RUFINA ASOLUKA UNEZE v. GREYSTONE PARK PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL (L-2760-17, MORRIS COUNTY AND STATEWIDE)

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE
APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION
This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court ." Although it is posted on the
internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited. R. 1:36-3.
SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
APPELLATE DIVISION
DOCKET NO. A-4301-19
RUFINA ASOLUKA UNEZE,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
GREYSTONE PARK
PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL,
STATE OF NEW JERSEY,
MARY JO KURTIAK, MOISE
YOMB, and MR. SUNDAY,
Defendants-Respondents.
____________________________
Submitted February 9, 2022 – Decided March 11, 2022
Before Judges Hoffman and Geiger.
On appeal from the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law
Division, Morris County, Docket No. L-2760-17.
Eldridge Hawkins, attorney for appellant.
Andrew J. Bruck, Acting Attorney General, attorney for
respondents (Sookie Bae-Park, Assistant Attorney
General, of counsel; Eric Intriago, Deputy Attorney
General, on the brief).
PER CURIAM
Plaintiff Rufina Asoluka Uneze appeals from a Law Division order
granting summary judgment to remaining defendants Greystone Park
Psychiatric Hospital (Greystone) and the State of New Jersey.
We glean the following facts from the record. Plaintiff is a Registered
Nurse who was employed at Greystone as a charge nurse. At around 7:10 a.m.
on February 9, 2016, T.S., an adult male patient in a wheelchair reached out and
touched or grabbed plaintiff's buttocks without her consent. Plaintiff reacted by
first removing the patient's hands from her person, turning around, raising her
right hand above her head, and striking the patient on the left shoulder, then
forcefully pushing the patient's wheelchair away from her. Plaintiff denied
intentionally hitting the patient. The incident was captured on surveillance
video and witnessed by Greystone's CEO, Mary Jo Kurtiak, and Moise Yomb, a
nurse. Kurtiak immediately escorted plaintiff off the unit.
Department of Human Services (DHS) Administrative Order 4:08 states
Physical abuse is a physical act directed at a client,
patient or resident of a type that could tend to cause
pain, injury, anguish, and/or suffering. Such acts
include but are not limited to the client, patient, or
resident being kicked, pinched, bitten, punched,
slapped, hit, pushed, dragged, and/or struck with a
thrown or held object.
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The administrative regulations governing Greystone employees provide
that any employee who physically abuses a patient by striking, hitting, punching,
or slapping a patient is subject to termination. Plaintiff received training on this
policy and was aware that hitting a patient would result in termination. Plaintiff
acknowledges that the regulations do not provide for a lesser disciplinary
sanction for hitting a patient.
As a result of the incident, plaintiff was initially suspended with pay. The
incident was promptly investigated by Greystone Quality Assurance Specialist
Cornelius Doyle, who spoke with plaintiff, the patient, Kurtiak, and Yomb, and
prepared an Unusual Incident Report. The report substantiated physical abuse
of patient T.S. and noted that while plaintiff denied hitting the patient, video
evidence contradicted her denial.
One week later, plaintiff was served with a Preliminary Notice of
Disciplinary Action (PNDA) charging her with violating two subsections of
DHS Administrative Order 4:08: (C3) physical abuse of a patient, and (C5)
inappropriate physical contact or mistreatment of a patient. It also charged her
with conduct unbecoming a public employee, N.J.A.C. 4A:2-2.3(a)(6), and other
sufficient cause, N.J.A.C. 4A:2-2.3(a)(12). The PNDA specified:
On February 9, 2016, at 7:11 [a.m.], Unit G1, you
physically abused patient T.S., who [was] in a
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wheelchair by hitting him on the left shoulder and
pushing him away in his wheelchair. This behavior is
unacceptable and furthermore constitutes mistreatment
of a patient and conduct unbecoming a public
employee.
Greystone sought to remove plaintiff. Following a Loudermill 1 hearing on July
25, 2016, plaintiff was suspended without pay.
A departmental hearing was conducted on July 25, 2016. Plaintiff was
represented at the hearing by a union Executive Vice-President. Plaintiff
testified that she was aware that striking a patient would result in termination,
and that there was a written policy stating this. Plaintiff was trained by
Greystone not to hit a patient. Plaintiff understood that if a supervisor believed
she physically abused a patient, she could be terminated and she believed that
would be appropriate. Plaintiff acknowledged that even if a Greystone patient
grabbed an employee's buttocks, the employee is not allowed to hit the patient.
1
Cleveland Bd. of Educ. v. Loudermill, 470 U.S. 532 (1985). A Loudermill
hearing is part of the due process afforded public employees by providing the
employee with an opportunity to hear and respond to the disciplinary charges,
and to refute any conclusions reached by the employer, prior to termination or
suspension without pay. See Caldwell v. N.J. Dep't of Corr., 250 N.J. Super.
592, 613 (App. Div. 1991) (quoting Loudermill, 470 U.S. at 546) (explaining
that "where a public employee has a constitutionally protectible property interest
in continued employment, that employee may not be terminated without first
being provided with the 'opportunity to present reasons, either in person or in
writing, why proposed action should not be taken. . . .'").
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Plaintiff stated: "If a patient attack[s] you, there is a response you should follow,
which tell[s] you to walk away. Call for help."
Plaintiff denied intentionally hitting the patient, describing it as a reflex
action. She claimed she swatted the patient's hand backward to push it away.
In his written decision, the hearing officer found that after patient T.S.
grabbed plaintiff from behind, plaintiff turned around, raised her hand, hit the
patient with a back-handed slap on the left shoulder, and then pushed his
wheelchair away from her. The hearing officer further found that the incident
was recorded on surveillance video and Kurtiak witnessed plaintiff hit the
patient and push his wheelchair away. The hearing officer noted that "DHS
Administrative Order 4:08 specifies a penalty of [r]emoval for a first infraction
of physical abuse." The hearing officer sustained each of the disciplinary
charges and found removal was appropriate.
Plaintiff was then served with an August 5, 2016, Final Notice of Major
Disciplinary Action (FNDA), removing her from employment effective
February 17, 2016. Plaintiff did not appeal her removal to the Civil Service
Commission. Instead, she filed this action.
On December 28, 2017, plaintiff filed a complaint against defendants
Greystone, the State, Mary Jo Kurtiak, Moise Yomb (Greystone employee), and
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Omoloyin Sunday (Greystone employee). Plaintiff pleaded the following causes
of action: sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the New Jersey Law
Against Discrimination (NJLAD), N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 to -50 (count one);
interference with beneficial economic interest, breach of implied covenant of
good faith and fair dealing, and violation of the New Jersey Constitution (count
two); violation of the New Jersey Civil Rights Act (NJCRA), N.J.S.A. 10:6-1 to
-2 (count three); libel, slander per se, and violation of substantive due process
and the right to free speech under the New Jersey Constitution (count four); and
misuse and abuse of process (count five).
Plaintiff alleged that Greystone filed a petition against her with the New
Jersey Board of Nursing, alleging that she physically abused a patient,
mistreated a patient, and engaged in conduct unbecoming a public employee,
among other allegations, seeking to have plaintiff's nursing license suspended.
Plaintiff also alleged that defendant denied her adequate preparation for the
disciplinary proceedings, violated an implied contractual right, brought false
charges and misused the disciplinary process, discriminated against her based
on her sex, race, sickle cell trait (SCT), and Nigerian tribal affiliation, and
retaliated against her for her complaints about patient care.
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Plaintiff's claims against individual defendants Kurtiak, Yomb, and
Sunday were administratively dismissed without prejudice for lack of
prosecution. Plaintiff did not move to reinstate those claims. The discovery end
date was December 22, 2019.
On January 21, 2020, defendants Greystone and the State moved for
summary judgment. Defendants argued they were entitled to summary judgment
because: (1) they are not "persons" under N.J.S.A. 10:6-2(c) of NJCRA; (2) they
are immune from liability for intentional torts under the New Jersey Tort Claims
Act, N.J.S.A. 59:1-1 to 12-3; (3) the implied covenant claims were barred under
the New Jersey Contractual Liability Act, N.J.S.A. 59:13-1; (4) the defamation
claims were time-barred by applicable statutes of limitations; (5) there was no
evidence of retaliation or failure to accommodate under the NJLAD; and (6)
plaintiff did not establish racial, disability, and tribal affiliation discrimination.
After reviewing the motion record, viewing the video of the incident , and
considering the submissions of the parties, the trial court issued an April 27,
2020 order and thirty-three-page written decision that granted summary
judgment dismissing all claims against Greystone and the State. The judge
found the following facts "[were] not rationally or reasonably disputable."
Plaintiff "hit or slap[ped] the patient on his left shoulder area." Greystone's
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administrative regulations "communicate clearly that an employee who hits,
strikes, punches, or slaps a patient is subject to termination." "The only
disciplinary remedy is termination." "Plaintiff had received extensive training
in dealing and interacting with patients . . . and . . . she was fully aware that the
disciplinary penalty for striking or slapping a patient is termination, and that
such conduct is not permitted or tolerated." Kurtiak observed plaintiff raise her
hand and hit the patient. Kurtiak pulled plaintiff off the unit, initiated an
investigation, and had plaintiff surrender her access pass and keys.
The judge noted that the surveillance video showed the patient touching
or grabbing plaintiff's buttock area with one hand. "Obviously alarmed by this,
[plaintiff] swiveled, pushed the patient's hand away, raised her arm in the air,
and brought her hand down quickly hitting or slapping the patient on his left
shoulder area one time, and [gave] the wheelchair a push." The judge rejected
plaintiff's claim that she did not make physical contact with the patient and
merely hit the back of the wheelchair.
This appeal followed. Plaintiff raises the following points:
I. THE COURT ERRED IN HOLDING THAT
DEFENDANT GREYSTONE PARK PSYCHIATRIC
HOPSITAL IS PROTECTED BY SOVEREIGN
IMMUNITY.
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A. It is Acknowledged that the State (Not the
Hospital or the Individual Defendants) Is
Immune from Claims Under Common Law for
Intentional Torts. Same Does Not Protect the
State, the Hospital or Individual Defendants from
Constitutional and Statutory Causes of Action.
See Fuchilla v. Layman, 109 N.J. 319 [(1988).]
Misuse and Abuse of Process is a Viable Cause
of Action.
II. THE COURT ERRED IN HOLDING THAT
DEFENDANT SUNDAY AND DEFENDANT
KURTIAK ACTED WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF
THEIR AUTHORITY IN TERMINATING THE
PLAINTIFF.
III. THE COURT ERRED IN HOLDING THAT THE
PLAINTIFF PROVIDED NO LEGAL AUTHORITY
OR FACTUAL BASIS AS TO WHY THE
DEFENDANTS' ACTIONS SHOULD BE VIEWED
AS RETALIATION INSTEAD OF A DISCIPLINARY
ACTION.
A. Greystone's Legitimate Business Reason is
Contrary to Law, Policy, and Case Law.
B. Plaintiff Has Proven Her Case Under NJLAD.
IV. PLAINTIFF HAS PROVEN A CLAIM OF
HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT OF HER
COMPLAINTS ABOUT BEING SEXUALLY
ASSAULTED AND THE HOSPITAL BEING SHORT
STAFFED.
V. THE COURT ERRED IN HOLDING THAT THE
PLAINTIFF DID NOT PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF
CONDUCT TO SUPPORT AN IIED CLAIM.
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VI. THE COURT ERRED IN GRANTING
SUMMARY JUDGMENT DISMISSING COUNT
TWO –– BREACH OF IMPLIED COVENANT OF
GOOD FAITH AND FAIR DEALING AND
VIOLATIONS OF NEW JERSEY'S CONSTITUTION
–– ON SUMMARY JUDGMENT OF THE
PLAINTIFF'S COMPLAINT AS PLAINTIFF HAS
PROVIDED EVIDENCE FOR HER ALLEGATIONS
UNDER COUNT TWO.
A. Plaintiff[']s Implied Covenant Claim Is Not
Barred by the Statute of Contractual Liability
Act.
VII. THE COURT ERRED IN GRANTING
SUMMARY JUDGMENT DISMISSING COUNT
THREE –– OFFICIAL DEPRIVATION ON CIVIL
RIGHTS[,] N.J.S.A. 10:6-2 –– AS PLAINTIFF HAS
PLED SUFFICIENT FACTS TO SUGGEST THAT
SHE WAS DISCRIMINATED BECAUSE OF HER
DISABILITY.
A. Contrary to Defendant's[] Position[,] Plaintiff
Does State Evidence of Sickle Cell Disability
Which Disappeared From Her Records.
VIII. THE COURT ERRED IN GRANTING
SUMMARY JUDGMENT DISMISSING COUNT
FOUR – NJ CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE ONE:
DEFAMATION, LIBEL – AS PLAINTIFF HAS
PROVIDED FACTS TO ESTABLISH THAT
DEFENDANTS MADE FALSE AND
DEFAMATORY STATEMENTS.
IX. THE COURT ERRED IN GRANTING
SUMMARY JUDGMENT DISMISSING COUNT
FIVE – MISUSE AND ABUSE OF PROCESS – AS
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PLAINTIFF HAS PROVIDED FACTS IN SUPPORT
OF PLAINTIFF'S CAUSE OF ACTION.
A. Plaintiff Established a Prima Facie Case of
Wrongful Termination Based Upon Her
Protected Classes of Race, National Origin,
Ethnicity, and National Ancestry and Retaliation
Under N.J.S.A. 10:5-12 (a), (d), (e).
B. Defendant[]s Violated N.J.A.C. 4A:2-2.5[,]
4A:2-2.6 and N.J.S.A. 11A:2-13 Which Resulted
in Defendants Misusing and Abusing the Civil
Service Process to Defendant[']s Detriment.
C. Defendant[]s Abused and Misused the Civil
Service Process to Plaintiff's Detriment.
X. DEFENDANTS ARE NOT ENTITLED TO
SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON ANYTHING.
XI. THE INDIVIDUAL DEFENDANTS ARE STILL
NOT DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE AND REMAIN
AS VIABLE DEFENDANTS UPON REMAND BY
THIS COURT BACK TO THE LAW DIVISON FOR
TRIAL.
We apply the same standard as the trial court in our review of summary
judgment determinations. Lee v. Brown, 232 N.J. 114, 126 (2018). "Summary
judgment is appropriate 'when no genuine issue of material fact is at issue and
the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.'" Ibid. (quoting
Steinberg v. Sahara Sam's Oasis, LLC, 226 N.J. 344, 366 (2016)). We conduct
a de novo review of the court's determination of legal issues, Ross v. Lowitz,
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222 N.J. 494, 504 (2015), and "its 'application of legal principles to such factual
findings[.]'" Lee, 232 N.J. at 127 (quoting State v. Nantambu, 221 N.J. 390, 404
(2015)).
Summary judgment shall be granted "if the pleadings, depositions,
answers to interrogatories and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if
any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact challenged and
that the moving party is entitled to a judgment or order as a matter of law." R.
4:46-2(c). In applying the standard to our review of a summary judgment
determination, we "must view the facts in the light most favorable to the non -
moving party, which in this case is plaintiff." Bauer v. Nesbitt, 198 N.J. 601,
604 n.1 (2009) (citing R. 4:46-2(c); Brill v. Guardian Life Ins. Co. of Am., 142
N.J. 520, 540 (1995)).
Having considered the record and applicable legal principles, we affirm
the dismissal of plaintiff's claims on summary judgment. Plaintiff's numerous
arguments lack sufficient merit to individually warrant extended discussion in a
written opinion. R. 2:11-3(e)(1)(E).
In count one, plaintiff alleged Greystone and the State discriminated
against her in violation of the NJLAD. Plaintiff claims that the real reason she
A-4301-19
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was terminated was because of her race, sex, tribal affiliation, sex, national
origin and because she has SCT.
"[O]ur courts have adopted the burden-shifting framework articulated in
McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792 (1973), to prove disparate
treatment under [the NJLAD]." Viscik v. Fowler Equip. Co., 173 N.J. 1, 13-14
(2002).
Under that framework, a plaintiff must first prove a
prima facie case of discrimination. Andersen [v. Exxon
Co., U.S.A., 89 N.J. 483, 492 (1982)]. To do so, a
plaintiff must show that he or she (1) belongs to a
protected class; (2) applied for or held a position for
which he or she was objectively qualified; (3) was not
hired or was terminated from that position; and that (4)
the employer sought to, or did fill the position with a
similarly-qualified person. Ibid. The establishment of
a prima facie case gives rise to a presumption of
discrimination. Id. at 493.
Once that threshold has been met, the burden of
going forward shifts to the employer to articulate a
legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for the adverse
employment action. Ibid. After the employer does so,
the burden shifts back to the plaintiff to show that the
employer's proffered reason was merely a pretext for
discrimination. Ibid. To prove pretext, however, a
plaintiff must do more than simply show that the
employer's reason was false; he or she must also
demonstrate that the employer was motivated by
discriminatory intent. Erickson [v. Marsh & McLennan
Co., 117 N.J. 539, 561 (1990)] (holding that an
"employee can be fired for a false cause or no cause at
all. That firing may be unfair, but it is not illegal").
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Thus, under the McDonnell Douglas framework, a
plaintiff retains the ultimate burden of persuasion at all
times; only the burden of production shifts. Andersen,
89 N.J. at 493.
[Viscik, 173 N.J. at 14.]
As to her claim that she was treated disparately because defendants knew
she was afflicted by SCT,2 the trial court noted that when asked if she believed
she was terminated because she had SCT, she responded: "No. Because I do my
job." Nor was she aware if Kurtiak knew plaintiff had sickle cell trait. The trial
court concluded plaintiff offered no evidence in support of her disability
discrimination claim. Plaintiff has not demonstrated any causal link between
her SCT and her disciplinary charges and resulting termination. Her claim of
disability discrimination was properly dismissed.
As to her claim she was discriminated against because of her sex, plaintiff
contended that as a female, she "was entitled not to be sexually harassed and
'felt up' by a male patient." She also alleged that her complaint to defendants
2
SCT is not a disease. Center for Disease Control, What You Should Know
About Sickle Cell Trait, CDC.GOV,
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/documents/SCD%20factsheet_Sickle%
20Cell%20Trait.pdf (last visited Feb. 28, 2022). Unlike the more serious sickle
cell disease, SCT generally causes no symptoms. Ibid. Most people with this
condition have no direct health consequences due to the disorder and lead a
normal life. Ibid.A-4301-19
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about the adverse effect the sexual assault by patient T.S., and defendants'
reaction to it, had on her condition, was to no avail as she was "brought up on
charges and . . . terminated by [d]efendants for [pre]textual reasons." Plaintiff
claims Greystone and its administrators "owed a duty to [p]laintiff to protect her
from such actions instead of punishing [p]laintiff for objecting to such actions.
Plaintiff alleged defendants breached those duties and wrongfully retaliated
against plaintiff by suspending and terminating her.
As to her claim of retaliation due to her complaints to management,
plaintiff was unable to establish a prima facie case. Plaintiff alleges that she
engaged in protected activity by complaining about understaffing at Greystone
and sent a fax to Trenton the day of the incident. She further alleges she engaged
in protected activity by complaining to Yomb about a patient not receiving their
prescribed medication.
To establish a prima facie claim of retaliation under the NJLAD, plaintiff
was required to show: (1) that she engaged in a protected activity; (2) that she
was subjected to an adverse employment action; and (3) a causal link between
the protected activity and the adverse employment action. Battaglia v. United
Parcel Serv., Inc., 214 N.J. 518, 547 (2013) (citing Woods-Pirozzi v. Nabisco
Foods, 290 N.J. Super. 252, 274 (App. Div. 1996)). Other than the fact that she
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was disciplined for physically abusing and mistreating a patient, plaintiff
presented no facts demonstrating a causal link between her termination and her
complaints. Nor did she present any documentary evidence of sending a fax
about staffing levels on the date of the incident. Her retaliation claim was
properly dismissed due to the absence of any evidence of a causal link. As we
explained in Young v. Hobart W. Grp.,
the mere fact than [an] adverse employment action
occurs after [the protected activity] will ordinarily be
insufficient to satisfy the plaintiff's burden of
demonstrating a causal link between the two. Only
where the facts of the particular case are so 'unusually
suggestive of retaliatory motive' may temporal
proximity, on its own, support an inference of
causation. Where the timing alone is not 'unusually
suggestive,' the plaintiff must set forth other evidence
to establish the causal link.
[385 N.J. Super. 448, 467 (App. Div. 2005) (citations
omitted).]
Plaintiff's claim she was treated disparately because of her race was based
entirely on her subjective belief that Kurtiak treated her differently than she
would have treated friends, family members, or peers. When asked to disclose
the factual basis for that claim, plaintiff was unable to provide any evidence of
a link to her race.
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As to her claim that she was treated disparately because of her national
origin or tribal affiliation, plaintiff offered no evidence that Kurtiak knew of her
tribal affiliation. When asked if Sunday treated her differently because of her
tribal affiliation, plaintiff responded: "Not really."
Given this lack of evidence that plaintiff was treated differently because
of her race or that supervisors even knew of her tribal affiliation, plaintiff failed
to satisfy her initial burden. No reasonable jury could find that she was
terminated because of race or tribal affiliation. The trial court properly
dismissed those claims, noting "[b]are allegations, unsupported speculation and
conjecture, without factual support in the record will not sustain a cause of
action under the bright light of a motion for summary judgment." Secondly,
plaintiff produced no evidence that defendants' reasons for terminating her were
pretextual. Plaintiff's physical abuse and mistreatment of patient T.S., which
was captured on video, provided a legitimate basis for removal. Nor has plaintiff
demonstrated that defendants were motivated by discriminatory intent.
In count two of her complaint, plaintiff alleged defendants' policies,
orders, regulations, handbook, and laws "constitute an implied contract and an
economic expectation which has been violated in bad faith by defendants . . . ."
Plaintiff further contended defendants were subject to an implied covenant of
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good faith and fair dealing. She alleged that defendants breached the implied
contract and covenant and invaded her privacy.
Defendants contended N.J.S.A. 59:13-5 bars "recovery against the State
for claims based upon contracts implied in law." In addition, defendants argued
that plaintiff failed to file the notice of contract claim within ninety days of the
accrual of the claim required by N.J.S.A. 59:13-5. Defendants pointed out that
plaintiff only filed a notice of tort claim related to her claims of defamation and
wrongful suspension without pay. The trial court determined that plaintiff's
claims of breach of implied contract and covenant of good faith and fair dealing
were barred under N.J.S.A. 59:13-5. We concur. More fundamentally, plaintiff
has not shown that defendants breached the purported implied contract or the
covenant of good faith and fair dealing by terminating her for physically abusing
a patient by striking him. The termination was in accordance with DHS
regulations and policies, undertaken pursuant to established disciplinary
procedures that provided adequate due process and a right of appeal, proven by
overwhelming evidence, and not pretextual.
In count three, plaintiff alleged deprivation of her civil rights in violation
of NJCRA. She claimed that defendants engaged in sexual harassment, handicap
discrimination, national origin discrimination, and retaliation compared to
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employees outside plaintiff's protected classes, and that this conduct was
pursuant to defendants' customs and policies. The trial court dismissed these
claims, determining that Greystone and the State are immune because they are
not "persons" subject to liability under NJCRA. We agree.
Plaintiff's NJCRA claims against Greystone and the State are barred by
sovereign immunity. The Legislature's intent in enacting NJCRA was "to
provide New Jersey citizens with a state analogue to Section 1983 3 actions."
Perez v. Zagami, LLC, 218 N.J. 202, 215 (2014). "Given their similarity, our
courts apply [Section] 1983 immunity doctrines to arising claims under
[NJCRA]." Brown v. State, 442 N.J. Super. 406, 425 (App. Div. 2015), rev'd on
other grounds, 230 N.J. 84 (2017); see also Gormley v. Wood-El, 218 N.J. 72,
113-15 (2014). Thus, claims under NJCRA are considered in a manner
consistent with Section 1983 jurisprudence.
"[N]either a State nor its officials acting in their official capacities are
'persons' under § 1983." Will v. Mich. Dep't of State Police, 491 U.S. 58, 71
(1989). "Likewise, because the State is not a 'person' under the [NJCRA], it is
equally immune from suits for damages . . . ." Brown, 442 N.J. Super. at 426.
This immunity extends to State agencies and officials acting in their officia l
3
42 U.S.C. § 1983.
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capacities, because they too are not a "person" within the meaning of NJCRA.
C.J. v. Vuinovich, 252 N.J. Super. 122, 131 (App. Div. 1991) (citing Will, 491
U.S. at 60).
State psychiatric hospitals such as Greystone are arms of the State that are
immune from liability under NJCRA. See Weisman v. N.J. Dep't of Hum.
Servs., 817 F. Supp. 2d 456, 464 (D.N.J. 2010) (holding Ancora State
Psychiatric Hospital is not a "person" subject to liability under Section 1983);
DEP v. Gloucester Env't Mgmt. Servs., 923 F. Supp. 651, 660 (D.N.J. 1995)
(holding Ancora State Psychiatric Hospital is an arm of the State for purposes
of sovereign immunity). Indeed, plaintiff's own complaint states that Greystone
"is a State agency of [d]efendant State of New Jersey" and "is owned and
managed by the State of New Jersey as a governmental entity."
Here, Greystone performs a governmental function. It is not separately
incorporated. Greystone is a DHS-operated and managed facility. Its employees
are entitled to Civil Service status. Any judgment for damages entered against
Greystone would be paid from funds of the State Treasury. Greystone is clearly
an arm of the State that is not a "person" within the meaning of Section 1983.
Accordingly, plaintiff's claims under NJCRA were properly dismissed.
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In count four of her complaint, plaintiff alleged defendants brought "false
charges" against her "with the intention of causing [p]laintiff loss of her
employment good will, reputation and right to grieve and complain without fear
of retaliation." She claimed that the false charges "amounted to defamation per
se, libel and slander as [d]efendants knowingly made untrue statements about
her professional competency with reckless and wanton disregard for the
consequences thereof."
The trial court dismissed these defamation claims as time barred. It also
concluded that plaintiff failed to show that defendants made false and
defamatory statements about her in a public setting. Defamation claims are
subject to the one-year statute of limitations imposed by N.J.S.A. 2A:14-3. "A
defamation action must be filed within one year of the publication of an
actionable writing or utterance." Petro-Lubricant Testing Labs, Inc. v. Adelman,
233 N.J. 236, 250 (2018). Similarly, "[c]laims for invasion of privacy based on
placing plaintiff in a false light are subject to the one-year statute of limitations
imposed by N.J.S.A. 2A:14-3." Smith v. Datla, 451 N.J. Super. 82, 94 (App.
Div. 2017) (citing Swan v. Boardwalk Regency Corp., 407 N.J. Super. 108, 122-
23 (App. Div. 2009)). The disciplinary proceedings against plaintiff were
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completed on August 5, 2016. Plaintiff filed her complaint on December 28,
2017. Her defamation and false light claims were clearly time-barred.
In count five of her complaint, plaintiff alleged defendants engaged in
misuse and abuse of process by bringing disciplinary charges against her to
retaliate for complaints that they engaged in unlawful practices. The trial court
found that "[p]laintiff failed to sufficiently plead retaliation or to show that the
[d]efendants' legitimate business reason advanced for the [p]laintiff's
termination was pretextual." The court noted that plaintiff was provided with a
Loudermill hearing, at which plaintiff was represented and "allowed to plead her
case" and argue against termination. The trial court found plaintiff "failed to
offer any evidence" that would establish a prima facie case of abuse or misuse
of process. The court found there was "no evidence that the [p]laintiff was the
target of a plan or scheme to terminate her through manipulation or misuse of
the hearing process." The record amply supports those findings. Count five was
properly dismissed.
The plaintiff in a malicious use of process action must prove that the
original action complained of was brought without probable cause and was
actuated by malice, that it was terminated favorably to the plaintiff, and that
plaintiff suffered a special grievance by the institution of the underlying
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proceeding. LoBiondo v. Schwartz, 199 N.J. 62, 90 (2009). Each element must
be proven for there to be any recovery. Ibid. Absent a dispute as to the material
underlying facts, a determination of probable cause is a question of law. Jobes
v. Evangelista, 369 N.J. Super. 384, 398 (App. Div. 2004). Plaintiff clearly
failed to satisfy these elements and was unable to make out a prima facia case.
The record demonstrates that defendants had probable cause to bring the
removal proceeding. In addition, the removal proceeding was not terminated
favorably to plaintiff. For each of these reasons, plaintiff's claim of abuse of
process fails.
To state a cause of action for malicious abuse of process, plaintiff must
also show that defendants engaged in acts "after issuance of process 'which
represent[ed] the perversion or abuse of the legitimate purposes of that process.'"
Baglini v. Lauletta, 338 N.J. Super. 282, 294 (App. Div. 2001) (quoting Penwag
Prop. Co. v. Landau, 148 N.J. Super. 493, 499 (App. Div. 1977), aff'd, 76 N.J.
595 (1978)). Plaintiff must demonstrate that after commencing process,
defendants pursued that process for an ulterior motive and used the process as
"a means to coerce or oppress[.]" Tedards v. Auty, 232 N.J. Super. 541, 550
(App. Div. 1989). Plaintiff has not demonstrated that such misconduct occurred.
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Plaintiff was initially suspended with pay. She was served with a PNDA
specifying the charges. Plaintiff participated in a Loudermill hearing and was
represented by a union official. She was suspended without pay following that
hearing. At the subsequent departmental hearing, where plaintiff was
represented by a union official and afforded the opportunity to present witnesses
and cross-examine Greystone's witness, the disciplinary charges and removal
were sustained by the hearing officer. Plaintiff was then served with a FNDA
removing her from employment effective February 17, 2016. Plaintiff had the
right to appeal her removal to the Civil Service Commission. N.J.A.C. 4A:2-
2.8. She did not do so. The record belies any claim plaintiff was denied due
process or that Greystone or the State otherwise engaged in malicious abuse of
process.
Finally, we address plaintiff's argument that Greystone violated N.J.S.A.
11A:2-13 and N.J.A.C. 4A:2-2.5(d) by not conducting the departmental hearing
within thirty days of the issuance of the PNDA. In Goodman v. Dep't of
Corrections, the court considered "whether disciplinary charges against a public
employee in the career service must be dismissed if the appointing authority
fails to conduct a departmental hearing within the thirty-day period required by
N.J.S.A. 111:2-13. 367 N.J. Super. 591, 592 (App. Div. 2004). The court held
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"that this requirement is not jurisdictional and that the appointing authority may
proceed with disciplinary charges even if it fails to conduct a departmental
hearing within the statutorily mandated period." Ibid. The court reasoned:
In the absence of an explicit legislative provision
requiring dismissal of disciplinary charges if an
appointing authority fails to conduct a department
hearing within thirty days, we are unwilling to impute
such an intent to the legislature. There is a strong
public interest in allowing an appointing authority to
proceed with disciplinary charges even if it has failed
to conduct a hearing within the legislatively prescribed
period.
[Id. at 594.]
Just as in Goodman, "[t]his case illustrates that public interest." Ibid. Moreover,
plaintiff has not demonstrated that the delay in the hearing prejudiced him.
To the extent we have not specifically addressed any of plaintiff's
remaining arguments, we find them to lack sufficient merit to warrant discussion
in a written opinion. R. 2:11-3(e)(1)(E).
Affirmed.
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