Free Motion for Reconsideration - District Court of Connecticut - Connecticut

Case 3:01-cv-02156-AVC

Document 56

Filed 05/07/2004

Page 1 of 4

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT

MAUREEN EPPS, DIANE CLAUSSEN, and GERALDINE WRIGHT Plaintiffs, VS. GERALD MISTRETTA and THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR THE TOWN OF EAST LYME Defendants.

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CIVIL ACTION NO. 3:01 CV2156 (AVC)

MAY 7, 2004

MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION Pursuant to D. Conn. L. Civ.R. 7(c), the undersigned Defendants, the Board of Education for the Town of East Lyme (the "Board") and Gerald Mistretta, hereby respectfully move this Court to reconsider its Ruling on the Defendants' Joint Motion for Summary Judgment dated April 23, 2004. That ruling granted summary judgment in part to the Defendants as to the Plaintiff Maureen Epps' claims for retaliation for her exercising her right to file a grievance and expressing displeasure with the hiring process for the CIL of the foreign language department, holding that her speech did not address a matter of public concern. The ruling, however, denied the Defendants' motion as to the Plaintiffs Diane Claussen and Geraldine Wright for the reason that their speech relating to the quality of education for special education students touches on matters of public concern and is protected. In reaching this conclusion, the Court did not address the motive for the

ORAL ARGUMENT REQUESTED
One Goodwin Square 225 Asylum Street Hartford, CT 06103

Phone (860) 522-6103 Fax (860) 548-0006 Juris No. 26105

Case 3:01-cv-02156-AVC

Document 56

Filed 05/07/2004

Page 2 of 4

Plaintiffs' speech regarding the organization, funding, and staffing levels of the special education department. As more fully set forth in the accompanying Memorandum of Law, the Defendants respectfully request the Court to reconsider its ruling, which denied the Defendants' motion for summary judgment regarding the Plaintiffs Claussen and Wright and enter summary judgment in favor of the Defendants.

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One Goodwin Square 225 Asylum Street Hartford, CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-6103 Fax (860) 548-0006 Juris No. 26105

Case 3:01-cv-02156-AVC

Document 56

Filed 05/07/2004

Page 3 of 4

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, THE DEFENDANT: THE TOWN OF EAST LYME BOARD OF EDUCATION By

James M. Sconzo Fed. Bar # ct 04571 and Kevin R. Brady Fed. Bar #ct22135 of HALLORAN & SAGE LLP One Goodwin Square 225 Asylum Street Hartford, CT 06103 (860) 522-6103

THE DEFENDANT: GERALD MISTRETTA

By

Frank J. Szilagyi Fed Bar # ct07859 and Josephine A. Spinella Fed. Bar # CT24009 of Silvester & Daly 72 Russ Street Hartford, CT 06106 Juris No. CT07859 Tel: (860) 278-2650 Fax: (860) 727-9243

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One Goodwin Square 225 Asylum Street Hartford, CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-6103 Fax (860) 548-0006 Juris No. 26105

Case 3:01-cv-02156-AVC

Document 56

Filed 05/07/2004

Page 4 of 4

CERTIFICATION This is to certify that on this 7th day of May, 2004, I hereby mailed a copy of the foregoing to: Jacques J. Parenteau, Esq. Madsen, Prestley & Parenteau, LLC 111 Huntington Street P.O. Box 1631 New London, CT 06320 Richard D. O'Connor, Esq. Paul H. Gamache, Esq. Siegal, O'Connor, Schiff & Zangari, P.C. 150 Trumbull Street Hartford, CT 06103-2406

Kevin R. Brady

529507.1

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One Goodwin Square 225 Asylum Street Hartford, CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-6103 Fax (860) 548-0006 Juris No. 26105