Tiffany Williams v. Board of Regents

Citations: 477 F.3d 1282; 2007 WL 431047Docket: 04-13800

Court: Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit; February 9, 2007; Federal Appellate Court

Original Court Document: View Document

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The case involves Tiffany Williams, a former student at the University of Georgia, who filed a Title IX claim against multiple defendants, including the University and its officials, following a sexual assault incident. On January 14, 2002, Williams was invited to the room of UGA basketball player Tony Cole, where she engaged in consensual sex. Unbeknownst to her, another player, Brandon Williams, hid in the closet and sexually assaulted her when Cole left the room. During the assault, Cole was on the phone with teammates, discussing Williams in derogatory terms. After the assault, Williams confided in a friend but initially refrained from contacting the police due to fear. Eventually, her friend encouraged her to report the incident, leading to UGA Police involvement. Following the assault, Williams withdrew from the university, and police obtained Cole's phone records, which indicated he continued to contact her after the incident. The appeal addresses whether the allegations presented by Williams were sufficient to overcome the defendants' motion to dismiss her claim. The court granted a rehearing and vacated a previous opinion, opting to provide a more detailed examination of the claims.

UGA's Chief of Police informed the Director of Judicial Programs about an incident involving allegations of sexual harassment within forty-eight hours. Following this, a lieutenant provided additional details, noting that several witnesses supported the allegations against Cole, Brandon Williams, and Thomas, which were deemed sexual harassment under UGA's policy. However, the policy in effect in January 2002 stipulated that such matters between students should be reported to the Office of Student Affairs rather than handled as disciplinary actions. Consequently, Cole, Brandon Williams, and Thomas faced disorderly conduct charges under UGA’s Code of Conduct, and their coaches suspended them after a grand jury indictment in April 2002. A UGA judiciary panel held hearings nearly a year later but chose not to sanction the individuals involved; by this time, Cole and Brandon Williams had already left UGA. Criminal charges against them resulted in Brandon Williams's acquittal and the dismissal of charges against Cole and Thomas.

Williams's complaint claims that UGA officials, including President Michael Adams, Athletic Director Vincent Dooley, and former head coach James Harrick, knowingly recruited Cole despite his prior disciplinary and criminal history related to harassment at other institutions. Harrick had previously aided Cole's admission to the Community College of Rhode Island, where Cole faced allegations of sexual assault, leading to his dismissal from the college. After transferring to Wabash Valley College, Cole was removed from the basketball team for misconduct, yet Harrick later sought his admission to UGA despite Cole not meeting the standard criteria, leading to his acceptance through a special admissions policy overseen by Adams.

Furthermore, allegations were made that UGA officials ignored requests from student-athletes to better inform them about the sexual harassment policy. Williams initiated legal action against UGA, the Board of Regents, and UGAA for violating Title IX, against Adams, Harrick, and Dooley under 42 U.S.C. 1983 in both individual and official capacities, and against Cole, Brandon Williams, and Thomas for state law torts.

Williams sought injunctive relief to compel defendants to protect students from sexual harassment as mandated by Title IX. Defendants, including UGA, UGAA, and the Board of Regents, moved to dismiss her claims, prompting Williams to amend her complaint with additional allegations and more specific requests for injunctive and declaratory relief. The district court dismissed her Title IX and § 1983 claims, denied her requests for declaratory and injunctive relief, and partially granted her motion to amend. It also chose not to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over her state law claims, resulting in the dismissal of all claims. Williams appealed, leading to a review that resulted in the reversal of the district court's dismissal of her Title IX claims against UGA and UGAA and the denial of her motion to amend. The court affirmed other aspects of the district court’s decision. 

On appeal, Williams raised four issues: the denial of her motion to amend her complaint, the dismissal of her Title IX claims, the dismissal of her § 1983 claims, and the dismissal of her claim for injunctive relief. Regarding the motion to amend, Williams argued that the district court erred by not allowing her to seek declaratory judgments against the defendants regarding the constitutionality of their sexual harassment policy, asserting it denied her and similarly situated female students equal protection under the law. The amended complaint included additional factual allegations, and according to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 15(a), she was entitled to amend her complaint before any responsive pleadings were filed. The court clarified that a motion to dismiss does not constitute a responsive pleading, allowing her the right to amend her complaint against those defendants who had not yet responded.

The clerk of the district court did not file Williams’s first amended complaint until she secured consent from opposing parties or obtained leave of court. Subsequently, Williams filed a motion for permission to amend her complaint. The district court, incorrectly believing that Williams could not amend as a matter of course, analyzed her first amended complaint under a different provision of Rule 15(a). While it allowed her to add factual allegations, it deemed some of her claims for declaratory judgments futile. The court erred by not allowing her to file the amended complaint as a matter of course, given that only one defendant, Thomas, had filed a responsive pleading at that point, while other defendants—UGA, the Board of Regents, and UGAA—had not.

UGAA argued for affirming the district court’s ruling, claiming the sexual harassment policy was not theirs and that they lacked authority to alter it if Williams prevailed. This argument was rejected as it mirrored the previously dismissed assertion of futility. The court emphasized that the district court lacked discretion to determine the futility of the amended complaint at that stage.

Regarding the dismissal of Williams’s Title IX claims, the district court concluded that she did not meet the deliberate indifference standard required for such claims. However, this case differs factually from prior precedents where defendants learned about harassment only after the alleged harasser was associated with the institution. Williams alleged that school officials, Adams, Dooley, and Harrick, were aware of Cole’s past misconduct prior to his recruitment. Additionally, UGA and UGAA had knowledge of student-athletes suggesting that coaches should inform them about the sexual harassment policy. 

Although Title IX does not explicitly allow private suits, the Supreme Court has recognized an implied right of action for enforcement, allowing individuals to seek monetary damages. 'Sexual harassment' is considered 'discrimination' under Title IX, and under certain circumstances, a plaintiff may recover for student-on-student harassment. This case emphasizes the relevance of the defendants' prior knowledge and the context of the alleged misconduct in determining the sufficiency of Williams's Title IX claims.

To establish a Title IX claim for student-on-student harassment, a plaintiff must demonstrate four essential elements: 

1. The defendant must be a recipient of Title IX funding.
2. An 'appropriate person' within the recipient organization must have actual knowledge of the alleged discrimination or harassment. This person is typically an official with the authority to take corrective action.
3. The funding recipient is liable only if it exhibits deliberate indifference to known harassment, meaning that the recipient's inaction must have subjected the plaintiff to discrimination, not merely the actions of the harasser.
4. The harassment must be severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive, effectively denying the victim access to educational opportunities or benefits.

In the case of Williams against the Board of Regents, the district court correctly dismissed the Title IX claim because Williams did not provide sufficient allegations that an appropriate person within the Board had actual knowledge of the alleged discrimination. Although Williams claimed that the Board appointed Adams, she failed to establish that Adams had the authority to implement policy changes.

Conversely, regarding claims against UGA and UGAA, the district court erred in dismissing those claims. UGA is recognized as a Title IX funding recipient. Although UGAA contests its status as a funding recipient, Williams has presented sufficient facts to potentially categorize UGAA as such, given that UGA has ceded control over its athletic department to UGAA and provided it with significant funding. The court did not definitively rule on whether these circumstances qualify UGAA as a funding recipient under Title IX.

Funding recipients cannot transfer control of their programs to indirect funding recipients while evading Title IX liability. The court found that Williams’s complaint adequately alleges elements necessary for a Title IX claim, specifically regarding whether UGAA should be treated as a funding recipient. Regarding actual knowledge of harassment, both UGA President Adams and UGAA Athletic Director Dooley had knowledge of discriminatory incidents involving Williams and were in positions to address these issues. 

The court examined whether UGA and UGAA were deliberately indifferent to the alleged discrimination, referencing the standard set by the Davis case, which states that deliberate indifference occurs when a recipient's response is unreasonable given the circumstances. Despite the defendants' arguments that their response was not clearly unreasonable, the court concluded that Williams presented sufficient facts to suggest deliberate indifference, indicating that the district court’s dismissal of this claim may have been erroneous. The standards from both the Gebser and Davis cases support the application of deliberate indifference in Title IX liability, emphasizing that liability arises from official inaction rather than from employees' independent actions.

In the context of municipal liability, a plaintiff must demonstrate deliberate indifference by showing that the municipality was aware of a need for supervision but chose not to act, as established in Gold v. City of Miami. Title IX imposes additional requirements: a plaintiff must prove that the deliberate indifference was in response to discrimination and that it resulted in the plaintiff being subjected to further harassment. The precedent set by Davis emphasizes that a Title IX recipient cannot be held liable unless its indifference exposes students to harassment.

In this case, Williams alleges that the University of Georgia (UGA) and the University of Georgia Athletic Association (UGAA) were aware of the need to supervise student-athlete Cole, given prior complaints about ensuring awareness of the sexual harassment policy and Cole's history of sexual misconduct. Despite this knowledge, UGA and UGAA failed to supervise Cole adequately. Williams claims this failure constitutes deliberate indifference under municipal liability standards. 

To meet Title IX requirements, Williams must show that this indifference led to further discrimination, which she argues occurred during a January 14 incident where she was subjected to harassment and a conspiracy to assault her. Williams suggests that UGA and UGAA's actions, including placing Cole in a dormitory without supervision and not informing him of the harassment policy, heightened the risk for female students. Furthermore, UGA's inadequate response to the January 14 incident, despite a thorough police investigation, indicates a repeated pattern of deliberate indifference. The university had preliminary and full reports on the incident that revealed significant details but failed to take appropriate action.

UGA delayed a disciplinary hearing regarding alleged assailants for nearly eleven months, during which two assailants left the university. The disciplinary panel's decision not to sanction them does not address the prolonged inaction by UGA, especially given the police report that supported Williams's account of the incident. UGA’s justification of waiting for pending criminal trials is flawed, as it did not hinder UGA's ability to initiate its own procedures. The lack of timely action led to further discrimination against Williams, effectively denying her the chance to remain at UGA. Williams’s withdrawal from the university the day after the incident should not negate her claims of discrimination, given the circumstances surrounding her decision. UGA failed to implement necessary precautions to prevent future incidents, such as removing or suspending the alleged assailants or strengthening their sexual harassment policies, despite being aware of past misconduct by one of the assailants. The claims of harassment, coupled with UGA's indifference, meet the threshold for legal action. Additionally, the discrimination Williams faced is characterized as severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive, influenced by the context of the events and relationships involved. The allegations suggest a conspiracy among the assailants to assault Williams, with prior arrangements made to facilitate the attack, culminating in her rape by Thomas after she defended herself against Brandon.

Thomas's repeated phone calls to the victim are part of a broader context of severe discrimination that contributed to the victim, Williams, feeling effectively barred from accessing her educational opportunities at the University of Georgia (UGA). The events of January 14, which included a series of sexual assaults orchestrated by a known ringleader and involving multiple perpetrators, demonstrate a continuous pattern of misconduct rather than isolated incidents. This series of acts occurred in a confined setting over a short period but met the legal standards of severity and objective offensiveness required to classify them as pervasive discrimination.

Williams contends that the discrimination she faced, compounded by the university's failure to adequately respond to her complaints and their prior knowledge of a student-athlete's sexual misconduct, ultimately forced her to withdraw from UGA. Although UGA did not officially expel her, their inaction and the hostile environment dissuaded her from returning. Key factors influencing her decision included the university's admission of a student with a history of sexual misconduct, inadequate supervision of potentially dangerous individuals, and the lack of proper guidance on sexual harassment policies.

The court finds that the allegations, taken as true, establish a sufficient claim under Title IX, indicating that Williams was effectively barred from pursuing her education at UGA due to the severe discrimination she experienced. The court emphasizes that its ruling is based solely on the extreme facts presented and does not extend to cases with less severe circumstances. Additionally, the consideration of whether the district court erred in dismissing Williams's 1983 claims is to be addressed next.

The district court dismissed 1983 claims against Adams, Harrick, and Dooley, both individually and in their official capacities, as well as against the Board of Regents and UGA. The dismissal of individual claims was based on Williams's failure to state a claim and the defendants' qualified immunity, while the other claims were dismissed due to Eleventh Amendment immunity. Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, individuals can sue for violations of federal rights by those acting under state law, but this statute does not create any substantive rights. Williams claimed violations under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause, asserting that the defendants failed to implement necessary policies and discriminated against her based on sex. Additionally, she alleged that the defendants exhibited deliberate indifference by admitting a troubled student, but she did not specify which right was violated by this indifference.

The court dismissed Williams's Title IX claim against the individual defendants, stating that Title IX does not permit claims against individuals, only against funding recipients. This aligns with the precedent that allows only funding recipients to be liable under Title IX. Regarding the Equal Protection Clause claims against the individuals, the court upheld the dismissal based on qualified immunity, which protects officials from civil damages unless they violate clearly established rights. The court noted that if a plaintiff's complaint does not allege a violation of a clearly established right, qualified immunity applies.

To establish a defense of qualified immunity, a defendant must demonstrate that their actions occurred within the scope of their discretionary authority. If this burden is met, the responsibility shifts to the plaintiff to prove that the defendant's conduct violated clearly established law. In this case, the plaintiff must show that the legal context at the time of the alleged misconduct provided the defendant with fair warning regarding the unconstitutionality of their actions. The plaintiff is not required to show that the specific conduct has been previously deemed unlawful, but the rights must be clear enough that a reasonable official would recognize a violation.

The Equal Protection Clause guarantees freedom from sex discrimination. The plaintiff, Williams, has presented allegations against defendants Adams, Harrick, and Dooley, suggesting that they prioritized the basketball skills of an individual with a problematic history over the potential risks posed. Although Williams argues that the defendants acted recklessly and created a discriminatory environment under Title IX, she has not provided sufficient precedent showing a violation of her clearly established equal protection rights regarding the recruitment of the individual in question. Consequently, the court concludes that the defendants are entitled to qualified immunity.

Williams also brought claims under Section 1983 against the defendants in their official capacities, which were dismissed based on Eleventh Amendment immunity. The court affirms that these claims were rightly dismissed for the same reasons as the individual capacity claims. Additionally, the court holds that the Eleventh Amendment bars Section 1983 claims against the University of Georgia (UGA) and the Board of Regents, as these entities are recognized as state entities. Although there are exceptions to this immunity, such as state waiver or valid congressional abrogation, Williams does not contest their status as state entities under the Eleventh Amendment.

Congress has validly abrogated states' immunity from Title IX suits, which allows for direct Title IX actions against entities like the University of Georgia (UGA) and its Board of Regents. However, Congress has not abrogated states' immunity concerning claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, and neither UGA nor the Board of Regents has waived such immunity. As a result, Williams's § 1983 claims against these entities are barred by the Eleventh Amendment.

Williams contends that the district court erred by dismissing her claim for injunctive relief, which sought to compel UGA and the Board of Regents to implement policies against student-on-student sexual harassment as required under Title IX. Her initial and amended complaints outlined numerous specific policy changes aimed at ensuring adequate procedures and protections for students.

The district court dismissed her claims on the basis that Williams lacked standing, citing the three requirements for standing under Article III: (1) suffering an injury-in-fact that is concrete and particularized; (2) establishing a causal connection between the injury and the defendant's actions; and (3) demonstrating that a favorable ruling would likely redress the injury. The court further noted that for injunctive relief, a plaintiff must show a real and immediate threat of future injury, rather than a speculative one. The court agreed with the district’s assessment that Williams's fears of future harm were conjectural, particularly as the alleged assailants were no longer students at UGA.

Granting injunctive relief would not prevent future harm to Williams or remedy past harm since she no longer attends UGA. Williams claims that if UGA adopts a more protective sexual harassment policy, she may consider pursuing further studies there. She argues that the absence of such a policy results in ongoing inequality for current UGA students facing harassment. However, her assertion that a new policy would avert future harm is deemed too speculative to justify injunctive relief. Therefore, the court affirms that Williams lacks standing for the relief sought. 

Regarding state law claims against Cole, Brandon Williams, and Thomas, the district court dismissed these claims after dismissing the related federal claims, choosing not to exercise supplemental jurisdiction based on 28 U.S.C. § 1367. Although Williams indicated an intent to appeal the dismissal of these state claims, she did not present arguments on this issue in her briefs, leading to the conclusion that she waived the right to appeal concerning supplemental jurisdiction.

The court reverses the district court’s dismissal of Williams’s Title IX claims against UGA and UGAA and allows her to amend her complaint, while affirming all other rulings. Judge Jordan concurs with the reversal on Title IX claims, emphasizing that deliberate indifference in such cases arises when a funding recipient, upon receiving actual notice of harassment, fails to act effectively.

Causation in Title IX cases requires evidence that a funding recipient's deliberate indifference led to further discrimination or harassment against the plaintiff. In prior cases, such as *Davis* and *Gebser*, the funding recipients lacked knowledge of misconduct before the initial acts of discrimination occurred, which necessitated showing that the recipients acted with indifference after receiving actual notice of the harassment. This approach prevents imposing liability without prior knowledge of the harassment.

However, Ms. Williams' case differs significantly because she alleges that the University of Georgia (UGA) and the University of Georgia Athletic Association (UGAA) had prior knowledge of Mr. Cole's history of sexual misconduct, including assaults on female employees and lewd behavior, before admitting him with a full scholarship. Despite this knowledge, they allegedly failed to monitor or counsel him after his admission, which Ms. Williams claims directly contributed to her sexual assault and rape. This scenario introduces the concept of "before-the-fact" deliberate indifference, suggesting that a funding recipient should be liable under Title IX if it knowingly admits a student with a documented history of serious sexual misconduct and subsequently neglects to provide supervision, thereby endangering others. There should be no requirement for the victim to experience a subsequent act of discrimination or harassment to establish liability in such cases.

A university hired a coach with a history of sexual harassment allegations against female student-athletes, despite confirming the validity of these claims during its due diligence. Influenced by pressure from donors seeking better performance from the women’s volleyball team, the university neglected to monitor the coach's conduct or provide necessary counseling. Less than a year after his hiring, the coach sexually assaulted a player. This situation exemplifies deliberate indifference under Title IX, as the university was aware of the coach's past misconduct and chose to disregard the potential risk of harm. The court indicates that Ms. Williams should be allowed to pursue her Title IX claims against the university and athletic association through discovery. If it is shown that they lacked knowledge of the coach's history, or if they investigated the allegations and took appropriate actions, they may not be held liable under Title IX due to a lack of deliberate indifference, as established in relevant Eleventh Circuit precedents.