Mateo v. Gundrum et al

Filing 34

MEMORANDUM-DECISION AND ORDER: ORDERED that Magistrate Judge George H. Lowe's August 30, 2011 Report-Recommendation and Order (Dkt. No. 32 ) is ADOPTED in its entirety; ORDERED that defendants' motion to dismiss (Dkt. No. 27 ) is GRANTED in part as follows: (1) with respect to the due process claims against defendant Martin; (2) all claims against the DOCCS; (3) all claims against defendant Martuscello; and (4) the conspiracy claims. ORDERED that defendants' motion to dismiss ( Dkt. No. 27 ) is DENIED in part with respect to the retaliation claims against Gundrum and Martin, and the claims against John Doe dental technician; ORDERED that all claims against DOCCS are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE and DOCCS is TERMINATED as a par ty; ORDERED that all claims against Martuscello are DISMISSED with leave to renew; ORDERED that Mateo's conspiracy claims against all defendants are DISMISSED with leave to renew. ORDERED that pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2), Mateo 9;s due process claims against Gundrum are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE; ORDERED that pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2), Mateo's Eighth Amendment claims against Gundrum and Martin are DISMISSED with leave to renew; ORDERED that Mateo identify and serve John Doe dental technician within sixty (60) days of this order; ORDERED that Mateo may - in accordance with the requirements of N.D.N.Y. L.R. 7.1(a)(4) - file a Second Amended Complaint, if he can, in good faith, allege sufficient facts to cure the deficiencies articulated in Judge Lowe's R&R, within thirty (30) days of this order; ORDERED that defendants file the appropriate responsive pleadings within the time allotted by the rules; ORDERED that the parties notify Magistrate Ju dge Lowe in order to schedule further proceedings in accordance with this order. ORDERED that the Clerk provide a copy of this Memorandum-Decision and Order to the parties by mail and certified mail. Signed by Judge Gary L. Sharpe on 11/3/11. (Attachments: # 1 r&r of Magistrate Lowe) {order served via regular mail and cert. mail on all non-ecf parties}(nas)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
____________________________________
CESAR MATEO,
Plaintiff,

9:10-cv-1103
(GLS/GHL)

v.
M. GUNDRUM et al.,
Defendants
____________________________________
APPEARANCES:
OF COUNSEL:
FOR THE PLAINTIFF:
Cesar Mateo
Pro Se
01-A-4789
Sing Sing Correctional Facility
354 Hunter Street
Ossining, NY 10562
FOR THE DEFENDANTS:
HON. ERIC T. SCHNEIDERMAN
New York State Attorney General
The Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

JAMES SEAMAN
Assistant Attorney General

Gary L. Sharpe
District Court Judge
MEMORANDUM-DECISION AND ORDER
I. Introduction
Plaintiff pro se Cesar Mateo brings this action under 42 U.S.C. §

1983 alleging retaliation for filing multiple grievances, and violations of his
due process and Eighth Amendment rights. (See Compl., Dkt. No. 1.) In a
Report-Recommendation and Order (R&R) filed August 30, 2011,
Magistrate Judge George H. Lowe recommended that the defendants’
motion to dismiss be granted in part and denied in part.1 (See generally
R&R, Dkt. No. 32.) Pending are defendants’ objections to the R&R. (Dkt.
No. 33.) For the reasons that follow, the R&R is adopted in its entirety.
II. Standard of Review
Before entering final judgment, this court routinely reviews all report
and recommendation orders in cases it has referred to a magistrate judge.
If a party has objected to specific elements of the magistrate judge’s
findings and recommendations, this court reviews those findings and
recommendations de novo. See Almonte v. N.Y. State Div. of Parole, No.
04-cv-484, 2006 WL 149049, at *6-7 (N.D.N.Y. Jan. 18, 2006). In those
cases where no party has filed an objection, or only a vague or general
objection has been filed, this court reviews the findings and
recommendations of the magistrate judge for clear error. See id.

1

The Clerk is directed to append the R&R to this decision, and familiarity therewith is
presumed.

2

III. Discussion
Defendants raise two specific objections to Judge Lowe’s R&R: (1)
Mateo failed to plead sufficient facts to establish a retaliation claim against
Gundrum and Martin, and (2) Mateo should not be granted leave to replead
certain claims. (See generally Dkt. No. 33.) The court will address each of
these objections in turn.
A.

Retaliation claims
Defendants aver that Mateo has not alleged adverse action or

causation—two of the three elements of a retaliation claim, see, e.g., Gill v.
Pidlypchak, 389 F.3d 379, 380 (2d Cir. 2004)—because the “loss of
commissary and recreation privileges for 13 days and loss of one work
task” is de minimis, and thus does not constitute adverse action. (See Dkt.
No. 33 at 1-4.) In support of this position, defendants cite a number of
cases which state that “the temporary loss of prison privileges does not
constitute adverse retaliatory action.” (See Dkt. No. 33 at 2-3.) While
defendants’ argument may be true, the court is unpersuaded—at this
juncture—in light of two distinguishing factors: (1) as defendants note, the
majority of the cases cited were decided on summary judgment; and (2) the
sole case decided on a motion to dismiss predated the Supreme Court’s
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decision in Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. 1937, 1949-50 (2009), which further
explicated the “plausibility” standard.
In light of that standard, and the Second Circuit’s caution against
premature dismissal of potentially meritorious retaliation claims, the court
concludes Mateo has plead “factual content that allows [it] to draw the
reasonable inference that the defendant[s] [are] liable for the misconduct
alleged.” See id. Accordingly, Judge Lowe’s recommendation that the
defendants’ motion be denied with respect to the retaliation claims against
Gundrum and Martin is adopted.
B.

Leave to replead
Defendants next object to Judge Lowe’s recommendation that the

court grant Mateo leave to replead his claims against Martuscello, the
conspiracy claims, and the Eighth Amendment claims against Gundrum
and Martin. (See Dkt. No. 33 at 4-6.) These objections are without merit.
Being that this is the first time that Mateo has been alerted to the
deficiencies in his Amended Complaint, leave to replead is appropriate,
and within the court’s discretion to grant. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)(2). As
such, Mateo may file a Second Amended Complaint—if he so
chooses—consistent with Judge Lowe’s R&R. The Second Amended
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Complaint must be filed within thirty (30) days of the date of this order and
strictly comply with the requirements of, inter alia, N.D.N.Y. L.R. 7.1(a)(4)
and Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(b). If plaintiff elects to file a Second Amended
Complaint, defendant shall have fourteen (14) days to file the appropriate
response, and/or renew its motion to dismiss.
IV. Conclusion
Having addressed defendants’ specific objections de novo, and
otherwise finding no clear error in the R&R, the court accepts and adopts
Judge Lowe’s R&R in its entirety.
WHEREFORE, for the foregoing reasons, it is hereby
ORDERED that Magistrate Judge George H. Lowe’s August 30, 2011
Report-Recommendation and Order (Dkt. No. 32) is ADOPTED in its
entirety; and it is further
ORDERED that defendants’ motion to dismiss (Dkt. No. 27) is
GRANTED in part as follows:
(1)

with respect to the due process claims against defendant
Martin;

(2)

all claims against the DOCCS;

(3)

all claims against defendant Martuscello; and
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(4)

the conspiracy claims; and it is further

ORDERED that defendants’ motion to dismiss (Dkt. No. 27) is
DENIED in part with respect to the retaliation claims against Gundrum and
Martin, and the claims against John Doe dental technician; and it is further
ORDERED that all claims against DOCCS are DISMISSED WITH
PREJUDICE and DOCCS is TERMINATED as a party; and it is further
ORDERED that all claims against Martuscello are DISMISSED with
leave to renew; and it is further
ORDERED that Mateo’s conspiracy claims against all defendants are
DISMISSED with leave to renew; and it is further
ORDERED that pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2), Mateo’s due
process claims against Gundrum are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE; and
it is further
ORDERED that pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2), Mateo’s Eighth
Amendment claims against Gundrum and Martin are DISMISSED with
leave to renew; and it is further
ORDERED that Mateo identify and serve John Doe dental technician
within sixty (60) days of this order; and it is further
ORDERED that Mateo may—in accordance with the requirements of
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N.D.N.Y. L.R. 7.1(a)(4)—file a Second Amended Complaint, if he can, in
good faith, allege sufficient facts to cure the deficiencies articulated in
Judge Lowe’s R&R, within thirty (30) days of this order; and it is further
ORDERED that defendants file the appropriate responsive pleadings
within the time allotted by the rules; and it is further
ORDERED that the parties notify Magistrate Judge Lowe in order to
schedule further proceedings in accordance with this order; and it is further
ORDERED that the Clerk provide a copy of this MemorandumDecision and Order to the parties by mail and certified mail.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
November 3, 2011
Albany, New York

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