Opinion ID: 1900382
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: does the court lack personal jurisdiction over the defendants by reason of governmental immunity?

Text: [12] Local government bodies are not entitled to absolute immunity under section 1983. Monell, supra, 436 U.S. at 701. School board members enjoy a qualified, but not absolute, immunity from liability for damages under section 1983 arising out of the unconstitutional imposition of school discipline. Wood v. Strickland, 420 U.S. 308 (1975). The Court in Wood reasoned: We think there must be a degree of immunity if the work of the schools is to go forward; and, however worded, the immunity must be such that public school officials understand that action taken in the good-faith fulfillment of their responsibilities and within the bounds of reason under all the circumstances will not be punished and that they need not exercise their discretion with undue timidity. Id. at 321. Under the Wood test, these defendants cannot claim absolute immunity from suit under section 1983 or the Fair Employment Act. See: Shirley v. Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools Board of Education, 521 F.2d 1329 (6th Cir. 1975); Hutchison v. Lake Oswego School District No. 7, 519 F.2d 961 (9th Cir. 1975). [13] By amending the Act to effectively apply to state employees with causes of action arising under the Act, the legislature has consented to suit under the provisions of the Act, and this consent extends to municipalities. Therefore, the general provisions of sec. 895.43(3), Stats., are superseded by the specific authority of the Fair Employment Act. By the Court. Order affirmed.