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2024 Supreme(US)(ca7) 93

COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SEVENTH CIRCUIT
Brennan
Justin Schimandle – Appellant
Versus
DeKalb County Sheriff's Office – Respondent



United States Court of Appeals For the Seventh Circuit ____________________ No. 23-2151 JUSTIN SCHIMANDLE, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. DEKALB COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE and JOSH DUEHNING, Defendants-Appellees. ____________________

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Western Division. No. 3:21-cv-50477 — Iain D. Johnston, Judge. ____________________

ARGUED JANUARY 18, 2024 — DECIDED AUGUST 28, 2024 ____________________

Before RIPPLE, BRENNAN, and SCUDDER, Circuit Judges. BRENNAN, Circuit Judge. Justin Schimandle, a high-school administrator, forcibly restrained a student at school. After an investigation, Detective Josh Duehning of the Dekalb County, Illinois Sheriff’s Office submitted affidavits to support an ar- rest warrant against Schimandle for battery. An Illinois state magistrate judge issued the warrant, and Schimandle turned himself in. The criminal case proceeded to a bench trial. After 2 No. 23-2151 the prosecution rested, Schimandle moved for a directed find- ing, which the trial court granted, and Schimandle was found not guilty. Schimandle then sued the Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office and Duehning, alleging false arrest. The defendants moved for judgment on the pleadings, and the district court granted that motion, dismissing Schimandle’s claims. The court found that there was probable cause to arrest Schimandle and that Duehning was entitled to qualified immunity. Arguable prob- able cause supported Schimandle’s arrest, so we affirm the district court. I We view all facts and inferences in the light most favorable to the non-moving party—here, Schimandle—on a motion for judgment on the pleadings. See Lisby v. Henderson, 74 F.4th 470, 471–72 (7th Cir. 2023); see also Scott v. Harris, 550 U.S. 372, 378 (2007). But where video recordings are referenced in the complaint and central to the claims, we may view those vid- eos in addition to the facts alleged in the complaint. See Scott, 550 U.S. at 378; Esco v. City of Chicago, 107 F.4th 673, 679 (7th Cir. 2024); Bogie v. Rosenberg, 705 F.3d 603, 609 (7th Cir. 2013). The facts of this case are disputed. Three videos recorded the incident. Most of the specifics of the encounter cannot be seen on the videos, and the videos do not contain audio. Be- low, we take Schimandle’s description as true, deviating only where the videos contradict Schimandle or to add infor- mation that Schimandle does not include. A. The Underlying Incident Schimandle was the Dean of Students at Kishwaukee Ed- ucation Consortium, a high school in Malta, Illinois. No. 23-2151 3 Kishwaukee offers vocational classes to juniors and seniors with non-violent disciplinary issues from neighboring high schools. On September 26, 2019, during school hours, Kishwaukee students reported to Schimandle that another student, “C.G.,” was in a school bathroom using a vaping device. Schimandle went to the “Commons” area to investigate the report. He searched C.G.’s bag and found a vaping device. Schimandle alleges that as he retrieved the device, C.G. ran up to him, grabbed his wrist, took the bag, and ran off. Schimandle then went to the office to notify his superiors. Later that day, Schimandle saw C.G. in the Commons area again. Schimandle asked C.G. to come to his office so that he could explain why he had searched C.G.’s bag. C.G. re- sponded with profanity and refused to speak with Schiman- dle. Schimandle went to his office to call C.G.’s guardian to inform him that C.G. would be suspended because of the in- cident. Schimandle returned to the Commons area to

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