Two opinions published today — both of them authored by Judge Fisher, both of them partial reversals in favor of civil plaintiffs, and both broadly significant.

Doe v. Mercy Catholic Med. Ctr. — civil / sex discrimination — reversal in part — Fisher

In a major Title IX opinion, the Third Circuit today ruled in favor of a medical resident whose Title IX sex discrimination claims had been dismissed by the district court. The resident alleged that her supervising doctor sexually harassed her and retaliated when she rebuffed him. The court reversed dismissal of claims for retaliation and quid pro quo and affirmed dismissal of a hostile-environment claim on statute of limitations grounds.

First, it ruled that the medical center’s residency program fell within Title IX’s scope, reading education broadly while rejecting the center’s argument that Title IX reaches only principally educational entities. The court listed features for deciding if something is an “education program or activity covered by Title IX:

(A) a program is incrementally structured through a particular course of study or training, whether full- or part-time; (B) a program allows participants to earn a degree or diploma, qualify for a certification or certification examination, or pursue a specific occupation or trade beyond mere on-the-job training; (C) a program provides instructors, examinations, an evaluation process or grades, or accepts tuition; or (D) the entities offering, accrediting, or otherwise regulating a program hold it out as educational in nature.

Second, the court held that Doe’s private causes of action for retaliation and quid pro quo were cognizable under Title IX, rejecting the argument that Title VII’s employment-discrimination provisions (with its elaborate administrative exhaustion requirements) were her exclusive remedy. On this point the court expressly split with the Fifth and Seventh Circuits while joining the First and Fourth Circuits. The court did not reach whether Doe’s private hostile environment claim was cognizable because it held that Doe’s was time-barred, rejecting her argument that her dismissal was part of a continuing violation.

Joining Fisher were Krause and Melloy by designation. Arguing counsel were Joshua Boyette of Swartz Swidler for Doe, Christine Monta for the government as amicus supporting Doe, and Robin Nagele of Post & Schell for the medical center.

Pearson v. Prison Health Svc. — prisoner civil rights — partial reversal — Fisher

After an inmate at SCI Somerset in Pennsylvania had a botched surgery for appendicitis, he sued prison and medical staff for Eighth Amendment deliberate indifference, and the district court granted summary judgment for the defendants. Today the Third Circuit ruled in the prisoner’s favor as to one of the defendants and affirmed as to the others.

The court rejected the lower court’s view that expert testimony was always necessary to establish deliberate indifference. The court ruled that lay jurors were capable of deciding that (1) a prison nurse acted with deliberate indifference when he forced the prisoner, screaming in pain, to crawl to a wheelchair to obtain treatment, and (2) delay or denial of treatment for a non-medical reason was deliberate indifference.

The court also “[r]egretfully” criticized Magistrate Judge Keith Pesto and District Judge Kim Gibson (though neither is named in the text of the opinion) for irrelevant editorializing generally to the effect that too many prisoner suits were frivolous:

When we remanded this case, we were hopeful that the Magistrate Judge and District Judge would cease making these kinds of irrelevant, categorical statements for several reasons, including that they are unnecessary and might cast our judicial system in a bad light by leading an observer to question the impartiality of these proceedings. In addition, it is antithetical to the fair administration of justice to pre-judge an entire class of litigants, and we expect courts to conduct, at a minimum, a careful assessment of the claims of each party. By failing to exhibit such an individualized inquiry, these statements disserved the important principle that “justice must satisfy the appearance of justice.” Offutt v. United States, 348 U.S. 11, 13 (1954).

Despite our optimism, and despite our admonishment of these sorts of categorical statements, this commentary continued since we last remanded this case to the District Court. ***

As we noted in Pearson’s prior appeal and will reiterate now, Pearson suffered from two serious medical conditions, and “it does not appear . . . that he filed this lawsuit for recreational purposes or to harass prison personnel.” Pearson, 519 F. App’x at 84. It appears he filed this suit because he genuinely believes that the prison officials acted deliberately indifferent to his medical needs in violation of his constitutional rights. Whether or not he ultimately prevails, equality before the law is one of the founding principles of our government and Pearson deserves to have his case treated as carefully and thoughtfully as any other litigant’s.

While we remain convinced that the Magistrate Judge and District Judge are capable of handling Pearson’s trial without any bias, we trust that our message will be heard on this third remand and that this editorializing will cease going forward.

Extraordinary stuff.

In a footnote, the court added that district judges are responsible for magistrate judges’ reports that they adopt in their entirety, and it noted that district judges and magistrates must recuse, sua sponte, whenever their impartiality might reasonably be questioned!

Joining Fisher were Krause and Greenberg. Arguing counsel were Brandon Verdream of Clark Hill for the prisoner, and Kemal Mericli of the PA AG’s office and Kathryn Kenyon of Meyer Unkovic for the defendants.