Case Explained: Summary Calendar Nafeesa H. Naylor Plaintiff— v. Town of Rayville; Timothy L. Colvin; Jeffery Fields; Neal Harwell; Randy Jack; Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen; XYZ Insurance Companies; Natasha Robinson Defendants—

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Filed: 2026-07-28 The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court’s grant of summary judgment for Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. (PLKI) and dismissal with prejudice of Nafeesa H. Naylor’s remaining claims against other defendants. Regarding PLKI, the court applied de novo review and held that summary judgment was proper because PLKI, as a franchisor that did not own or operate the restaurant at issue, is generally not liable for the acts of its franchisee’s employees or for securing the premises under Louisiana law. Naylor failed to provide evidence disputing this relationship or arguing otherwise. Regarding the dismissal with prejudice, the court reviewed for abuse of discretion and applied standards under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 37 and 41(b), which permit such sanctions for extreme circumstances involving deliberate, repeated refusals to comply with discovery orders or court directives. The court found Naylor’s conduct contumacious due to her failure to provide adequate discovery responses, appear for a court-ordered deposition despite denied continuance requests, and fail to attend a dispositive motions hearing. The court determined that lesser sanctions were futile given Naylor’s stubborn resistance to authority and repeated warnings from the district court. Additionally, the court rejected Naylor’s recusal and bias arguments, noting that adverse rulings alone do not establish judicial impartiality issues. The judgment of the district court is affirmed, leaving the dismissal with prejudice in effect. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.