Espinal v. Lenoir-Rhyne University
- Paul Engelmayer
- 1:23-cv-10776
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
In Espinal v. Lenoir-Rhyne University, Judge Tarnofsky ordered settlement talks and a joint update; the case’s merits were not decided.
Frangie Espinal and Lenoir-Rhyne University must participate in the ordered settlement discussions and submit the required joint letter.
What happened
In Espinal v. Lenoir-Rhyne University, the court ordered Frangie Espinal and Lenoir-Rhyne University to try to settle the case after the summons and complaint are served.
Within 30 days, the parties must meet for at least one hour and discuss settlement, including whether Espinal has shown that she has the legal right to bring the case. Within 15 more days, they must jointly tell the court whether they settled and, if not, request mediation, a settlement conference, or an initial case-management conference.
Robyn F. Tarnofsky, the United States Magistrate Judge who signed the order, did not decide the case’s underlying legal claims.
The detailed version
- Espinal v. Lenoir-Rhyne University · No. 1:23-cv-10776
- Paul Engelmayer
- Jan. 4, 2024
What the Court Ordered
The court ordered Frangie Espinal and Lenoir-Rhyne University to meet and confer—that is, discuss the case directly—in a good-faith effort to settle it. The meeting must last at least one hour and occur within 30 days after service of the summons and complaint.
The parties must discuss whether Espinal has satisfied the threshold requirement of standing, meaning whether she has the legal right to bring the case. If they cannot settle on their own, they must also discuss whether additional discussions through the court’s mediation program or before the magistrate judge would be productive.
Required Joint Letter
Within 15 additional days, or within 45 days after service of the summons and complaint, the parties must submit a joint letter telling the court whether they settled. If they did not settle, the letter must ask the court to refer the case to mediation, set a settlement conference, or proceed with an initial case-management conference.
Effect of the Order
This order addressed settlement and case-management steps. It did not decide standing or any underlying claim, and it did not state that the case was dismissed or otherwise resolved. The opinion text identifies Robyn F. Tarnofsky as the magistrate judge who signed the order.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.