Sharon Porcellio Latitude Granted to a Pro Se Litigant Is Not Limitless
In her Western District Roundup column, Sharon M. Porcellio discusses a case illustrating that even though a pro se litigant is granted wide latitude, it does not excuse a suit's deficiencies.
January 28, 2021 at 12:45 PM
7 minute read
During this past quarter, U.S. Senior District Judge Charles J. Siragusa afforded a pro se plaintiff who alleged a panoply of claims ranging from sexual harassment, retaliatory termination, conspiracy, fraud, money laundering, and sex-trafficking ample opportunities to proceed before dismissing her complaint. In Howland v. Univ. of Rochester, No. 19-CV-6532 CJS, 2020 WL 7337718, at *1 (W.D.N.Y. Dec. 14, 2020), the pro se litigant filed suit against her former university employer and its largest corporate donor alleging that she was wrongfully terminated after expressing concern that both the university and the donor were jointly engaged in a variety of nefarious and illegal activities. In dismissing these "fantastic" allegations, Judge Siragusa made it clear that her case lacked merit and that her status as a pro se litigant did not excuse her suit's deficiencies.
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