Frank Baptist v. Rodney Chandler ( 2023 )

United States Court of Appeals
For the Eighth Circuit
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No. 22-1718
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Frank Baptist
lllllllllllllllllllllPlaintiff - Appellee
v.
Rodney Chandler, in his individual capacity
lllllllllllllllllllllDefendant - Appellant
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Appeal from United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Arkansas - Central
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Submitted: April 24, 2023
Filed: April 27, 2023
[Unpublished]
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Before KELLY, ERICKSON, and STRAS, Circuit Judges.
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PER CURIAM.
Frank Baptist, a former employee of Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, brought
this action against his former supervisor, Rodney Chandler. Baptist raised claims
under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and the Arkansas Civil Rights Act. Chandler moved to
dismiss the complaint based on qualified immunity, the district court1 denied the
motion, and Chandler filed this interlocutory appeal.
An interlocutory order denying qualified immunity is immediately appealable.
See Stanley v. Finnegan, 899 F.3d 623, 625 (8th Cir. 2018) (interlocutory order
denying motion to dismiss § 1983 claims against public official based on qualified
immunity is immediately appealable); see also Langford v. Norris, 614 F.3d 445, 455
(8th Cir. 2010) (in civil rights action against state officials, denial of statutory
immunity under Arkansas law is immediately appealable). Reviewing the district
court’s qualified immunity determination de novo and viewing the complaint in the
light most favorable to Baptist, we conclude that the district court properly denied the
motion to dismiss. See Faulk v. City of St. Louis, 30 F.4th 739, 744 (8th Cir. 2022)
(denial of motion to dismiss on qualified immunity grounds is reviewed de novo,
viewing complaint in light most favorable to plaintiff and accepting all factual
allegations as true); see also City of Fayetteville v. Romine, 284 S.W.3d 10, 13 (Ark.
2008) (discussing qualified immunity afforded state employees under Arkansas law).
Accordingly, we affirm. See 8th Cir. R. 47B.
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1
The Honorable Kristine G. Baker, United States District Judge for the Eastern
District of Arkansas.
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