Collins Lee v. United States Treasury Department

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
CHARLENE COLLINS LEE,
Plaintiff,
Criminal Action No. 22-1835 (RDM)
v.
UNITED STATES TREASURY
DEPARTMENT,
Defendant.
MEMORANDUM OPINION
Plaintiff Charlene Collins Lee, proceeding pro se, brought this action against the U.S.
Treasury Department “in conjunction with the Secret Service” seeking among other things,
“several hearings to ward off any lingering federal and state employment stalkings.” Dkt. 1 at 1;
Dkt. 1-2 at 1. For the following reasons, the Court will sua sponte dismiss the complaint without
prejudice.
Complaints by pro se litigants are held to “less stringent standards than formal pleadings
drafted by lawyers.” Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520 (1972). Even a pro se litigant,
however, must comply with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Jarrell v. Tisch, 656 F. Supp.
237, 239 (D.D.C. 1987). Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requires that a
complaint contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to
relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a). This requirement “ensures that the opposing party will receive ‘fair
notice of what the . . . claim is and the grounds upon which it rests.’” Jones v. Changsila, 271 F.
Supp. 3d 9, 21 (D.D.C. 2017) (quoting Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 93 (2007)). “Where a
complaint is insufficiently focused, it places an undue burden on the defendant to answer or
move[,] and it invites unnecessary delay and confusion in the proceedings.” Achagzai v. Broad.
Bd. of Governors, 109 F. Supp. 3d 67, 71 (D.D.C. 2015). In addition, Rule 12(b)(6) entitles an
opposing party to dismissal if the complaint “fail[s] to state a claim upon which relief can be
granted.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). “To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain
sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’”
Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544,
570 (2007)).
Plaintiff’s complaint fails to comply with Rules 8 and 12(b)(6) because it does not allege
any facts that would allow the Court to discern the substance of Plaintiff’s claims or to determine
whether, if true, her allegations would entitle her to relief. See Brown v. Wash. Metro. Area
Transit Auth., 164 F. Supp. 3d 33, 35 (D.D.C. 2016). The Court will, therefore, sua sponte
dismiss the complaint without prejudice. See Fontaine v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 42 F.
Supp. 3d 102, 109 n.3 (D.D.C. 2014).
A separate order will issue.
/s/ Randolph D. Moss
RANDOLPH D. MOSS
United States District Judge
Date: July 6, 2022
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