Purvis v. Oest

Dist. Ct. erred in denying defendants-school and police officials' motion for summary judgment alleging that they were entitled to qualified immunity in section 1983 action alleging that defendants denied plaintiff-teacher due process and subjected her to false arrest by investigating rumors that plaintiff had sexual affair with male student. While one defendant-school official had conflict of interest in investigating plaintiff where said official had earlier been accused of sexually harassing student, all defendants, who were school officials, were entitled to qualified immunity where said officials forwarded allegations of plaintiff's conduct to other entity that would perform independent investigation before effecting any deprivation of plaintiff's rights. Moreover, defendant-police official had probable cause to arrest plaintiff where alleged victim eventually admitted to sexual affair, and where certain elements of victim's story were corroborated by third-party.