Opinion
No. 77 Civ. 3175.
April 4, 1978.
Edward J. Swan, New York City, for plaintiff.
George Ashley, New York City, for defendant.
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
Plaintiff seeks to hold the defendant New York Telephone Company liable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for deprivation of First Amendment and due process rights in denying him a listing in the New York telephone directory under the heading "Montmartre Govt of". Such a denial would be actionable under § 1983 only if defendant's action could be characterized as that of the state. We find this state action requirement unsatisfied here. See Jackson v. Metropolitan Edison Co. (1974) 419 U.S. 345, 95 S.Ct. 449, 42 L.Ed.2d 477; Taylor v. Con Edison Co. (2d Cir. 1977) 552 F.2d 39. Since the § 1983 claim must be dismissed, an exercise of pendent jurisdiction over plaintiff's defamation claim would be inappropriate. United Mine Workers v. Gibbs (1966) 383 U.S. 715, 86 S.Ct. 1130, 16 L.Ed.2d 218, Kavit v. A. L. Stamm Co. (2d Cir. 1974) 491 F.2d 1176. Defendant's motion to dismiss the complaint is accordingly granted.
The disputed listing reads as follows:
Montmartre Govt Of — Chancery 310E70 __________________ 861-1813 Residence Of The Ambassador 310E70 861-1813 Montmartre Consulate Genl 45E55 __ 751-2940 Commission To Internationalize The Vactican City State 310E70 _ Montgolfier Brothers International Aerodrome Authority 310E70 _______ 861-1813 Montmartre International War Crimes Commission 310E70 _______ Montmartre Military Mission To The Kurds 310E70 ___________________ Montmartre Military Mission To The Royal Scottish Jacobite Govt 45 Moshier Greenwich Conn _________________________203 531-7734 Montmartre Military Mission To The Soviet Georgian Guerrillas 310E70 861-1813 Montmartre-U S Joint International Boundary Water Comm 919 3Av ___ 355-2300 National Theatre-Theatre Du Grand-Guignol De Paris 310E70 ___ Office Of The Grand High Commissioner For Land Berlin 310E70 ___________________ Office Of The Grand High Commissioner For The Shanghai Concession 310E70 _______________ 861-1813 Peoples Liberation Army For St Pierre And Miquelon 310E70 ______ Permanent Observer Mission Of The Republic Of Montmartre To The U N 310E70 __________________ Semi-Official News Agency-O C I DL 310E70 _______________________
Counsel for neither party has explored the possibility that jurisdiction over the defamation claim might be based on diversity between the New York defendant and plaintiff as ruler of the sovereign state of Montmartre.
SO ORDERED.