and its communications
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with counsel directly at issue. It has not waived its work-product protection for materials on the
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same subject matter, only those materials provided to the EEOC which a plaintiff may obtain
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when requesting the EEOC file in discovery.
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For the reasons explained,
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IT IS ORDERED that CCSD’s Motion to Compel (Dkt. #116) is GRANTED in part
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and DENIED in part.
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1. Defendant CCSD shall produce documents listed in it Privileged Logs Nos. 1 through
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8, 13 through 15, 18 through 22, 26, 27 (redacted of the last paragraph), 28, 30, 34
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through 41, 44 through 47, 52, 54, 63 and 65 no later than May 19, 2016
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2. The motion is denied in all other respects.
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Dated this 9th day of May, 2016.
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_____________________________________
Peggy A. Leen
United States Magistrate Judge
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