Ex parte Turner
Decision Date | 21 June 2002 |
Parties | Ex parte Randall TURNER. (In re Tawanda Ware, as next friend of Demonica Ware v. Randall Turner et al.) |
Court | Alabama Supreme Court |
Mark S. Boardman and Alicia Fritz Bennett of Boardman, Carr, Weed & Hutcheson, P.C., Chelsea, for petitioner.
Submitted on petitioner's brief only.
Randall Turner, an assistant principal at Bellingrath Junior High School in Montgomery, filed this petition for a writ of mandamus directing Judge William A. Shashy to dismiss all claims against him based on qualified or State-agent1 immunity.
Turner states that on November 21, 1998, while patrolling the halls of Bellingrath Junior High School, he stopped Demonica Ware, who was 12 years old at the time, and asked her to present her "hall pass." Turner asserts that he did not know Demonica or know whether she was enrolled as a student at Bellingrath Junior High School. According to Turner, Demonica refused to produce a pass; she loudly resisted his efforts to stop her for questioning; and she tried to force her way past Turner. Turner says that when he grabbed Demonica's arm to stop her, both he and Demonica fell to the floor. Demonica hit her head on a locker and suffered a bruise, but there were no lacerations or broken bones. Demonica, who it turns out was a student at Bellingrath, was expelled from school.
On November 22, 2000, Tawanda Ware, as next of friend of Demonica, sued Turner in his individual capacity and in his official capacity as assistant principal of Bellingrath Junior High School; she also named as defendants the Montgomery County Board of Education and the State Board of Education. In her complaint, Ware alleged assault and battery, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 civil rights violations, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress (the tort of outrage) and claimed damages for "loss of services of a child." Turner filed a motion for a summary judgment asserting that he was immune from civil liability on the basis of State-agent immunity and that he enjoyed qualified immunity from the § 1983 claims. In his petition, Turner says the trial court dismissed the other defendants, but denied his motion for a summary judgment.
On January 29, 2002, Turner filed this petition for a writ of mandamus directing Judge Shashy to dismiss all claims asserted against him. On March 15, 2002, this Court ordered Ware to file an answer and a brief within 14 days. "[A]n answer in a mandamus proceeding is very important, as is evidenced by this Court's holding that uncontroverted averments of fact stated in an answer should be taken as true." Ex parte Sharpe, 513 So.2d 609, 610 (Ala.1987). See also Ex parte Helbling, 278 Ala. 234, 177 So.2d 454 (1965). Moreover, mandamus relief may not be granted unless the respondent is granted an opportunity to answer the allegations in the petition. Sharpe, 513 So.2d 609; see also Rule 21(a), Ala.R.App.P.
In Guaranty Funding Corp. v. Bolling, 288 Ala. 319, 327, 260 So.2d 589, 596 (1972), a case decided before the adoption of Rule 21, Ala.R.App.P., this Court stated:
Ware did not comply with this Court's order; she did not file an answer and brief. Ware's failure to respond to the allegations in Turner's petition for a writ of mandamus compels this Court to consider the averments of fact in Turner's petition as true.
Ex parte Rizk, 791 So.2d 911, 912-13 (Ala. 2000).
Turner asks this Court to issue a writ of mandamus directing the trial court to enter a summary judgment in his favor, on the ground that he is protected against civil liability by the doctrines of State-agent immunity and qualified immunity.
In Ex parte Cranman, 792 So.2d 392 (Ala.2000), Justice Lyons restated the rule governing State-agent immunity:
792 So.2d at 405 (emphasis added).
We review Turner's claim of immunity by the standards set forth in Cranman. Turner is protected under the doctrine of State-agent immunity because his actions occurred while he was discharging his duties in educating students. The evidence before us indicates that Turner's decision to detain and question Ware was made while he was acting in his official capacity. In support of his motion for a summary judgment, Turner filed an affidavit, which contains uncontroverted sworn statements of fact that fit his conduct within category "(5)" of the Cranman restatement quoted above and that affirmatively negate exception "(2)" for acts committed willfully, etc. The affidavit describes the educational duty that Turner was discharging, provides the rule that imposed that duty, and demonstrates that Turner was exercising his judgment in discharging that duty....
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