No. 18-249

Madeleine Connor v. Eric Castro, et al.

Lower Court: Fifth Circuit
Docketed: 2018-08-28
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: 42-usc-1983 civil-rights due-process federal-procedure free-speech government-retaliation lugar-v-edmondson rule-15-supplementation section-1983 standing state-action twombly-iqbal
Key Terms:
SocialSecurity
Latest Conference: 2018-10-05
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the Court of Appeals erred in affirming the district court's denial of Petitioner's request to supplement her pleading under Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(d), where the email at issue evidences government retaliation as a matter of law and satisfies this Court's Lugar test to demonstrate state action' under 42 U.S.C. § 1983

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED In Lugar v. Edmondson Oil Co., 457 U.S. 922 (1982), this Court announced a test permitting a plaintiff to show “state action” under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 when that element is challenged. In the present : case, the Western District of Texas denied Petitioner’s request to supplement her complaint after she learned of an email from a state actor to her employer, which : negatively referenced Petitioner’s protected activity in this case and suggested her removal from her job. The district court held that supplementation under ' Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(d) would be futile, as Petitioner could : not show “state action” under Lugar. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed. : THE QUESTIONS PRESENTED ARE 1. Whether the Court of Appeals erred in affirm: ing the district court’s denial of Petitioner’s request . as futile to supplement her pleading under Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(d), where the email at issue evidences government retaliation as a matter of law and satisfies this Court’s Lugar test to demonstrate “state action” under 42 . : US.C. § 1983. 2. Whether the Court of Appeals misapplied this Court’s precedent in Lugar v. Edmondson Oil Co., 457 U.S. 922 (1982). ; 3. Whether the Court of Appeals erred by requiring Petitioner to provide actual proof of “state action” — under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 by issuing what in effect is a fact finding—that the email was a “purely private ; act”—and in so finding, improperly raised Petitioner’s . : burden to allege a plausible claim under this Court’s precedence in Twombly and Iqbal.

Docket Entries

2018-10-09
Petition DENIED.
2018-09-19
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/5/2018.
2018-09-12
Waiver of right of respondents Eric Castro, et al. to respond filed.
2018-08-22
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due September 27, 2018)
2018-07-10
Application (18A31) granted by Justice Alito extending the time to file until August 22, 2018.
2018-07-02
Application (18A31) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from July 23, 2018 to September 6, 2018, submitted to Justice Alito.

Attorneys

Eric Castro, et al.
Scott M. TschirhartDenton Navarro Rocha Bernal & Zech, P.C., Respondent
Scott M. TschirhartDenton Navarro Rocha Bernal & Zech, P.C., Respondent
Madeleine Connor
Madeleine Connor — Petitioner
Madeleine Connor — Petitioner