D.J. v. Walnut Creek School District
- Cisneros
- 3:24-cv-02660
- U.S. District Court · Northern District of California
- 2
In D.J. v. Walnut Creek School District, Magistrate Judge Cisneros granted a petition appointing Kasra Rahimi to represent D.J., a minor, in the lawsuit.
D.J., a minor, is represented by Kasra Rahimi, whom the court appointed as guardian ad litem and authorized to prosecute D.J.’s claims.
What happened
D.J., a minor, sued Walnut Creek School District, Spectrum, and unnamed defendants, alleging that he was abused while placed by the school district in Spectrum School. D.J. later asked the court to appoint Kasra Rahimi to represent him.
The court reviewed the record and found that the request met the requirements for appointing a representative for a minor under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 17. The court decided the petition without oral argument.
In D.J. v. Walnut Creek School District, Magistrate Judge Lisa J. Cisneros granted the petition. The court appointed Kasra Rahimi as D.J.’s guardian ad litem and authorized him to prosecute D.J.’s claims.
The detailed version
- D.J. v. Walnut Creek School District · No. 3:24-cv-02660
- Cisneros
- June 18, 2024
Background
D.J., a minor represented in the caption by a guardian ad litem, filed a complaint against Walnut Creek School District, Spectrum, and Does 1–10. The complaint alleges that D.J. was abused while the school district had placed him in Spectrum School. The opinion states that the complaint was filed on or about May 2, 2024.
On May 28, 2024, D.J. filed a petition asking the court to appoint Kasra Rahimi as his guardian ad litem. A guardian ad litem is a person appointed to protect and represent a minor’s interests in a lawsuit.
Court’s analysis
The court explained that Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 17 gives courts a special duty to safeguard the interests of minor litigants. The court reviewed the record and found that the petition satisfied the requirements for appointing a guardian ad litem under Rule 17. The court found the matter suitable for decision without oral argument.
Order
Magistrate Judge Lisa J. Cisneros granted the petition to appoint Kasra Rahimi as D.J.’s guardian ad litem. The court appointed Rahimi to act in that role and authorized him to prosecute D.J.’s claims on D.J.’s behalf. The opinion addresses only the appointment; it does not decide the allegations in D.J.’s complaint.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.