Ayodele Akinola v. David Severns

NOT FOR PUBLICATION FILED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS AUG 15 2017 MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT AYODELE AKINOLA, No. 14-15302 Plaintiff-Appellant, D.C. No. 3:11-cv-00681-LRH- WGC v. DAVID SEVERNS, MEMORANDUM* Defendant-Appellee. Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Nevada Larry R. Hicks, District Judge, Presiding Submitted August 9, 2017** Before: SCHROEDER, TASHIMA, and M. SMITH, Circuit Judges. Ayodele Akinola appeals pro se from the district court’s order dismissing certain claims in his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action alleging race discrimination in his employment with the State of Nevada’s Department of Transportation. We have * This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3. ** The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2). jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291.1 We review de novo a dismissal for failure to state a claim under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). Lacey v. Maricopa County, 693 F.3d 896, 911 (9th Cir. 2012) (en banc). We affirm. The district court properly dismissed Akinola’s Fourteenth Amendment equal protection claim based on a hostile work environment theory because Akinola failed to allege facts sufficient to show conduct severe or pervasive enough to alter the terms or conditions of his employment. See Manatt v. Bank of Am., NA, 339 F.3d 792, 798-99 (9th Cir. 2003) (setting forth elements of a hostile work environment claim). After considering Akinola’s response to the Order to Show Cause Re: Case Dismissal (Docket Entry No. 41), we decline to consider Akinola’s First Amendment retaliation claim because this court already considered this claim in Case No. 15-16066. Akinola v. Severns, --- Fed. App’x ----, 2017 WL 1089547, at *1 (9th Cir. Mar. 23, 2017). We do not consider matters not specifically and distinctly raised and argued in the opening brief. See Padgett v. Wright, 587 F.3d 983, 985 n.2 (9th Cir. 2009). 1 After considering the parties’ responses to the Order to Show Cause Re: Jurisdiction (Docket Entry No. 30), we are satisfied that we have jurisdiction. 2 14-15302 Akinola’s motion for leave to file a late letter brief (Docket Entry No. 38) is granted. The Clerk shall file the letter brief submitted by Akinola on March 1, 2017 (Docket Entry No. 36). AFFIRMED. 3 14-15302