Sophia Parker, pseudonymously v. The Eight Seasons, Inc.

Summary

This is a protective order entered by the United States District Court for the District of Nevada in Parker v. The Eight Seasons, Inc. The order permits the plaintiff to proceed pseudonymously during pretrial proceedings and establishes procedures for protecting and handling information identifying her, including redaction and restrictions on disclosure.

Holdings

1. The plaintiff may proceed pseudonymously throughout the pretrial proceedings, with the parties required to refer to her as "Sophia Parker" or "Plaintiff" in pretrial public filings, discovery, and pretrial public court proceedings.
2. Information containing the plaintiff's current legal name, residence, workplace, or other identifying information must be designated and handled as "TRUE IDENTITY" information, and parties and third parties must redact such information from court filings.
3. The protective order does not itself authorize filing protected materials under seal; a party must obtain prior court permission for each sealing request by motion and a showing of good cause.
4. The parties must comply in good faith with the meet-and-confer requirement of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(a)(1) before seeking judicial intervention concerning disputes under the protective order.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the plaintiff should be permitted to proceed pseudonymously during the pretrial proceedings because disclosure of her identity could cause further trauma and stigma.
2. What procedures should govern the protection, disclosure, redaction, and potential sealing of information that reveals the plaintiff's identity.
3. What meet-and-confer procedure should precede judicial intervention concerning disputes under the protective order.

Disposition

other