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14969cv
Crawfordv.Cuomo,etal.
In the
United States Court of Appeals
For the Second Circuit
________
AUGUSTTERM,2014
ARGUED:FEBRUARY24,2015
DECIDED:AUGUST11,2015
No.14969
JAMESCRAWFORDandTHADDEUSCORLEY,
PlaintiffsAppellants,
v.
ANDREWCUOMOasGovernoroftheStateofNewYork,inhisofficial
capacity;BRIANFISCHER,CommissionerofDepartmentofCorrectionsand
CommunitySupervision,inhisofficialcapacity;SuperintendentWILLIAMP.
BROWN,inhispersonalandofficialcapacities;SuperintendentWILLIAM
LARKIN,inhisofficialcapacity;CorrectionsOfficerSIMONPRINDLE;and
JOHNDOECORRECTIONSOFFICERS18,
DefendantsAppellees.1
________
AppealfromtheUnitedStatesDistrictCourt
fortheNorthernDistrictofNewYork.
No.13Civ.406NormanA.Mordue,Judge.
________
TheClerkoftheCourtisdirectedtoamendthecaptionassetforthabove.
No.14969cv
Before:KATZMANN,ChiefJudge,WALKERandLYNCH,CircuitJudges.
________
On March 5, 2014, the district court (Norman A. Mordue, J.)
dismissed a complaint filed by Thaddeus Corley, an inmate at the Eastern
Correctional Facility (ECF), and James Crawford, a former ECF inmate,
alleging that Corrections Officer Simon Prindle sexually abused them and,
indoingso,subjectedthemtocruelandunusualpunishmentinviolationof
theEighthAmendment.Indismissingthecase,thedistrictcourtconcluded
thatthecomplaintfailedtostateaclaimunderBoddiev.Schnieder,105F.3d
857, 861 (2d Cir. 1997), which set forth the standard for stating an Eighth
Amendment claim arising from sexual abuse in prison. Crawford and
Corley appealed, arguing that the district court construed our opinion in
Boddietoonarrowly.Weagree.
We write today to clarify the rule set forth in Boddie: A corrections
officersintentionalcontactwithaninmatesgenitaliaorotherintimatearea,
which serves no penological purpose and is undertaken with the intent to
gratify the officers sexual desire or to humiliate the inmate, violates the
Eighth Amendment. Moreover, we recognize that sexual abuse of
prisoners, once passively accepted by society, deeply offends todays
No.14969cv
JOHNM.WALKER,JR.,CircuitJudge:
On March 5, 2014, the district court (Norman A. Mordue, J.)
dismissed a complaint filed by Thaddeus Corley, an inmate at the Eastern
No.14969cv
No.14969cv
By alleging that Officer Prindle fondled their genitals for personal
TheAllegedIncidents
On March 12, 2011, Thaddeus Corley, an ECF inmate, was visiting
with his wife when Corrections Officer Simon Prindle ordered him out of
the visiting room and sexually abused him. Prindle informed Corley that
hewasgoingtomakesureMr.Corleydidnothaveanerection,andafter
orderingCorleytostandagainstthewallwithhisfeetspreadapart,Prindle
No.14969cv
Crawford.2 As Crawford was leaving the mess hall, Prindle stopped him
and initiated a search. During the search, Prindle paused around
Crawfords crotch, grabbed and held his penis and asked whats
that?Id.Crawfordresponded:Thatsmypenis,man.Id.at11.Prindle
pushed his knee into Crawfords back, pinning him to the wall, tightened
hisgriparoundtheneckofCrawfordssweatshirt,andtoldhimtostayon
the fucking wall if he didnt want Prindle to ram [his] head into the
concrete.Id.Prindlecontinuedtosqueezeandfondletheareaaround
CrawfordspenisandroamhishandsdownCrawfordsthigh.Id.1112.
Throughout the search, Prindle told Crawford to [s]tay on the fucking
wall if he didnt want to go to the box, which Crawford understood to
meanthatPrindlewouldsendhimtosolitaryconfinementifheresistedthe
abuse. Appx 11. When Crawford told Prindle that the search was not in
Crawfordhassincebeenreleasedonparole.
No.14969cv
ProceduralHistory
On April 12, 2013, Crawford and Corley filed a complaint in the
UnitedStatesDistrictCourtfortheNorthernDistrictofNewYorkalleging
that Prindles sexual abuse violated their Eighth Amendment right to be
free from cruel and unusual punishment. In addition to Prindle, the
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No.14969cv
DISCUSSION
We review de novo a district courts decision to dismiss a complaint
10
I.
No.14969cv
EighthAmendmentClaims
The Eighth Amendment protects prisoners from cruel and unusual
punishmentbyprisonofficials.Wilsonv.Seiter,501U.S.294,297(1991).To
stateanEighthAmendmentclaim,aprisonermustallegetwoelements,one
subjective and one objective. First, the prisoner must allege that the
defendant acted with a subjectively sufficiently culpable state of mind.
Hudsonv.McMillian,503U.S.1,8(1992)(internalquotationmarksomitted).
Second,hemustallegethattheconductwasobjectivelyharmfulenough
or sufficiently serious to reach constitutional dimensions. Id. at 8, 20.
Analysis of the objective prong is context specific, Hogan v. Fischer, 738
F.3d 509, 515 (2d Cir. 2013) (internal quotation marks omitted), and
depends upon the claim at issue, Hudson, 503 U.S. at 8. Although not
every malevolent touch by a prison guard givesrise to a federal cause of
action,theEighthAmendmentisoffendedbyconductthatisrepugnant
to the conscience of mankind. Id. at 910 (internal quotation marks
omitted). Actions are repugnant to the conscience of mankind if they are
incompatible with evolving standards of decency or involve the
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No.14969cv
Boddie also made clear that [w]here no legitimate law enforcement or penological
purpose can be inferred from the defendants alleged conduct, the abuse itself may, in
somecircumstances,besufficientevidenceofaculpablestateofmind.Id.at861;seealso
Hogan,738F.3dat516.Here,thepartiesdonotdisputethatCrawfordandCorleyhave
satisfied the subjective prong. Accordingly, we focus our analysis on the Eighth
Amendmentsobjectivecomponent.
4
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No.14969cv
ApplyingBoddieandotherdistrictcourtcasesinterpretingBoddie,the
district court concluded that the isolated instances during which Prindle
fondled Crawford and Corleys genitalia did not rise to the level of a
constitutional violation. The district court reasoned that, under Boddie,
sexualabuseonlystatesacognizableEighthAmendmentclaimifitoccurs
on more than one occasion, is excessive in duration, involves direct
contactwithaninmatesgenitalia(ratherthancontactthroughaninmates
clothing, as was the case here), or causes physical injury, penetration, or
pain.Appx2830.
Boddie does not support thatnarrow interpretation. Boddie held that
sexual abuse by a corrections officer may constitute cruel and unusual
punishmentifitissevereorrepetitive.105F.3dat861(emphasisadded).
Thus,asingleincidentofsexualabuse,ifsufficientlysevereorserious,may
violate an inmates Eighth Amendment rights no less than repetitive
abusiveconduct.Recurrencesofabuse,whilenotaprerequisiteforliability,
bearonthequestionofseverity:Lessseverebutrepetitiveconductmaystill
becumulativelyegregiousenoughtoviolatetheConstitution.Id.
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Toshowthatanincidentorseriesofincidentswasseriousenoughto
implicate the Constitution, an inmate need not allege that there was
penetration, physical injury, or direct contact with uncovered genitalia. A
corrections officers intentional contact with an inmates genitalia or other
intimatearea,whichservesnopenologicalpurposeandisundertakenwith
the intent to gratify the officers sexual desire or humiliate the inmate,
violatestheEighthAmendment.Similarly,ifthesituationisreversedand
the officer intentionally brings his or her genitalia into contact with the
inmateinordertoarouseorgratifytheofficerssexualdesireorhumiliate
the inmate, a violation is selfevident because there can be no penological
justificationforsuchcontact.Andevenifcontactbetweenanofficerandan
inmates genitalia was initially justified, if the officer finds no contraband,
continuedsexualcontactmaybeactionable.
In determining whether an Eighth Amendment violation has
occurred, the principal inquiry is whether the contact is incidental to
legitimateofficialduties,suchasajustifiablepatfriskorstripsearch,orby
contrastwhetheritisundertakentoarouseorgratifytheofficerorhumiliate
theinmate.SeeWhitleyv.Albers,475U.S.312,32021(1986)(explainingthat
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b. Application
Theunjustifiedconductallegedhereisunquestionablyrepugnantto
theconscienceofmankindandthereforeviolatestheEighthAmendment.
Whitley,475U.S.at327(quotingEstelle,429U.S.at106);seealsoUnitedStates
v. Walsh, 194 F.3d 37, 50 (2d Cir. 1999) (holding that a prison guard who
repeatedly stepped on a prisoners penis acted contrary to contemporary
standards of decency (internal quotation marks omitted)); Washington v.
Hively, 695 F.3d 641, 643 (7th Cir. 2012) (An unwanted touching of a
persons private parts, intended to humiliate the victim or gratify the
assailants sexual desires, can violate a prisoners constitutional rights
whetherornottheforceexertedbytheassailantissignificant.);Schwenkv.
Hartford,204F.3d1187,1197(9thCir.2000)(Asexualassaultonaninmate
by a guardregardless of the gender of the guard or of the prisoneris
deeplyoffensivetohumandignity.(internalquotationmarksomitted)).
Acceptingthefactsallegedinthecomplaintastrue,Prindleviolated
Corleys rights by fondl[ing] and squeeze[ing] [his] penis in order to
make sure Mr. Corley did not have an erection. Appx 9. There is no
penologicaljustificationforcheckingtoseeifaninmatehasanerection,and
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No.14969cv
Prindledoesnotargueotherwise.Moreover,Prindleexecutedthefriskin
the middle of Corleys visit with his wife, rather than at the beginning or
end of the visit. The timing, combined with Prindles stated reason for
initiatingthefrisk,suggeststhatthefriskwaspretextforsexualabuse.Cf.
Wolfish, 441 U.S. at 559 (stating that the constitutionality of a prison body
cavity search turns on, among other things, the manner in which it is
conducted, the justification for initiating it, and the place in which it is
conducted).UnderBoddie,noamountofgratuitousorsexuallymotivated
fondling of an inmates genitalseven if limited in duration or conducted
through the inmates clothes, as was the case hereis permitted by the
Constitution.
Similarly, Prindle violated Crawfords rights when he allegedly
squeezedandfondledCrawfordspenisandroamedhishandsdown
Crawfordsthigh.Appx1112.Inthecircumstancesalleged,theextensive
searchofCrawfordsgenitaliawasnotincidenttoanylegitimateduties.See
Whitley, 475 U.S. at 32021. Moreover, Prindles demeaning comments,
includingthestatements[t]hatdoesntfeellikeapenistome,Appx11,
Ill run my hands up the crack of your ass if I want to, id. at 12, and
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No.14969cv
subsequent taunts about having seen Crawfords penis, id. at 14, suggest
that Prindle undertook the search in order to arouse himself, humiliate
Crawford,orboth.
c. ContemporaryStandardsofDecency
The standard set forth in Boddie, which condemns Prindles alleged
conduct,remainsthesametoday.Butindeterminingtheapplicationofthat
standard,theEighthAmendmentrequirescourtstolookbeyondhistorical
conceptionstotheevolvingstandardsofdecencythatmarktheprogressof
a maturing society. Graham v. Florida, 560 U.S. 48, 58 (2010) (internal
quotationmarksomitted).Wemustthereforealsorecognizethatparticular
conduct that might not have risen to the level of an Eighth Amendment
violation 18 years ago may no longer accord with community standards,
andforthatreasonmaystateaclaimtoday.
To ascertain contemporary standards of decency, courts begin by
reviewingobjectiveindiciaofconsensus,asexpressedinparticularbythe
enactments of legislatures that have addressed the question. Roper v.
Simmons, 543 U.S. 551, 564 (2005). Subsequent enactments by state and
federal legislatures show that standards of decency with regard to sexual
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No.14969cv
abuseinprisonshaveevolvedsince1997.AtthetimeBoddiewaswritten,18
states and the District of Columbia expressly criminalized corrections
officerssexualcontactwithinmates.5Today,allbuttwostates6criminalize
sexualcontactbetweeninmatesandcorrectionsofficers.7Moreover,many
of the states that had enacted state laws proscribing officerinmate sexual
contact prior to Boddie have, in the intervening years, adopted additional
SeeAriz.Rev.Stat.Ann.131419;Cal.PenalCode289.6;Conn.Gen.Stat.53a
73a; D.C. Code 223014; Fla. Stat. 794.011; Ga. Code Ann. 1665.1; Haw. Rev. Stat.
707732(e);Idaho Code 186110; Iowa Code 709.16; La. Stat. Ann. 14:134.1; Mich.
Comp.Laws750.520c(criminalizingsexualcontactwheretheactorhasauthorityover
thevictim);N.J.Stat.Ann.2C:142,2C:143;N.M.Stat.Ann.30911;N.Y.PenalLaw
130.05(3); N.D. Cent. Code 12.12007; R.I. Gen. Laws 112524; S.D. Codified Laws
22227.6;Tex.PenalCodeAnn.39.04;Wis.Stat.940.225.
6 Since Boddie, 30 states criminalized sexual contact between corrections officers and
inmates. See Ala. Code 141131; Alaska Stat. 11.41.427; Ark. Code Ann. 514
127(a)(2);Colo.Rev.Stat.187701;720Ill.Comp.Stat.5/119.2;Ind.Code3544.1310;
Kan.Stat.Ann.215512;Ky.Rev.Stat.Ann.510.120;Me.Stat.Tit.17A,255A;Md.
CodeAnn.Crim.Law3314;Mass.Gen.Lawsch.268,21A;Minn.Stat.609.345;Miss.
Code Ann. 973104; Mo.Rev.Stat. 566.145; Mont. Code Ann. 455502; Neb.Rev.
Stat. 28322; 28322.01; Nev. Rev.Stat. 212.187; N.H.Rev.Stat. Ann. 632A:3; 632
A:4; N.C. Gen. Stat. 1427.7 (criminalizing sexual contact where the actor has custody
overthevictim);OhioRev.CodeAnn.2907.03;Or.Rev.Stat.163.454;18Pa.Cons.Stat.
3124.2;S.C.CodeAnn.44231150(c)(2);Tenn.CodeAnn.3916408;UtahCodeAnn.
765412; Va. CodeAnn. 18.267.4; Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 13, 3257; Wash.Rev. Code
9A.44.170; W. Va.Code 618B2,618B7; Wyo.Stat. Ann. 62304. Delaware and
Oklahoma only criminalize sexual intercourse or penetration, rather than sexual contact
morebroadly.SeeDel.CodeAnn.tit.11,1259;Okla.Stat.tit.21,1111(A)(7).
7Althoughthepreciseconductprohibitedvariesbystate,sexualcontactisgenerally
definedasintentionalcontact,forthepurposeofsexualarousal,gratification,orabuse,of
an inmates sexual or intimate areas by a corrections officer, or of an officers sexual or
intimate areas by an inmate, or of the clothing covering either the inmate or officers
sexualorintimateareas.See,e.g.,Ala.Code141130(3).
5
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lawsandpoliciestopreventsexualabuseinprison.8Andin2003,Congress
unanimously passed the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), 42 U.S.C.
1560115609the first federal law to address the sexual abuse of
prisoners.9Theselegislativeenactmentsaretheclearestandmostreliable
objectiveevidenceofcontemporaryvalues.Atkinsv.Virginia,536U.S.304,
315(2002)(internalquotationmarksomitted).Itisnotonlythenumberof
statelawsthatissignificant,buttheconsistencyofthedirectionofchange
inthelaw.Id.Theselawsandpoliciesreflectthedeepmoralindignation
thathasreplacedwhathadbeensocietyspassiveacceptanceoftheproblem
of sexual abuse in prison. They make it clear that the sexual abuse of
Somestateshaveenactedlawsfurtherprohibitingsexualabuse.See,e.g.,N.Y.Penal
Law 130.52 (A person is guilty of forcible touching when such person intentionally,
and for no legitimate purpose, forcibly touches the sexual or other intimate parts of
anotherpersonforthepurposeofdegradingorabusingsuchperson;orforthepurposeof
gratifying the actors sexual desire.). Other states have adopted additional prison
policiesandregulations.Forexample,theMichiganDepartmentofCorrectionsenacted
cuttingedgepoliciestocurbsexualassaultinprisonsafterCongresspassedthePREA.
Maurice Chammah, Rape in the American Prison, The Atlantic (Feb. 25, 2015), available at
http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2015/02/rapeintheamericanprison/
385550/.
9SeePatNolan&MargueriteTelford,IndifferentNoMore:PeopleofFaithMobilizetoEnd
PrisonRape,32J.Legis.129,13839(2006)(notingthatthePREAwasamodelofbipartisan
cooperation, which Congress passed unanimously). The PREA defines rape to include
not only penetration, but oral sodomy, sexual assault with an object, and fondling. 42
U.S.C.15609(9).
8
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II.
No.14969cv
QualifiedImmunity
DefendantsarguethatqualifiedimmunityshieldsPrindleandBrown
fromliabilitybecauseitwasobjectivelyreasonableforthemtobelievethat
Prindles alleged sexual abuse did not violate the Eighth Amendment.
Because the district court dismissed the complaint, it did not address
whether Prindle and Brown are entitled to qualified immunity, and the
partiesdidnotthoroughlybrieftheissueonappeal.Wethereforeremand
thecasetothedistrictcourttodecidethequalifiedimmunityquestioninthe
firstinstance.
CONCLUSION
For the reasons stated above, we REVERSE the district courts order
dismissingthecomplaintandREMANDforfurtherproceedingsconsistent
withthisopinion.
CHIEF JUDGE
CLERK OF COURT
DC Docket #: 13-cv-406
DC Court: NDNY (SYRACUSE)
DC Judge: Mordue
DC Judge: Hummel
CHIEF JUDGE
CLERK OF COURT
DC Docket #: 13-cv-406
DC Court: NDNY (SYRACUSE)
DC Judge: Mordue
DC Judge: Hummel
_____________________
(VERIFICATION HERE)
________________________
Signature