Timothy J. Christensen of Englewood, Colorado, filed multiple documents on April 1 against Metropolitan State University of Denver and several administrators, including President Janine Davidson and Provost Matthew S. Makley. Christensen also named Employment Matters LLC and David Vogel as defendants, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief along with emergency motions for temporary restraining orders.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard T. Gurley found that Christensen submitted two separate complaints, with the operative pleading failing to use the court's required form. "Plaintiff must submit a single, fully completed Complaint on the court-approved form as one document that contains all claims and allegations," Gurley wrote, citing local rules requiring unrepresented parties to use court-posted forms.
The case was opened after Christensen filed his initial complaint along with an application to proceed without paying fees. The court conducted its standard review under local civil rules and identified multiple deficiencies that must be cured before the case can proceed.
If Christensen fails to cure the deficiencies within the 30-day deadline, the action will be dismissed without prejudice, allowing him to refile if proper procedures are followed. The ruling highlights the strict procedural requirements facing pro se litigants in federal court and the court's unwillingness to piece together claims from multiple documents.