MEMORANDUM & ORDER
Plaintiff has initiated the instant action for perceived religious discrimination. Defendant has submitted a Rule 12(c) motion for judgment on the pleadings. For the foregoing reasons, the Court grants the Rule 12(c) motion. Plaintiffs pending motion for leave to amend the complaint is denied as framed but Plaintiff is granted leaye to submit a different-amended complaint.
I. BACKGROUND
Consistent with Rule 12(c), the following facts were culled from the parties’ pleadings and the documents relied upon therein.
Allen v. WestPoint-Pepperell, Inc.,
Plaintiff initiated this action against Defendant Hicksville Public Library (“Library” or “Defendant”) due to an incident that occurred'on the Library premises on December 11, 1996. Complaint ¶ 4. On this date, Plaintiff claims that employees of Defendant “threw him out” and called the police after he “complained to the desk clerk that it was improper of her to call him a kike.”. Id. Subsequent, to the December. 11 incident, and drawing from the disputed events thereof, the Library sent Plaintiff a letter dated December 20, 1996, which suspended his library privileges through December 20, 1998. See Fisher Aff., Exhibit “A”; see also Compl. ¶ 4. At some point after the December 20 suspension of privileges, the Library scheduled a hearing for Plaintiff to present an appeal. Compl. ¶ 4. Plaintiff canceled his appearance at the hearing due to “a prior engagement.” Id.
Plaintiff thereafter initiated a small claims action against the Library on or about December 18, 1996, in the District Court of Nassau County. Answer ¶ 10. Plaintiffs small claims complaint asserted claims for “false complaint to police” and alleged that “epithets were used.” Fisher Aff., Exhibit “B”; see also Answer ¶ 10. The Honorable John G. Marks presided over the case and, on March 3, 1997, found that Plaintiff had failed to prove any liability or damages. Fisher Aff., Exhibit “C”; see also Answer ¶ ¶ 11-12.
Plaintiffs suspension ended on December 20, 1998. However, Plaintiff asserts that the Library Director did not answer Plaintiffs requests between December 20, 1998 and May 28, 2002 for permission to return to the library. Pl.’s Opp’n to Def.’s Cross-Mot. at 3; see also Compl. ¶ 4.
On December 9, 2002, Plaintiff commenced the instant action. The Complaint bases its claims upon “title II, title III, title VI, and title IX of the Civil Rights Act Of 1964 as codified in 42 USCS 2000a-el7 Amended in 1972 and 1978 and 42 USCS sections 1981, 1985, and 1986.” Compl. ¶ 4. The Court therefore reads this Complaint as alleging violations of 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981, 1985, 1986 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000a,
et seq.
Furthermore, Plaintiff alleges that the Library refused to grant him access to its facilities' until 2002.
Id.
Upon these claims, Plaintiff seeks $1 million compensatory damages and .$10 million punitive damages and a permanent injunction
On July 28, 2003 Plaintiff filed a Motion to Amend the Complaint to add a cause of action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. See Pl.’s Mot. to Amend at 1. On October 30, 2003 the Court received the Library’s Affirmation in Support of a Cross-Motion to Dismiss the Complaint in its entirety pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(c) and in Opposition to Plaintiffs Motion to Amend. The instant cross-motions were received fully briefed on December 16, 2003.
II. DISCUSSION
A. Rule 12(c) Standard
A party is entitled to judgment on the pleadings only if no material issues of fact remain to be resolved.
See Juster Assocs. v. Rutland,
B. Failure to State a Claim for Which Relief May Be Granted.
As mentioned supra, Plaintiff asserts claims under Sections 1981, 1985, 1986 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In relevant part, Defendant argues that Plaintiffs Complaint should be dismissed for failure to state a claim. The Court will address the viability of these claims in order.
1. Section 1981.
Section 1981 is grounded in racial discrimination and does not apply to actions alleging religious discrimination.
See Man-of-Jerusalem v. Hill,
2. Section 1985.
In relevant part, Section 1985(3) provides that
If two or more persons in any State or Territory conspire or go in disguise on the highway or on the premises of another, for the purpose of depriving, either directly or indirectly, any person or class of persons of the equal protection of the laws, or of equal privileges and immunities under the laws .... [I]n any case of conspiracy set forth in this section, if one or more persons engaged therein do, or cause to be done, any act in furtherance of the object of such conspiracy, whereby another is injured in his person or property, or deprived of having and exercising any right or privilege of a citizen of the United States, the party so injured or deprived may have an action for the recovery of damages occasioned by such injury or deprivation, against any one or more of the conspirators.
42 U.S.C. § 1985(3).
As an initial matter, Plaintiff has completely failed to assert claims against two or more persons. In fact, Plaintiff has failed to assert a single claim against a natural person, alleging instead that the Library conspired with itself to violate his federal rights. A single entity cannot, as a matter of law, conspire with itself to violate a plaintiffs rights.
See McEvoy v. Spencer,
To present a claim of conspiracy, Plaintiff must allege “an agreement among two or more persons ... [with] substantial facts giving rise to an inference of a meeting of the minds of the alleged conspirators.”
James v. Artuz,
No. 93 Civ.2056,
For all of these reasons, the Court concludes that Plaintiff has failed to assert a Section 1985(3) claim for which relief may be granted. As such, the motion to dismiss should be granted.
3. Section 1986.
Since a violation of § 1986 is predicated on a violation of § 1985, no claim under Section 1986 is viable either.
See Mian v. Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Sec. Corp.,
No. 92-CV-3917,
4. Claims Under “Title II.”
Plaintiff asserts a claim under Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000a (1988). However, a plaintiff seeking to enforce the substantive provisions of Section 2000a can obtain only injunctive relief.
See
42 U.S.C. § 2000a-3(a);
Newman v. Piggie Park Enters., Inc.,
5. Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Plaintiff also asserts a claim under Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title III grants a private right of action “to any person who is being subjected to discrimination on the basis of disability” in violation of Title III, or “who has reasonable grounds for believing that such person is about to be subjected to discrimination in violation of section 12183 of this title.” 42 U.S.C. § 12188(a)(1) (2000). Since Plaintiff has failed to assert any disability in either his Complaint or opposition papers, this claim should be dismissed with prejudice.
6. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Plaintiff also asserts a claim under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This Title VI is codified at 42 U.S.C. § 2000d. This section reads
No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
42 U.S.C. § 2000d.
First of all, this section does not embrace religious prosecution of the type asserted by Plaintiff. Second, Plaintiff has failed to assert, and, upon the representations made by Defendant, cannot assert, that Defendant is a recipient of Federal financial assistance. For 'these reasons, the Court concludes that this claim should be dismissed with prejudice.
7.Title IX.
Since Title IX only applies to employment discrimination,
see North Haven Bd. of Ed. v. Bell,
C. Statute of Limitations.
Although the Court has already decided that the claims contained in the complaint should be dismissed, the dismissal of the Section 1985(3) and Section 1986 claims was predicated upon the factual inadequacy of the claim rather than any ingrained defect. Because the Court must also, in the context of the instant order, decide Plaintiffs motion for leave to amend the complaint, the Court must ascertain whether any proposed amendment to those claims would otherwise be futile. For this reason, the Court addresses Defendant’s statute of limitations arguments on their merits.
1. Claims in the Complaint.
The claims brought under Sections 1981 and 1985 are subject to the New York state statute of limitations for analogous state claims.
See Tadros v. Coleman,
Whereas state law prescribes the period of the statute of limitations for claims under Sections 1981 and 1985, and federal law dictates the period of the statute of limitations for claims under Section 1986, federal law governs when all of these federal claims accrue.
See Morse v. Univ. of Vermont,
Construing his allegations and arguments broadly, Plaintiff alleges four distinct acts in furtherance of the conspiracy: (1) his removal from the Library on December 11, 1996; (2) the December 20, 1996, letter communicating the two year ban; (3) the continuing effects of the ban; and (4) the phone conversations that he had with unspecified Library staff at unspecified dates after the end of the ban. The first two items listed above clearly occurred outside of the three-year period and Plaintiffs claims with regard to them are therefore barred by the statute of limitations. With regard to the third type of act asserted by Plaintiff, the continuing effects of the ban are insufficient, without more, to constitute an overt act in furtherance of a conspiracy to deprive him of his federally protected rights.
See Burrell v. City Univ. of N.Y.,
The fourth act alleged by Plaintiff proves more complicated than the first three. On page three of his Opposition to the Defendant’s Cross Motion, Plaintiff alleges, “The plaintiff was told by the staff that he could not enter the library without being arrested on trespassing charges in several phone calls he made to the library in the years after he was legally allowed to enter the library and use its facilities (1998-2002).” The Court construes this as an allegation that Plaintiff was told on several uncertain dates by unnamed individuals working at the Library that he could not return to the Library. Such a cryptic allegation is insufficient, by itself, to provide adequate notice to Defendant or to save the claims from dismissal due to timeliness issues.
See
Fed.R.Civ.P. 8;
see also Swierkiewicz v. Sorema N.A.,
Nonetheless, upon those allegations, the Court cannot conclude that adequately detailed allegations of timely overt acts would be impossible. When granting a motion to dismiss a complaint as a matter of law, leave should be granted to amend the complaint unless such amendment would be futile.
See Richardson Greenshields Securities, Inc. v. Lau,
With regard to the Title II, Title III, Title VI, Title IX and Section 1981 claims, Plaintiff has failed to convince the Court that amendment of the complaint would be anything other than futile. Stated differently, upon the undisputed facts alleged in the complaint, those claims cannot succeed no matter what additional information is added to the complaint.
2. Claims in the Proposed Amended Complaint.
Plaintiff has filed a motion for leave to amend the complaint. That motion seeks to add a Section 1983 claim to the complaint. Plaintiff has not submitted a proposed amended complaint. Instead, Plaintiff merely argues, in conclusory terms, that he should be permitted to add a Section 1983 claim. Defendant argues that Plaintiffs Motion to Amend should be denied because the Section 1983 claim is untimely and therefore futile. After care
In consideration of a Motion to Amend, Rule 15(a) provides that “leave [to amend] shall be freely given when justice so requires.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 15(a). However, the Court may deny such a motion when the proposed amendment would be futile.
See Hampton Bays Connections, Inc. v. Duffy,
For the purposes of the instant case, which was filed in New York, the statute of limitations for an action under Section 1983 is three years.
Jaghory,
For all of these reasons, the Court concludes that the proposed amendment would be futile. Accordingly, Plaintiffs motion should be denied.
Parenthetically, the Court notes that Plaintiff relies heavily upon the continuing violation doctrine to rescue all of his facially untimely Section 1983 allegations. A plaintiff who establishes a continuing violation is entitled to challenge all conduct comprising part of the violation, even conduct that did not occur within the limitations period.
Jaghory v. New York State Dep’t of Educ.,
No. 95-CV-3478,
D. Res Judicata.
Defendant also asserts that res judicata prevents Plaintiff from asserting the claims contained in the complaint. The doctrine of res judicata, which is often also referred to a claim preclusion, provides that “a final judgment on the merits of an action precludes the parties or their privies from relitigating issues that were or could have been raised in that action.”
Kremer v. Chem. Constr. Corp.,
[u]nder the doctrine of res judicata, “once a final judgment has been enteredon the merits of a case, that judgment will bar any subsequent litigation by the same parties or those in privity with them concerning the transaction, or series of connected transactions, out of which the [first] action arose.”
Maharaj v. Bankamerica Corp.,
The res judicata principle prevents a plaintiff from litigating claims that were or could have been raised in a prior action against the same defendant.
See L-Tec Elecs. Corp. v. Cougar Elec. Org., Inc.,
In the instant case, Plaintiffs claims were previously adjudicated and dismissed by a small claims court. The parties dispute the precise character of res judicata that may attach to such a small claims determination. Upon review of the case law, the Court concludes that “a claim brought to and decided in small claims court will be given res judicata effect where the party who was adversely effected by the prior judgment seeks to relitigate the exact same claim in subsequent proceedings.”
Chrzanowski v. Lichtman,
E. Failure to File a Notice of Claim.
Defendant also argues that all state law claims should be dismissed due to Plaintiffs failure to file a timely notice of claim. Upon careful review of the complaint, the Court concludes that Plaintiff has not asserted any state law claims. For this reason, the Court declines to address this argument.
III. CONCLUSIONS
For the foregoing reasons, the Court concludes that, as alleged in the complaint, Plaintiff has failed to assert a claim for which relief may granted. As such, Defendant’s Rule 12(c) motion is GRANTED. Because, as framed, the proposed amendment would be futile, Plaintiffs motion for leave to amend is DENIED. However, because the Court cannot determine whether future pleading would be futile, leave to file an amended complaint is granted. Plaintiff shall serve his amended complaint upon Defendant’s counsel and file the amended complaint with the Court on or before July 23, 2004. Plaintiff is advised that the failure to file a timely amended complaint will result in the dismissal and closure of this case. Plaintiff is further advised that he should endeavor comply with the rulings contained in the instant order. As such, he should endeav-
SO ORDERED
Notes
. The Court does not reach the issue of whether Plaintiff could assert Section 1983 claims based upon specific alleged discriminatory acts that occurred within the relevant time frame.
. With regard to any amended Section 1985(3) claim, the Court notes that it is well settled that there can be no actionable conspiracy under the civil rights laws if the alleged conspirators are employees of a single organization and their alleged actions were taken in the course of their employment.
See Girard v. 94th Street and Fifth Ave. Corp.,
