Tarpley v. McClain ( 2021 )

Case: 19-20259 Document: 00515735000 Page: 1 Date Filed: 02/05/2021
United States Court of Appeals
for the Fifth Circuit United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
FILED
February 5, 2021
No. 19-20259 Lyle W. Cayce
Summary Calendar Clerk
John Tarpley; Nicole Tarpley; L. T. S.; N. L. T.; J. W. T.,
Jr.; D. A. T.,
Plaintiffs—Appellants,
versus
Pamela McClain; Patricia Manning; Crystal Etuk; Does
1-10,
Defendants—Appellees.
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Texas
USDC No. 4:18-CV-359
Before Clement, Higginson, and Engelhardt, Circuit Judges.
Case: 19-20259 Document: 00515735000 Page: 2 Date Filed: 02/05/2021
No. 19-20259
Per Curiam:*
John and Nicole Tarpley appeal the district court’s dismissal of their
42 U.S.C. § 1983 action. 1 The district court dismissed the suit because it
found that the claims against social workers Pamela McClain and Crystal
Etuk were barred by qualified and absolute immunity, respectively.
We review a district court’s grant of a motion to dismiss de novo.
Whitley v. Hanna, 726 F.3d 631, 637 (5th Cir. 2013). When a defendant asserts
qualified immunity, the plaintiff has the burden of proving that the defense is
inapplicable. Waganfeald v. Gusman, 674 F.3d 475, 483 (5th Cir. 2012). To
do so, the plaintiff must demonstrate that the defendant violated the
plaintiff’s constitutional rights and that the defendant’s actions were
objectively unreasonable in light of clearly established law at the time of the
violation. Id. Based upon the factual admissions in the First Amended
Complaint, the district court found that McClain’s conduct was objectively
reasonable. As a result, it concluded that the Tarpleys failed to overcome
McClain’s qualified immunity defense.
The First Amended Complaint states that John Tarpley was twice
transported to the hospital for mental evaluations and inpatient treatment.
Both incidents involved alcohol and threats to commit suicide. The First
*
Pursuant to 5th Circuit Rule 47.5, the court has determined that this
opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited
circumstances set forth in 5th Circuit Rule 47.5.4.
1
There appears to be some confusion as to precisely who appealed the district
court’s decision. Initially, only Nicole Tarpley’s name appears on the briefs. But John
Tarpley’s name appears, with Nicole’s, on the signature pages. Neither of them can
represent their children on appeal because, even if both John and Nicole Tarpley appealed,
each of them would be proceeding pro se. See Morgan v. Texas, 251 F. App’x 894, 896 n.2
(5th Cir. 2007) (per curiam); Johnson v. Lufkin Daily News, 48 F. App’x 917, 917 (5th Cir.
2002) (per curiam). Similarly, Nicole Tarpley cannot represent John Tarpley pro se on
appeal. See Weber v. Garza, 570 F.2d 511, 514 (5th Cir. 1978). However, the court will
address the merits of the appeal in the event that John Tarpley also appealed the lower
court’s decision on his own behalf.
2
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Amended Complaint next alleges that, following the second incident,
McClain opened an investigation into the welfare of the Tarpley children,
which resulted in a “demand” that John Tarpley enroll in a 90-day alcohol
treatment program before he returned home to his family. Allegedly,
McClain further “threatened” him by insisting that he sign a safety plan if
he did not want his children to be removed from his household, and also sent
officers to the Tarpleys’ home to conduct a “welfare check.” Finally, the
First Amended Complaint states that McClain submitted a sworn affidavit in
support of an emergency motion to remove John Tarpley’s children from his
home.
John Tarpley fails to provide this court with any reason to believe
McClain’s conduct was objectively unreasonable. By his own admissions,
John Tarpley twice threatened suicide while drinking. His wife, Nicole,
“took him to a psychiatric hospital where” she “convinced a police officer to
have him admitted for evaluation.” His only contention as to why McClain’s
behavior was unreasonable is that his children did not know of these incidents
at the time. This is insufficient to carry his burden. See Burns-Toole v. Byrne,
11 F.3d 1270, 1274 (5th Cir. 1994) (“[Appellants] cannot prevail with mere
conclusory statements evidencing only a personal belief that the defendants
were motivated by an impermissible animus.”). Therefore, the district court
was correct in concluding that the Tarpleys failed to overcome McClain’s
qualified immunity defense.
Additionally, the district court found that Etuk was protected by
absolute immunity. Because all of Tarpley’s claims against Etuk arise out of
Etuk’s witness testimony at a child-custody hearing, we agree. See Stem v.
Ahearn, 908 F.2d 1, 6 (5th Cir. 1990) (“[O]ffering adverse judicial testimony
at a child-custody hearing does not implicate due process concerns and,
further, it constitutes witness testimony that is absolutely immune from
3
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section 1983 liability.” (citing Briscoe v. LaHue, 460 U.S. 325, 342–47
(1960))).
AFFIRMED.
4