No. 25-251

Hung Dang v. Kimberly Moore, M.D., et al.

Lower Court: Ninth Circuit
Docketed: 2025-09-04
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: civil-procedure constitutional-challenges pleading-standards section-1981 section-1983 summary-judgment
Key Terms:
SocialSecurity
Latest Conference: 2025-11-07
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Does Federal Civil Procedure Rule 8(a) require only ordinary pleading standards for §1981 and §1983 claims post-Twombly/Iqbal, and must the Ninth Circuit employ standard Rule 56 procedures to assess evidence sufficiency?

Question Presented (from Petition)

In the Ninth Circuit ’s opinion, Petitioner must allege a prima facie case of discrimination and “the requisite meeting of the minds to establish a conspiracy ” (App. 5-6) for his 42. U.S.C. §1981 and §1983 claims, respectively. Despite Petitioners voluminous Rule 56(c) “materials in the record ” opposing summary judgment motion, that court concluded Petitioner failed to “adduce evidence ” asserting his §1981 and §1983 claims. Although Petitioner ’s constitutional challenges to the Final [Disciplinary] Order ’s validity were never raised, briefed, argued, or decided in state courts, the Ninth Circuit concluded, “Dang cannot now relitigate the issue of the Disciplinary Order ’s validity ” (App. 4). The questions presented are: 1. Does Federal Civil Procedure Rule 8(a) require only ordinary, not heightened and detailed, pleading standards for 42. U.S.C. §1981 and §1983 claims postTwom b ly/Iq ball 2. Must the Ninth Circuit employ the well-established . Rule 56 procedures and review the record as a whole to assess the sufficiency of Petitioner ’s evidence for his 42. U.S.C. §§1983, 1981, and 1985(3) claims instead of applying Rule 8(a) plausibility pleading standard? 3. Does the Ninth Circuit contravene Haring v. Prosise, 462 U.S. 306 (1983) in precluding Petitioner ’s First-, Fourth-, and Fourteenth Amendment challenges to the state administrative Final Order ’s validity; constitutional challenges that were never raised, briefed, argued, or determined in state courts?

Docket Entries

2025-11-10
Petition DENIED.
2025-10-15
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/7/2025.
2025-10-06
Waiver of Mark Johnson, William M. Brueggemann, Rick L. Glein, Roman S. Dixon Jr., Debra L. Defreyn, Christina Pfluger, Timothy H. Slavin of right to respond submitted.
2025-10-06
Waiver of right of respondents Mark Johnson, William M. Brueggemann, Rick L. Glein, Roman S. Dixon Jr., Debra L. Defreyn, Christina Pfluger, Timothy H. Slavin to respond filed.
2025-09-11
Waiver of right of respondents Kimberly Moore, et al. to respond filed.
2025-07-14
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due October 6, 2025)

Attorneys

Hung Dang
Hung Dang — Petitioner
Hung Dang — Petitioner
Kimberly Moore, et al.
Donald L. SamuelsPolsinelli, Respondent
Donald L. SamuelsPolsinelli, Respondent
Mark Johnson, William M. Brueggemann, Rick L. Glein, Roman S. Dixon Jr., Debra L. Defreyn, Christina Pfluger, Timothy H. Slavin
Peter Benjamin GonickAttorney General of Washington, Respondent
Peter Benjamin GonickAttorney General of Washington, Respondent