# Mawakana v. Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia

> District Court, District of Columbia · May 16, 2018

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/4276136

## Case

- **Court:** District Court, District of Columbia
- **Decided:** May 16, 2018
- **Precedential status:** Published
- **Opinion:** Opinion
- **Judges:** Judge Amy Berman Jackson
- **Nature of suit:** Civil
- **Cited by:** 0 later opinions in the Frix Law Library

## Citator (automated)

- No negative treatment found by the automated citator. That is not the same as a confirmation that the case is good law; read the citing cases.
- Full citator and citing cases: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/4276136

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see also id. DW³5DWKHUWKDQµUHODWLQJEDFN¶DQGUHYLYLQJHDUOLHUFODLPVWKHODWHUDFWLRQV

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LV KHOG DFFRXQWDEOH IRU DQ\UHFHQW GLVWLQFW EUHDFKHV´ RI DFRQWLQXLQJ GXW\ Id. DW  7KXV

KyriakopoulosVWDQGVIRUWKHSULQFLSOHWKDWDFODLPIRUEUHDFKRIDFRQWLQXLQJGXW\PD\EHWLPHO\

EXWRQO\LIUHFHQWDFWLRQVZLWKLQWKHOLPLWDWLRQVSHULRG³SURYLGHWKHEDVLVIRUWKHDVVHUWHGEUHDFK´

Id.

7KDWLVQRWZKDWKDSSHQHGKHUH $VVXPLQJGHIHQGDQWKDGDFRQWLQXLQJGXW\WRSURYLGH

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VFKRODUVKLS SULRU WR KLV WHQXUH UHYLHZ SURFHVV´ &RPSO   EHFDXVH SODLQWLII ILOHG KLV WHQXUH

DSSOLFDWLRQbeforeWKH±DFDGHPLF\HDU 6RHYHQLIGHIHQGDQWEUHDFKHGWKHFRQWUDFWWKDW

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FRQWUDFWWKDWRFFXUUHGEHIRUH2FWREHUDUHWLPHEDUUHG $FFRUGLQJO\WKH&RXUWKROGVWKDW

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MXGJPHQWRQ&RXQW,,,DVDPDWWHURIODZ

 3ODLQWLIIKDVIDLOHGWRSUHVHQWIDFWVWRSURYHKLVEUHDFKRIFRQWUDFWFODLP

(YHQLISODLQWLII¶VEUHDFKRIFRQWUDFWZHUHQRWWLPHEDUUHGDQGDVVXPLQJGHIHQGDQW

EUHDFKHGDFRQWUDFWXDOGXW\WKHUHLVVXIILFLHQWHYLGHQFHRQWKHUHFRUGWRVKRZWKDWSODLQWLIIGLG

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ZHUHRIIHUHG,QKLVILUVW\HDUDFDGHPLF\HDU±SODLQWLIIKDGDQDQQXDOUHYLHZSee'HI¶V

62)±3O¶V62)± ,QKLVVHFRQG\HDUDFDGHPLF\HDU±SODLQWLIIIDLOHGWR

VXEPLWWKHUHTXLUHG DQQXDOVWDWHPHQWE\2FWREHUEXWLQ$SULO3URIHVVRUV 

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 ±3O¶V62) ±(PDLOIURP WR DQGSODLQWLII$SU
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'HI¶V([ ,QKLVWKLUG\HDUDFDGHPLF\HDU±SODLQWLIIVXEPLWWHGDFRPELQHG

DQQXDOVWDWHPHQWIRUKLVVHFRQGDQGWKLUG\HDUVDVSDUWRIKLVFRQWUDFWUHQHZDODSSOLFDWLRQDQGKH

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3URIHVVRU'HI¶V62)±3O¶V62)±

7KHUHFRUGDOVRVKRZVWKDWSODLQWLIIUHFHLYHGIHHGEDFNRQKLVVFKRODUVKLSDVSDUWRIWKHVH

HYDOXDWLRQV See, e.g.,'UDIW)(5&$QQXDO5HSRUWRQ3URI6DPXHO/-HIIHUVRQ-U2FW

'HI¶V([&RQWUDFW5HQHZDO5HSRUW'HI¶V([DW'HI¶V62)3O¶V62)

(PDLOIURP WRSODLQWLII1RY'HI¶V([ ([WHUQDO5HYLHZ

'HI¶V(['HI¶V62)±3O¶V62)±3URPRWLRQ5HSRUW'HI¶V([

)XUWKHUSODLQWLIIUHFHLYHGIHHGEDFNRQKLVVFKRODUVKLSZKHQKHUHTXHVWHGLWsee, e.g.,'HI¶V62)

±3O¶V62)±(PDLOIURP WRSODLQWLII'HF'HI¶V

([DQGWKHUHZHUHDOVRRFFDVLRQVZKHQKHGHFOLQHGLWZKHQLWZDVRIIHUHGSee'HI¶V62)

±3O¶V62)±(PDLOVEHWZHHQ DQGSODLQWLII-XO\±

'HI¶V([ $QGSODLQWLIIFLWHVWRQRHYLGHQFHWKDWKHFLUFXODWHGZULWWHQGUDIWVRIHLWKHUCoast

FederalRUHBCU Law SchoolsLQDGYDQFHRIVXEPLWWLQJWKHPZLWKKLVWHQXUHDSSOLFDWLRQ See

3O¶V2SSDW(PDLOIURP WRODZIDFXOW\DQGGHDQV1RY3O¶V([

VKRZLQJRQO\WKDWSODLQWLIIPDGHDOXQFKWLPHSUHVHQWDWLRQRIKLVGUDIWCoastFederalDUWLFOHWRWKH

IDFXOW\(PDLOIURP WRSODLQWLII6HSW3O¶V([VKRZLQJWKDW3URIHVVRU

FRPPHQWHGRQWKHWKHVLVRIWKHHBCU Law Schools DUWLFOH(PDLOIURP WR

SODLQWLII-XO  3O¶V([ VKRZLQJWKDW3URIHVVRU UHYLHZHGDQDEVWUDFWRIHBCU

Law Schools (PDLO IURP  WR SODLQWLII 2FW   3O¶V ([  VKRZLQJ WKDW

SODLQWLIISUHVHQWHGWKHHBCU Law Schools DWDIDFXOW\OXQFK

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9LHZLQJWKLVXQGLVSXWHGHYLGHQFHLQWKHOLJKWPRVWIDYRUDEOHWRSODLQWLIIWKH&RXUWILQGV

WKDWSODLQWLIIKDVIDLOHGWREULQJIRUWKDQ\LVVXHVRIJHQXLQHPDWHULDOIDFWFRQFHUQLQJKLVFODLPWKDW

GHIHQGDQW EUHDFKHG WKH FRQWUDFW E\ IDLOLQJ WR SURYLGH KLP IHHGEDFN RQ KLV VFKRODUVKLS

$FFRUGLQJO\GHIHQGDQWLVDOVRHQWLWOHGWRVXPPDU\MXGJPHQWRQ&RXQW,,,RQWKLVEDVLV

' &ODLPIRU%UHDFKRIWKH,PSOLHG&RYHQDQWRI*RRG)DLWKDQG)DLU'HDOLQJ

)LQDOO\SODLQWLIIDOOHJHVWKDWGHIHQGDQWEUHDFKHGWKHLPSOLHGFRYHQDQWRIJRRGIDLWKDQG

IDLUGHDOLQJ &RPSO7KHFRYHQDQWZKLFKLVLQFOXGHGLQHYHU\FRQWUDFWWright$GDW

FLWLQJAllworthv. Howard Univ.$G'&SUHFOXGHVWKHSDUWLHVWRWKH

FRQWUDFWIURPGRLQJ³DQ\WKLQJZKLFKZLOOKDYHWKHHIIHFWRIGHVWUR\LQJRULQMXULQJWKHULJKWRIWKH

RWKHUSDUW\WRUHFHLYHWKHIUXLWVRIWKHFRQWUDFW´ Paulv. Howard Univ$G'&

TXRWDWLRQVDQGFLWDWLRQVRPLWWHG%XW'&ODZLPSRVHVDWKUHH\HDUVWDWXWHRIOLPLWDWLRQV

IRUFODLPVDULVLQJRXWRIDEUHDFKRIWKHLPSOLHGGXW\see '&&RGHDQGWKHUHIRUH

&RXQW,9LVXQWLPHO\DQGIDLOVIRUWKHVDPHUHDVRQVDV&RXQW,,, 

&21&/86,21

)RUWKHUHDVRQVVHWIRUWKDERYHWKH&RXUWZLOOJUDQWGHIHQGDQW¶VPRWLRQIRUVXPPDU\

MXGJPHQW 7KLV0HPRUDQGXP2SLQLRQZLOOEHGRFNHWHGXQGHUVHDODWWKLVWLPH7KH&RXUWZLOO

 )XUWKHUPRUHWKHVDPHXQGLVSXWHGHYLGHQFHVKRZLQJWKDWSODLQWLIIUHFHLYHGIHHGEDFNRQKLV
SURJUHVVDQGVFKRODUVKLSIRU KLVEUHDFKRIFRQWUDFWFODLPsee 6HFWLRQ,9& VXSSRUWVDILQGLQJ
WKDWGHIHQGDQW GLGQRWEUHDFKWKHLPSOLHGFRYHQDQWRIJRRGIDLWKDQGIDLUGHDOLQJ

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LVVXHDVHSDUDWHRUGHUFRQFHUQLQJHQWU\RIDUHGDFWHGYHUVLRQRIWKH0HPRUDQGXP2SLQLRQRQWKH

SXEOLFGRFNHW

$0<%(50$1-$&.621
8QLWHG6WDWHV'LVWULFW-XGJH

'$7( 0DUFK

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/4276136. Public record. Not legal advice.
