Angela Schuncey Richardson v. Krystle Reed Duncan, Corporal

United States Court of Appeals
For the Eighth Circuit
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No. 23-1414
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Angela Schuncey Richardson
lllllllllllllllllllllPlaintiff - Appellant,
v.
Krystle Reed Duncan, Corporal
lllllllllllllllllllllDefendant - Appellee.
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Attorney General of Arkansas
lllllllllllllllllllllAmicus Curiae
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Appeal from United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Arkansas - Central
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Submitted: August 30, 2024
Filed: September 20, 2024
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Before COLLOTON, Chief Judge, MELLOY and GRUENDER, Circuit Judges.
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COLLOTON, Chief Judge.
Angela Richardson, an Arkansas inmate, sued Krystle Reed Duncan, a former
prison security officer, alleging sexual misconduct in violation of the Eighth
Amendment. Duncan defaulted, but the district court* concluded that Richardson
failed to state a claim because she alleged only consensual sexual encounters with
Duncan. Applying our circuit precedent of Freitas v. Ault, 109 F.3d 1335 (8th Cir.
1997), to the record in this case, we affirm.
I.
Richardson sued Duncan under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging sexual harassment
and sexual assault in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The allegations in
Richardson’s complaint set forth the following narrative. Richardson was imprisoned
at the McPherson Unit of the Arkansas Department of Correction. Duncan was a
prison security officer at the unit through January 2019. Between November 2018
and January 2019, Richardson and Duncan developed a relationship. Richardson
trusted Duncan and confided in her. Eventually, the relationship included sexual
contact: the couple kissed, and Richardson digitally penetrated Duncan’s vagina.
This behavior allegedly continued for months; Duncan contacted Richardson by e-
mail and regular mail, and occasionally deposited money into her account at the
prison. Richardson spent extra time with Duncan in the medical facilities where
Duncan was stationed. Richardson participated in the relationship because she felt
safe with Duncan. As Richardson had reported a prior sexual assault and says that
she experienced retaliation, she did not tell anyone but a family member about her
relationship with Duncan. Richardson allegedly suffered emotional distress when she
*The Honorable Lee P. Rudofsky, United States District Judge for the Eastern
District of Arkansas, adopting the report and recommendations of the Honorable Edie
R. Ervin, United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
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found out later that Duncan had been “carrying on with other inmates in the past
before their release.”
Duncan was fired in January 2019, but she and Richardson corresponded by
letter thereafter. Richardson suffered emotional distress after learning that Duncan
had been sexually involved with other inmates. Richardson allegedly felt that she
was “just another victim.” In late 2020, Richardson told prison officials about her
sexual contact with Duncan, and this litigation followed.
Duncan never answered Richardson’s complaint or otherwise participated in
this litigation. The clerk of court entered Duncan’s default, see Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(a),
and a magistrate judge then held a hearing under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure
55(b)(2). That rule authorizes the court to “establish the truth of any allegation by
evidence” and to “determine the amount of damages.”
After the hearing, the magistrate judge recommended vacating the clerk’s entry
of default and dismissing Richardson’s complaint without prejudice for failure to
state a claim upon which relief can be granted. See 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(c)(1); 28
U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii). The magistrate judge concluded that Richardson’s
complaint asserted only consensual sexual activity with Duncan: Richardson did not
allege facts to support a belief the Duncan “would have used her position to harm”
Richardson if she had declined a sexual relationship, and Richardson did “not allege
that she communicated to [Duncan], by conduct or words, that she was not a willing
participant in their relationship.” On that basis, the judge recommended that the
complaint did not adequately allege either the objective or subjective component of
a claim under the Eighth Amendment. The magistrate judge recommended
alternatively that if the district court found that a default judgment should be granted,
then it should award only nominal damages, such as one dollar. The district court
adopted the recommendation to dismiss the complaint for failure to state a claim.
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Richardson appeals. Because Duncan did not appear, this court invited the
Attorney General of Arkansas to submit a brief amicus curiae regarding the issues in
the appeal. We review the district court’s decision de novo. Rinehart v. Weitzell, 964
F.3d 684, 687 (8th Cir. 2020).
II.
Richardson argues on appeal that she stated a claim under § 1983 and the
Eighth Amendment. As a general matter, once a prisoner is incarcerated, “only the
‘unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain’ . . . constitutes cruel and unusual
punishment forbidden by the Eighth Amendment.” Whitley v. Albers, 475 U.S. 312,
319 (1986) (internal quotation omitted). A prisoner alleging a violation must satisfy
both an objective and a subjective element. The objective inquiry asks whether “the
alleged wrongdoing was objectively ‘harmful enough’ to establish a constitutional
violation.” Hudson v. McMillian, 503 U.S. 1, 8 (1992) (quoting Wilson v. Seiter, 501
U.S. 294, 303 (1991)).
When assessing whether alleged wrongdoing was objectively “harmful
enough,” we analyze the general requirement of “infliction of pain” with “due regard
for differences in the kind of conduct against which an Eighth Amendment objection
is lodged.” Id. (quoting Whitley, 475 U.S. at 320). For example, “routine discomfort”
is generally insufficient to state a conditions-of-confinement claim, id. at 9, and de
minimis uses of force that cause “no discernible injury” are almost never excessive.
Wilkins v. Gaddy, 559 U.S. 34, 38 (2010) (internal quotation omitted).
In Freitas v. Ault, this court addressed alleged sexual abuse by a prison official
against an inmate. Sexual activity between a correctional officer and an inmate is
improper and serves no legitimate penological purpose. In Arkansas, it is a felony for
a corrections officer to engage in sexual contact with a prisoner. Ark. Code § 5-14-
127(a)(2). With respect to the objective component of a constitutional claim,
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however, Freitas held that “welcome and voluntary sexual interactions, no matter
how inappropriate, cannot as matter of law constitute ‘pain’ as contemplated by the
Eighth Amendment.” 109 F.3d at 1339. Freitas aligns with the observation of the
Tenth Circuit in a similar case that “not all misbehavior by public officials, even
egregious misbehavior, violates the Constitution.” Graham v. Sheriff of Logan Cnty.,
741 F.3d 1118, 1125 (10th Cir. 2013).
Richardson contends that the Supreme Court’s decision in Wilkins undermines
Freitas. Freitas and Wilkins, however, involved different types of claims under the
Eighth Amendment. Freitas addressed the significance of a prisoner’s consent in the
context of a claim of alleged sexual harassment or abuse by a prison official.
Although physical or psychological harm resulting from sexual abuse can satisfy the
objective component of an Eighth Amendment claim, Freitas concluded that where
a prisoner consents to sexual encounters, there is no infliction of “pain” as
contemplated by the Eighth Amendment. Id. Therefore, the prisoner in that case
could not satisfy the objective component of a claim alleging cruel and unusual
punishment.
Wilkins, by contrast, reaffirmed the holding of Hudson that a claim of excessive
force does not fail simply because a prisoner suffers only de minimis injury. 559 U.S.
at 38-39. The proper inquiry for that type of claim focuses on the force used by a
prison official. A prisoner may suffer “pain” as contemplated by the Eighth
Amendment if a prison official applies excessive force, even if the prisoner’s physical
injury is not serious. Id. at 37-38.
Freitas did not analyze an alleged use of excessive force. The decision did not
reject the prisoner’s claim based on a requirement of more than de minimis injury.
The court concluded, rather, that a prisoner who engages in a consensual sexual
encounter suffers no “pain” or harm at all under the Eighth Amendment. 109 F.3d
at 1339. Freitas cited the Supreme Court’s decision in Hudson on excessive force,
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but nonetheless held that no constitutional violation occurred in a case of consensual
sexual activity. Wilkins and its reaffirmance of Hudson thus did not abrogate our
circuit precedent in Freitas.
Richardson argues that even accepting the rule in Freitas, her complaint
alleged nonconsensual sexual abuse that violated the Eighth Amendment. Before
entering a default judgment, a court must “ensure that ‘the unchallenged facts
constitute a legitimate cause of action.’” Marshall v. Baggett, 616 F.3d 849, 852-53
(8th Cir. 2010) (internal quotation omitted). “Conceptually, then, a motion for default
judgment is like a reverse motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim.” Surtain v.
Hamlin Terrace Found., 789 F.3d 1239, 1245 (11th Cir. 2015) (per curiam). In a
lawsuit by a prisoner, moreover, the district court shall on its own motion dismiss an
action that fails to state a claim. 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(c)(1). To state a claim in light
of Freitas, Richardson must allege facts that are sufficient to make out a plausible
claim of sexual abuse or harassment that was not consensual. See Bell Atl. Corp. v.
Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 569 (2007).
We conclude that Richardson failed to state a claim in her complaint because
she did not allege that her sexual contact with Duncan was not consensual.
Richardson alleged that she confided in Duncan, and that her feelings for Duncan led
to sexual activity. Richardson asserted that she told only a family member about the
encounters, and that she allegedly faced retaliation after reporting a past sexual
assault. But Richardson did not allege that Duncan used force, intimidation, or
threats of retaliation to procure sexual activity. Richardson alleged that she “went
along with the relationship due to her weakness and feeling safe with Officer
[Duncan],” but did not assert that Duncan protected her from unsafe conditions
elsewhere in the prison in exchange for sex. Richardson did allege that Duncan
placed money in her prison account at times, but did not allege that Duncan traded
money for sex or that any gifts or privileges influenced her participation in the sexual
encounters. See Graham, 741 F.3d at 1124.
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As the district court recognized, any relationship between a corrections officer
and an inmate is fraught with potential for coercion due to the imbalance of power.
Any inmate might subjectively fear potential retaliation from a prison official. But
Freitas accepted that sexual interactions nonetheless could be “welcome and
voluntary,” and thus rejected a per se rule that prisoners are incapable of voluntary
consent. 103 F.3d at 1339. To state a plausible constitutional claim, therefore, a
prisoner who recounts sexual contact that is outwardly consensual must allege at least
some manifestation of resistance by the prisoner or some act of coercion by the
corrections official. Richardson’s complaint makes no such allegation, so it is
insufficient to state a claim. Cf. Hale v. Boyle County, 18 F.4th 845, 855 (6th Cir.
2021) (per curiam) (inmate asserted that court security officer provided “privileges
and favors in exchange for sex”); Rafferty v. Trumbull County, 915 F.3d 1087, 1096
(6th Cir. 2019) (inmate alleged that she complied with sexual advances because
corrections officer “intimidated” her); Wood v. Beauclair, 692 F.3d 1041, 1048 (9th
Cir. 2012) (“Wood’s statements and conduct demonstrate objective manifestations
of his unwillingness to engage in any type of sexual act.”).
Richardson also relies on statements that she made in the evidentiary hearing
convened by the magistrate judge under Rule 55(b). We have not addressed whether
a plaintiff may use such a hearing to supplement the allegations of her complaint.
The rule provides that the court may conduct a hearing to “establish the truth of any
allegation by evidence”—that is, any allegation in the plaintiff’s complaint—but does
not refer to adding new allegations that would effectively amend the complaint.
Allowing a plaintiff to amend a complaint by way of a hearing under Rule 55(b)
would raise concerns about notice and procedural fairness to a defaulting defendant.
See Wooten v. McDonald Transit Assocs., Inc., 775 F.3d 689, 699-703 (5th Cir.),
withdrawn and superseded on reh’g, 788 F.3d 490 (5th Cir. 2015).
We need not resolve here whether a court considering a motion for default
judgment must limit its consideration to the plaintiff’s complaint. Even if we
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consider Richardson’s testimony at the evidentiary hearing, we conclude that it is
insufficient to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.
At the hearing, Richardson paraphrased the allegations in her complaint and
provided new details of her relationship with Duncan. She explained that she felt safe
with Duncan, confided in Duncan, and developed positive feelings for her. These
feelings led to the sexual encounters. Richardson testified that she sometimes did not
like the way the sexual activity made her feel, but she went along with it, and Duncan
did not force her to participate. Richardson testified that after the first sexual
encounter, she “felt like” she was “trapped” and “had to do it” because Duncan “knew
so much” about her past negative experiences with other prison officials. But
Richardson did not allege that she communicated her reservations or expressed any
reluctance or resistance to Duncan. She testified that she sometimes felt like she
“wasn’t even in prison” when she was around Duncan, and felt “so safe around her.”
She believed that Duncan was “in [her] corner” and seemed like a “super hero.”
Richardson stated that Duncan initiated the sexual encounters, but did not allege that
Duncan took any coercive action or made any threat of retaliation. Therefore, even
considering the hearing testimony for the sake of analysis, we conclude that
Richardson failed to state a claim under the Eighth Amendment.
The judgment of the district court is affirmed.
MELLOY, Circuit Judge, dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. I would remand for either the reinstatement of the
default judgment or the opportunity for the plaintiff to have a counseled hearing to
address the issue of whether she truly entered into a consensual sexual relationship
with the defendant.
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As a preliminary matter it is important to note that the record before us is fairly
sparse. It consists of the plaintiff’s pro se, handwritten complaint which the majority
notes must be accepted as true for purposes of the default judgment. The complaint
is supplemented by the hearing conducted by the magistrate judge at which the
plaintiff was not represented and neither the defendant nor the State of Arkansas
participated. At a minimum, I would remand to allow the plaintiff to have a
counseled hearing at which she could more fully explain the allegations of her
complaint in which she does allege that she was the victim of sexual harassment and
sexual assault.
Turning to the merits, I agree with the majority that Wilkins v. Gaddy, 559 U.S.
34 (2010), does not call into question our court’s holding in Freitas v. Ault, 109 F.3d
1335 (8th Cir. 1997). However, I believe that even under the holding of Freitas, the
plaintiff has made sufficient allegations to warrant reinstatement of the default
judgment in this case. It is true that Freitas discussed whether the sexual relationship
in that case constituted the infliction of “pain.” However, Freitas then went on to
discuss whether the relationship in that case was truly voluntary. The court
specifically noted, “The record contains no evidence . . . supporting his claim that he
succumbed to Ms. Howard’s advances because she was his boss and he feared the
possible negative consequences of reporting her actions.” Freitas, at 109 F.3d 1339.
In this case, however, I believe there are at least three factors which mitigate
against finding a truly voluntary sexual relationship.
First, the plaintiff alleges in her complaint that the defendant put money into
her prison account. The magistrate judge made reference to that allegation at the
evidentiary hearing but did not develop the record as to the amount or frequency of
deposits. Similarly, the hearing did not explore any representations or threats that
might have accompanied the deposit of funds. I find it very difficult to conclude a
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sexual relationship is truly voluntary in a prison setting when a prison guard pays
money for sex.
Second, Freitas specifically mentioned there was no credible allegation that
Freitas was reluctant to report the relationship with the prison guard. 109 F.3d at
1336. In contrast, in the present case, the plaintiff specifically alleged in her
complaint and developed at the evidentiary hearing her reluctance to report the
relationship. She said she did tell other family members but was fearful of reporting
the relationship to prison authorities because of a fear of retaliation. She alleged and
testified that she had previously reported a sexual relationship with a guard and felt
that she had been the victim of retaliation as a result. Taking the allegations in the
complaint as true, as we must in the context of a default judgment, the plaintiff made
a credible allegation that she was reluctant to report the relationship.
Finally, the plaintiff alleges that the defendant made her feel safe. The
allegations and testimony indicate that the defendant made references to the fact that
she would “protect” the plaintiff. Plaintiff testified in support of her allegation that
the defendant told her the staff was out to get her and the defendant would protect
her. Specifically, the defendant would allow the plaintiff to come to the prison
infirmary early in the evening and spend the entire night in the infirmary, away from
other prisoners and prison staff. The clear implication being that if the relationship
terminated, the plaintiff would no longer have the benefit of the defendant’s
protection.
Taking these factors together, I believe that there is more than sufficient
evidence in the allegations of the complaint and the evidentiary record to find the
relationship was not truly voluntary and to support the entry of a default judgment.
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