Case Explained: Mondragon, et al. v. Archuleta

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

Filed: 2026-07-15

The Tenth Circuit dismissed the appeal for lack of appellate jurisdiction. The court held that while it generally lacks jurisdiction over a district court’s denial of summary judgment, an exception exists for denials of qualified immunity only when the appeal presents abstract issues of law rather than factual disputes. Under controlling precedent, specifically *Duda v. Elder* and *Ralston v. Cannon*, the appellate court cannot review a qualified immunity denial if the defendant challenges the district court’s determination of the facts or asserts their own version of events. The court found that Defendant Archuleta’s arguments relied on disputing the factual finding that he had deliberately touched the students’ genitals for personal gratification, rather than arguing that the law was not clearly established under the facts as determined by the district court. Consequently, because the appeal turned on a factual dispute, the Tenth Circuit dismissed the case without reaching the merits of the qualified immunity claim.

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