Robinson v. Conlisk

385 F. Supp. 529, 12 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 643, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8852, 7 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 9369
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedApril 24, 1974
Docket70 C 2220
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 385 F. Supp. 529 (Robinson v. Conlisk) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Robinson v. Conlisk, 385 F. Supp. 529, 12 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 643, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8852, 7 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 9369 (N.D. Ill. 1974).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

MARSHALL, District Judge.

Before me is defendants’ 1 motion to reconsider their motions to strike and dismiss and for summary judgment.

Plaintiffs Renault Robinson [hereafter “Robinson”], a Black policeman employed by the Chicago Police Department [hereafter “the Department”] and the Afro-American Patrolmen’s League [hereafter “the League”], a not-for-profit corporation organized by Black Department members, challenge the Department’s practices in the areas of promotion, assignments and discipline as violations of the First, Fifth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution and 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1983.

This case presents sensitive issues for determination. Plaintiffs, on one hand, properly seek vindication of their federally guaranteed civil rights. Assuredly, there is great value in securing an end to any unlawful practices in the areas of promotion, hiring, and assignments of police officers. Defendants, on the other hand, contest the posture of the case for the court to intervene into the affairs of the Department and insist that the case be presented, if at all, by and against the proper parties.

The defendants set forth five grounds in support of their motion: (1) the City and the Board move to dismiss the Second Amended Complaint on the grounds that the court lacks jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1343(3) since the City and the Board are not subject to suit under §§ 1981 and 1983 of the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1983; (2) the City and the Board move to dismiss the Second Amended Complaint on the grounds that the court lacks jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1331, since Robinson and the League do not meet the requisite jurisdictional amount thereunder; (3) all defendants move to dismiss Count 2 of the Second Amended Complaint on the grounds that Robinson and the League lack standing to sue; (4) all defendants move to dismiss the allegations of Count 2 regarding the discriminatory nature of the Department’s promotion examinations; and (5) all defendants move to dismiss the Second Amended Complaint on the grounds that plaintiffs do not state a justiciable controversy.

THE SECOND AMENDED COMPLAINT

Count 1 of the complaint alleges that Robinson and the League have been subjected to unequal standards, punishment and treatment for the purposes of harassment in violation of the 1st, 5th and 14th Amendménts to the Constitution of the United States and 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Count 2 alleges that League members, including Robinson, have been discriminated against on racial grounds by defendants’ practices reigarding the hiring, assignment and promotion of police officers in violation of the 5th, 13th and 14th Amendments and 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1983.

JURISDICTION OF THE CITY AND THE BOARD UNDER 28 U.S.C. § 1343(3) 2

The City and the Board argue that the plaintiffs are precluded from prosecuting their claims under §§ 1981 and *532 1983 of the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1983, on the grounds that neither the City nor the Board is a “person” within the meaning of the Civil Rights Act.

Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act provides:

Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulations, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress.

The Supreme Court held in Monroe v. Pape, 365 U.S. 167, 81 S.Ct. 473, 5 L.Ed.2d 492 (1961), that § 1983 was intended to provide private parties a cause of action for abuses of official authority which resulted in the deprivation of constitutional rights, privileges and immunities. The Court found, however, that a municipality was not a “person” under § 1983. City of Kenosha v. Bruno, 412 U.S. 507, 93 S.Ct. 2222, 37 L.Ed.2d 109 (1973), extended the Monroe holding that municipal corporations are not “persons” for the purposes of a damage action under § 1983 to an action for equitable relief under § 1983. Thus, to the extent that violations of § 1983 are alleged in Counts 1 and 2 of the Second Amended Complaint, the City and the Board are not subject to suit for such violations. This fact, however, does not deprive the court of jurisdiction over the alleged violations of plaintiffs’ constitutional rights in Count 1 since jurisdiction is also founded on 28 U.S.C. § 1331. Infra, p. 536.

The City and the Board argue that Monroe and Bruno preclude suits against them under all sections of the Civil Rights Acts, including § 1981.

Section 1983 was derived from § 1 of the Ku Klux Klan Act of April 20, 1871. When the 1871 Act was debated in the Senate, Senator Sherman of Ohio proposed an amendment which provided in material part:

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Bluebook (online)
385 F. Supp. 529, 12 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 643, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8852, 7 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 9369, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/robinson-v-conlisk-ilnd-1974.