Doe v. White CA2/5 ( 2022 )


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  • Filed 5/17/22 Doe v. White CA2/5
    NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS
    California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions
    not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion
    has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.
    IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
    SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT
    DIVISION FIVE
    JOHN DOE,                                                        B307444
    Plaintiff and Appellant,                               (Los Angeles County
    Super. Ct. No. 19STCP02973)
    v.
    TIMOTHY P. WHITE, as
    Chancellor and Trustee, etc.,
    Defendant and Respondent.
    APPEAL from an order of the Superior Court of Los
    Angeles County, Yvette M. Palazuelos, Judge. Affirmed.
    Hathaway Parker, Mark M. Hathaway and Jenna E.
    Parker for Plaintiff and Appellant.
    California State University Office of General Counsel,
    Susan Westover and William C. Hsu; O’Melveny & Myers, Apalla
    U. Chopra, Adam J. Karr, and Anton Metlitsky for Defendant
    and Respondent.
    __________________________________
    Petitioner and appellant John Doe appeals from an order
    granting a motion to strike class certification allegations that was
    entered in favor of respondents Timothy P. White, in his capacity
    as Chancellor of the California State University, and the Board of
    Trustees of the California State University (collectively “the
    University”) in this action concerning student discipline
    procedures in sexual misconduct complaints. On appeal, Doe
    contends common issues of law and fact predominate, his claims
    and defenses are typical of the class, and a class action is a
    superior method to individual litigation. We conclude the trial
    court properly struck the class action allegations in this case
    because individual issues predominate over common questions.
    Therefore, we affirm.
    FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
    University Policies
    Between July 2015 and July 2019, the University’s policies
    governing student complaints about sexual misconduct were
    contained in Executive Order 1097, as revised in June 2015 (2015
    EO 1097) and in October 2016 (2016 EO 1097). Under both
    versions of the policy, after a complaint of sexual misconduct was
    filed, a Title IX coordinator conducted an initial intake interview
    with the complainant. The coordinator was required to explain
    the investigation procedure and inform the complainant of
    applicable rights, including the right to have an advisor present,
    and discuss interim remedies. The coordinator would inform the
    2
    complainant of the right to file a criminal complaint and offer to
    assist with filing a criminal complaint.
    Prior to or during the initial interview with the accused,
    the coordinator was required to explain the procedure and the
    accused’s rights, including the right to have an advisor present.
    The coordinator must also provide the accused with a copy of the
    University’s policy and a description of the complainant’s
    allegations. The coordinator must also provide the accused “a full
    opportunity to respond to the allegations, including scheduling
    other meeting(s), accepting documentary evidence, and accepting
    [the accused’s] list of potential witnesses[.]” With limited
    exceptions, information about the complaint could be shared as
    necessary with other campus employees and law enforcement;
    confidentiality could not be ensured.
    After reviewing the complaint and the information received
    during the intake interview, the coordinator would make a
    determination about whether the complaint fell within the scope
    of the policy. If it was within the policy, the coordinator would
    promptly investigate the complaint, or assign the investigation to
    another investigator. If assigned to another investigator, the
    coordinator was to monitor, supervise, and oversee all delegated
    tasks, including reviewing investigation reports before they were
    final. The policy provided that “The Complainant and [the
    accused] shall have equal opportunities to present relevant
    witnesses and evidence in connection with the investigation. . . .
    [¶] Before reaching a final conclusion or issuing a final
    investigation report, the Investigator shall have: a) advised the
    Parties, or have offered to do so, verbally or in writing, of any
    evidence upon which the findings will be based; and, b) given the
    Parties an opportunity to respond to the evidence, including
    3
    presenting further relevant evidence, information or arguments
    that could affect the outcome. The Investigator will not reach a
    final conclusion or issue an investigation report until giving
    careful consideration to any such relevant evidence, information
    or arguments provided by the Parties. The Investigator retains
    discretion and authority to determine relevance.”
    The policy expressly anticipated that a law enforcement
    agency could be conducting a criminal investigation into the same
    allegations, but stated that the procedures were separate
    investigations; the University must complete its investigation as
    promptly as possible, rather than wait for the police investigation
    to conclude. The investigator was to prepare a report which
    included a summary of the allegations, the investigation process,
    the preponderance of the evidence standard, a detailed
    description of the evidence considered, and findings of fact. The
    report must be promptly provided to the coordinator, if
    applicable, to review.
    The coordinator would inform the complainant and accused
    of the outcome of the investigation in writing, including a
    summary of the allegations, the investigation process, the
    preponderance of the evidence standard, the evidence considered,
    the investigator’s findings of fact, a determination as to whether
    the University’s policy was violated, and if so, any remedies to be
    imposed.
    A dissatisfied party could file an appeal with the
    Chancellor’s Office on the ground that the outcome was not
    supported by the evidence under the preponderance standard,
    procedural errors prejudiced the outcome, or new evidence
    existed that was not available at the time of the investigation.
    4
    Executive Order 1098 (EO 1098), effective in June 2015,
    provided the University’s student discipline procedures during
    the relevant time. The findings of the investigation, after the
    appeal process was exhausted, were final. If the appropriate
    sanction were not resolved through a conference with the accused
    student, a hearing would be held to determine the appropriate
    sanction. The sanctions that could be imposed for violation of the
    student conduct code were: restitution; loss of financial aid;
    educational or remedial sanctions, such as essays or service to
    the University; denial of access to the campus or specified people
    for a designated period of time; disciplinary probation;
    suspension; or expulsion.
    Proceeding Against Doe
    On November 15, 2016, University student Jane Roe filed a
    sexual misconduct complaint against fellow student Doe.
    Coordinator Mary Bacerra informed Doe that allegations of
    sexual misconduct had been made against him by Roe about an
    alleged incident that took place off campus on October 18, 2016.
    The charges were governed by 2016 EO 1097 and EO 1098.
    The coordinator designated investigator Andy Terhorst to
    investigate the allegations and determine whether Doe violated
    University policy. Doe denied the allegations. There was no
    hearing before an “impartial factfinder.” Terhorst concluded
    Roe’s allegations were substantiated. Doe appealed the
    determination, but the manager of investigations for the
    chancellor’s office denied the appeal, because he had not shown
    the determination was unsupported by the evidence under the
    preponderance standard, that procedural errors had an impact on
    5
    the outcome, or any new evidence unavailable at the time of the
    investigation.
    A hearing officer recommended expulsion, which prevented
    admission to any Cal State University and cancelled enrollment
    for upcoming semesters. The University expelled Doe on June 8,
    2017. Doe appealed, but the University denied his appeal on
    June 30, 2017.
    Petition for Writ of Mandate
    On July 16, 2019, Doe filed a petition for writ of
    administrative mandate on behalf of himself and all persons
    similarly situated who were disciplined under the policies at
    issue. The University filed a motion to strike the class
    allegations, which the trial court granted with leave to amend.
    On February 14, 2020, Doe filed an amended petition for
    writ of administrative mandate. Doe sought a writ of mandate
    directing the University to vacate the findings and sanctions
    against himself and all members of the class of persons similarly
    situated to set aside findings and sanctions imposed under
    policies that lacked fairness and due process.
    The class was all California State University students
    found responsible for sexual misconduct under 2015 EO 1097,
    2016 EO 1097, and/or EO 1098, from July 16, 2015 through July
    16, 2019. The members of the class were ascertainable from the
    University’s internal records and required reports. The persons
    in the class are so numerous that joinder is impracticable, and
    the disposition of their claims in a class action rather than
    individual actions will benefit the parties and the court.
    6
    A well-defined community of interest in the questions of
    law and fact predominated over the interests of individual class
    members. The policies, which have been rescinded, denied the
    students accused of sexual misconduct the right to a fair hearing,
    including access to all of the evidence prior to the adjudicator
    making a determination and a hearing with cross-examination of
    witnesses before a neutral, independent adjudicator.
    The common questions of law and fact to be litigated
    include: (1) whether the policies at issue complied with the law;
    (2) whether the University failed to implement procedures that
    provide adequate due process to students accused of sexual
    misconduct at California State Universities; and (3) whether
    findings and discipline imposed under the policies must be set
    aside and vacated. These questions predominate over questions
    that affect individual class members.
    Doe’s claims were typical of the class, and he would fairly
    and adequately represent the class interest. He did not have any
    interests antagonistic to other class members, and the relief he
    sought would inure to the benefit of class members generally.
    The University was aware of the class of individuals who had
    been improperly disciplined since at least September 2018, but
    had taken no action to correct the deprivation of their rights.
    Proceedings to Strike Class Allegations from Amended
    Writ Petition
    On May 29, 2020, the University filed a motion to dismiss
    the amended writ petition or strike the class allegations. The
    University argued that Doe was an inadequate class
    representative, because he failed to assert claims that absent
    7
    class members would reasonably expect to be preserved. Each
    administrative proceeding was a highly individualized sexual
    assault proceeding. The class proceeding would necessarily and
    impermissibly waive numerous potentially superior grounds for
    recovery that could afford putative class members relief if the
    grounds raised in the petition fail, such as lack of jurisdiction or
    findings unsupported by evidence.
    In addition, even under a facial challenge of the former
    policies, the trial court must examine in each case the evidentiary
    record, the sanction imposed, and the specific procedures utilized
    in order to determine whether a particular class member received
    a fair hearing.
    A class action was not a superior method of resolving the
    dispute, because class members had an adequate incentive to
    bring independent actions for equitable relief given the gravity of
    the subject matter.
    Also, Doe could not proceed anonymously and represent a
    class, because he owed a fiduciary duty to absent class members.
    The class members had a right to know who was directing their
    litigation. And Doe’s individual claim was barred by the doctrine
    of laches. Waiting more than two years to file a petition for relief
    was unreasonable delay, because relevant witnesses had
    graduated and their recollection of events after the lengthy
    passage of time would have deteriorated. The University asked
    the court to dismiss the amended writ petition entirely, or strike
    the class allegations.
    In support of the motion to strike, the University filed a
    request for judicial notice of several documents, including writ
    petitions filed against the University challenging administrative
    actions against other individuals based on the sexual misconduct
    8
    policies, and Roe’s transcript showing she had graduated and was
    no longer a student of the University. The University argued the
    writ petitions in other cases illustrated the myriad allegations of
    error raised with respect to the unique circumstances of each
    disciplinary action. In addition, the University provided
    pleadings in a matter filed by Doe’s attorney on behalf of a
    different petitioner against the Regents of the University of
    California seeking to bring a class action challenging sexual
    misconduct policies. The trial court in that case had sustained a
    demurrer to the class allegations, ultimately without leave to
    amend, on the grounds that the issues were not subject to
    common proof and individual questions would predominate.
    In June 2020, Doe filed an opposition to the demurrer and
    motion to strike. He argued that the class representative was not
    required to allege the entire universe of claims that class
    members may bring, and he could adequately represent the
    interests of the class while using a pseudonym. Common issues
    predominated, individualized issues were manageable, and a
    class action was the superior means to resolve the cases. In
    addition, his claim was not barred by laches. In support of the
    opposition, Doe requested the court take judicial notice of
    Executive Order 1097, as revised on March 29, 2019, which
    superseded the investigation and resolution provisions of the
    prior policies as applied in sexual misconduct cases in which a
    severe sanction of suspension or expulsion could be imposed and
    the credibility of a party or witness was central to the
    determination. Doe also filed an objection to the University’s
    request for judicial notice. The University filed a reply in support
    of the demurrer and motion to strike.
    9
    After a hearing on July 28, 2020, the trial court issued an
    order on August 4, 2020, granting the motion to strike without
    leave to amend. The court found Doe was an inadequate
    representative for the class, because he had not raised all of the
    claims that class members would reasonably expect to be
    asserted, such as the claim that the University lacked
    jurisdiction over their conduct. In addition, although the
    amended petition purported to allege a facial challenge to the
    policies, it was more accurately characterized as an as-applied
    challenge, because it did not seek prospective relief and required
    consideration of the application of the policies in particular
    individual circumstances. Doe had not identified any specific
    language in the policies that he asserted was facially
    unconstitutional. He had not alleged that the provisions
    inevitably conflicted with constitutional rights. Fair hearing
    requirements were flexible and did not require rigid procedures.
    The court also found that there was no community of
    interest, because whether witness credibility was a central issue
    required an individual determination in every case. The court
    found that the need for individual inquiry would not be alleviated
    by creating sub-classes. A class action was not superior to
    individual litigation, because class members had an adequate
    incentive to bring independent actions. Because of the
    individualized inquiry required, a class proceeding would not
    streamline the process or reduce costs for the parties.
    The court overruled the University’s demurrer to the
    petition. The writ petition did not appear to be barred by any
    applicable statute of limitations. Under the doctrine of laches,
    Doe’s 25-month delay in filing the writ petition was
    unreasonable, particularly because his current counsel had
    10
    represented him in the matter as early as June 2017, and ample
    legal authority had been issued providing timely guidance. No
    prejudice to the University appeared, however, at this stage of
    the proceedings. The court granted the parties’ requests for
    judicial notice. Doe filed a timely notice of appeal from the order.
    DISCUSSION
    Standard of Review
    “A motion to strike, like a demurrer, challenges the legal
    sufficiency of the complaint’s allegations, which are assumed to
    be true. [Citation.]” (Blakemore v. Superior Court (2005) 
    129 Cal.App.4th 36
    , 53.) We review the ruling on the motion to strike
    class allegations de novo. (Id. at p. 54.)
    General Law Applicable to Student Discipline
    Proceedings
    A. Review Available by Writ of Administrative
    Mandamus
    A student may challenge a disciplinary sanction for sexual
    misconduct at a private or public university by way of a petition
    for writ of administrative mandate. (Doe v. Allee (2019) 
    30 Cal.App.5th 1036
    , 1060 (Allee); Doe v. Regents of University of
    California (2021) 
    70 Cal.App.5th 521
    , 532–533 (UCSB (1)).) The
    student seeking the writ of administrative mandate must show
    that the institution: “(1) acted without, or in excess of, its
    jurisdiction, (2) deprived the petitioner of a fair administrative
    11
    hearing, or (3) committed a prejudicial abuse of discretion.
    ([Code Civ. Proc., ]§ 1094.5, subd. (b); Doe v. University of
    Southern California (2016) 
    246 Cal.App.4th 221
    , 239 (USC [(1)])
    [§ 1094.5’s ‘fair trial’ requirement means there must be a fair
    administrative hearing].) ‘“Abuse of discretion is established if
    the [agency] has not proceeded in the manner required by law,
    the order or decision is not supported by the findings, or the
    findings are not supported by the evidence.”’ (Ibid.; see Clark v.
    City of Hermosa Beach (1996) 
    48 Cal.App.4th 1152
    , 1169.)”
    (UCSB (1), supra, 70 Cal.App.5th at p. 532, fn. omitted.)
    When the administrative decision does not concern a
    fundamental vested right, the trial court reviews the
    administrative record to determine whether the agency’s findings
    and decision are supported by substantial evidence. (JKH
    Enterprises, Inc. v. Department of Industrial Relations (2006) 
    142 Cal.App.4th 1046
    , 1057.) Where the procedural fairness of the
    administrative hearing is at issue, the trial court reviews the
    facts related to how the hearing was conducted and exercises its
    independent judgment on the basis of the administrative record.
    (See Nightlife Partners, Ltd. v. City of Beverly Hills (2003) 
    108 Cal.App.4th 81
     [administrative decision was set aside based on
    the trial court’s review of administrative hearing procedures
    reflected in the administrative record]; City of Fairfield v.
    Superior Court (1975) 
    14 Cal.3d 768
    , 776.)
    B. Fair Process
    “Generally, a fair process requires notice of the charges and
    an opportunity to be heard. [Citation.]” (Doe v. Regents of
    University of California (2021) 
    70 Cal.App.5th 494
    , 513 (UC
    12
    Davis).) The university must follow its own policies and
    procedures (ibid), and the accused student must have a full
    opportunity to present defenses (Doe v. Regents of University of
    California (2016) 
    5 Cal.App.5th 1055
    , 1104 (UCSD)).
    “Beyond these standards, however, it is safe to say the law
    is in flux regarding what procedures are required for student
    disciplinary proceedings involving allegations of sexual
    misconduct at colleges and universities.” (UC Davis, supra, 70
    Cal.App.5th at p. 513.) “Fair hearing requirements are ‘flexible’
    and entail no ‘rigid procedure.’ [Citations.]” (Allee, supra, 30
    Cal.App.5th at p. 1062.) Disciplinary hearings “need not include
    all the safeguards and formalities of a criminal trial” and the
    university “‘is not required to convert its classrooms into
    courtrooms.’ [Citation.]” (UCSD, supra, 5 Cal.App.5th at p.
    1078.) The formal rules of evidence are not required to be
    applied. (Doe v. Regents of University of California (2018) 
    28 Cal.App.5th 44
    , 56 (UCSB (2)).) “But the recent trend has been
    to expect more adversarial and criminal-trial-like procedures
    when a student is accused of sexual misconduct.” (UC Davis,
    supra, 70 Cal.App.5th at p. 513.)
    In UCSD, the university allowed an accused student to
    indirectly cross-examine the complainant by submitting written
    questions to the hearing panel before the hearing, which the
    panel asked the complainant. (UCSD, supra, 5 Cal.App.5th at p.
    1084.) In November 2016, Division One of the Fourth District
    held that when “findings are likely to turn on the credibility of
    the complainant, and [the] respondent faces very severe
    consequences if he is found to have violated school rules, . . . a
    fair procedure requires a process by which the respondent may
    question, if even indirectly, the complainant.” (Ibid.) The court
    13
    found the method of cross-examination employed by the
    institution in UCSD was fair as a procedural matter. (Id. at p.
    1085.)
    In August 2018, in Doe v. Claremont McKenna College
    (2018) 
    25 Cal.App.5th 1055
    , 1070, Division One of the Second
    District similarly held that “where the accused student faces a
    severe penalty and the school’s determination turns on the
    complaining witness’s credibility,” “the complaining witness must
    be before the finder of fact either physically or through
    videoconference or like technology to enable the finder of fact to
    assess the complaining witness’s credibility in responding to its
    own questions or those proposed by the accused student.”
    In January 2019, Division Four of the Second District
    imposed procedural requirements in Allee, supra, 30 Cal.Ap.5th
    1036, after finding that “when a student accused of sexual
    misconduct faces severe disciplinary sanctions, and the
    credibility of witnesses (whether the accusing student, other
    witnesses, or both) is central to the adjudication of the allegation,
    fundamental fairness requires, at a minimum, that the university
    provide a mechanism by which the accused may cross–examine
    those witnesses, directly or indirectly, at a hearing in which the
    witnesses appear in person or by other means (e.g.,
    videoconferencing) before a neutral adjudicator with the power
    independently to find facts and make credibility assessments.
    That fact finder cannot be a single individual with the divided
    and inconsistent roles [of investigator and fact finder].”
    (Allee, supra, 30 Cal.App.5th at p. 1069.)
    14
    C. Effect of Education Code Section 66281.8
    Doe alleged a class of California State University students
    that were found responsible for sexual misconduct under the
    policies at issue from July 16, 2015 through July 16, 2019. Our
    resolution of the instant appeal does not require us to determine
    any question concerning Education Code section 66281.8.
    The Legislature adopted section 66281.8 of the Education
    Code, effective January 1, 2021, providing requirements for
    sexual harassment grievance procedures. (Senate Bill No. 493
    (2019–2020 Reg. Sess.).) For example, section 66281.8,
    subdivision (b)(4)(A)(viii), requires an institution to adopt
    grievance procedures that allow the institution to decide whether
    a hearing is necessary to determine whether any sexual violence
    occurred, including consideration of whether the parties elected
    to participate in the investigation and had the opportunity to
    suggest questions to be asked of the other party or witnesses
    during the investigation. Cross-examination may not be
    conducted directly by a party or the party’s advisor. (Ed. Code,
    § 66281.8, subd. (b)(4)(A)(l).)
    In addition, subdivision (g) of section 66281.8 enigmatically
    provides, “(1) Any case law interpreting procedural requirements
    or process that is due to student complainants or respondents
    when adjudicating complaints of sexual or gender-based violence,
    including dating or domestic violence, at postsecondary
    educational institutions in the State of California shall have no
    retroactive effect. [¶] (2) Any case law that conflicts with the
    provisions of the act that adds this section shall be superseded as
    of this statute’s effective date.”
    15
    The California Supreme Court is considering the following
    questions in Boermeester v. Carry, review granted, September 16,
    2020, S263180: (1) whether the common law right to fair
    procedure requires a private university to provide certain
    procedural processes, such as cross-examination at a live hearing;
    (2) whether the student subject to the disciplinary proceeding in
    that case waived or forfeited any right to cross-examine witnesses
    at a live hearing; 3) assuming it was error not to provide an
    opportunity to cross-examine witnesses, was the error harmless;
    and (4) the effect, if any, of Senate Bill No. 493 on the resolution
    of the issues presented.
    We need not determine any question related to application
    of section 66281.8, subdivision(g), to resolve this appeal, because
    as discussed below, Doe failed to demonstrate that common
    questions predominate over individual issues.
    Individual Issues Predominate
    Doe contends the motion to strike should have been denied
    because common issues of fact and law predominate over
    individual issues. We disagree.
    To certify a class under Code of Civil Procedure section 382,
    “[t]he party advocating class treatment must demonstrate the
    existence of an ascertainable and sufficiently numerous class, a
    well-defined community of interest, and substantial benefits from
    certification that render proceeding as a class superior to the
    alternatives. [Citations.] ‘In turn, the “community of interest
    requirement embodies three factors: (1) predominant common
    questions of law or fact; (2) class representatives with claims or
    defenses typical of the class; and (3) class representatives who
    16
    can adequately represent the class.”’ [Citation.]” (Brinker
    Restaurant Corp. v. Superior Court (2012) 
    53 Cal.4th 1004
    , 1021
    (Brinker).)
    “The ‘ultimate question’ the element of predominance
    presents is whether ‘the issues which may be jointly tried, when
    compared with those requiring separate adjudication, are so
    numerous or substantial that the maintenance of a class action
    would be advantageous to the judicial process and to the
    litigants.’ [Citations.] The answer hinges on ‘whether the theory
    of recovery advanced by the proponents of certification is, as an
    analytical matter, likely to prove amenable to class treatment.’
    [Citation.] A court must examine the allegations of the complaint
    and supporting declarations [citation] and consider whether the
    legal and factual issues they present are such that their
    resolution in a single class proceeding would be both desirable
    and feasible. ‘As a general rule if the defendant’s liability can be
    determined by facts common to all members of the class,
    a class will be certified even if the members
    must individually prove their damages.’ [Citations.]” (Brinker,
    
    supra,
     53 Cal.4th at pp. 1021–1022, fn. omitted.)
    “To assess predominance, a court ‘must examine
    the issues framed by the pleadings and the law applicable to the
    causes of action alleged.’ [Citation.] It must determine whether
    the elements necessary to establish liability are susceptible of
    common proof or, if not, whether there are ways to manage
    effectively proof of any elements that may require individualized
    evidence. [Citation.]” (Brinker, supra, 53 Cal.4th at p. 1024.)
    Doe contends the common questions of law and fact to be
    litigated include: (1) whether the policies at issue complied with
    the law; (2) whether the University failed to implement
    17
    procedures that provide adequate due process to students
    accused of sexual misconduct at California State Universities;
    and (3) whether findings and discipline imposed under the
    policies must be set aside and vacated. The common law right to
    fair procedure applicable to the claims at issue provided students
    accused of sexual misconduct with a right to cross-examine the
    complainant and witnesses, directly or indirectly, if the accused
    faced severe disciplinary sanctions and the credibility of
    witnesses was central to the adjudication of the allegation.
    The individual questions that would have to be determined
    in the proposed class action far outweigh common issues, making
    the claims unsuitable for a class action. The common issues
    identified by Doe in this case concerning whether the University’s
    policies, in the abstract, failed to provide due process are
    relatively simple questions to determine: Doe sets forth a strong
    case that the policies at the time provided insufficient protection
    when evaluated against our current understanding of the law.
    But a ruling on these common issues alone would not establish
    that the University failed to provide any student with adequate
    due process and would not require the findings or discipline
    against any student to be set aside.
    Rather, the trial court would need to address far more than
    the validity of the prior policies in the abstract. It would need to
    examine the unique facts of each individual case to determine
    whether the University’s policies as applied denied the accused
    student a fair proceeding. For example, the trial court would
    need to determine the severity of the sanctions faced by each
    student to assess the procedures necessary for a fair hearing
    under the circumstances of that student’s case. The court would
    need to review the administrative record of each proceeding to
    18
    determine the process that was actually provided to the accused
    student, such as whether the student received all of the evidence
    or was allowed any method of cross-examination. Critically, the
    court would need to determine in each case whether the result
    meaningfully relied on the credibility of a witness or was
    established by other evidence, such as the accused student’s own
    statements or written communications (e.g. text messages or
    emails). We note as well that the court would have to make fact-
    specific determinations about the University’s defenses in each
    matter, including laches and the statute of limitations. The issue
    of laches, for example, requires the University to show prejudice
    within the unique circumstances of each proceeding.
    Doe does not make any persuasive argument that these
    issues are not implicated or significant in determining whether
    due process was provided to any given member of the proposed
    class. Doe instead suggests that the litigation could be managed
    through the creation of subclasses. We disagree. An examination
    of the unique facts of each proceeding, such as the import of
    credibility, would nevertheless be required on an individualized
    basis to create the subclasses. The class action mechanism is not
    a suitable vehicle to resolve the claims in this case, because while
    common questions concerning the adequacy of the University’s
    policies are relatively easily resolved at an abstract level,
    establishing the University’s liability would further require a
    mini-trial as to each class member to resolve myriad individual
    questions. The trial court properly struck the class allegations
    from the writ petition in this case.
    19
    DISPOSITION
    The order granting the motion to strike the class
    allegations is affirmed. Respondents Timothy P. White, in his
    capacity as Chancellor of the California State University, and the
    Board of Trustees of the California State University are awarded
    their costs on appeal.
    MOOR, J.
    We concur:
    RUBIN, P. J.
    KIM, J.
    20
    

Document Info

Docket Number: B307444

Filed Date: 5/17/2022

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 5/17/2022