Terry Donald Rutledge, a/k/a Tori Elise Rutledge v. Centurion Health, et al.

Summary

The court grants in part and denies in part the state defendants’ motion for summary judgment in Terry Donald Rutledge a/k/a Tori Elise Rutledge’s prisoner civil-rights action. It dismisses claims against several Indiana Department of Correction officials for failure to exhaust the Classification Appeals Process, while allowing official-capacity injunctive-relief claims against the commissioner and warden, along with claims against the remaining medical defendants, to proceed.

Holdings

1. The state defendants proved that an available Classification Appeals Process governed challenges to the transfer and that Plaintiff did not submit the required appeal by the deadline; therefore, summary judgment was warranted on the claims against Director Dwenger, Commissioner Reagle, Deputy Commissioner Wilson, and Director Hendrix.
2. Summary judgment was denied as to Commissioner Arnold and the warden because granting judgment on the official-capacity claims for injunctive relief would be premature while the related claims against the medical defendants remained pending.
3. The court could treat the properly supported factual assertions in the state defendants' summary-judgment motion as undisputed because Plaintiff failed to respond in accordance with Rule 56 and the applicable local rule.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the state defendants were entitled to summary judgment on Plaintiff's Eighth Amendment claims challenging the May 2024 transfer because Plaintiff failed to exhaust the available Classification Appeals Process.
2. Whether summary judgment was premature as to the Commissioner and warden sued in their official capacities for prospective injunctive relief concerning mental-health treatment and transfer from segregated housing.

Disposition

other