Opinion ID: 706991
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Custom Or Usage

Text: 12 Randle's failure to allege the existence of similar discrimination as to others seriously undermines her claim that the City maintained a custom of discriminatory personnel practices. See City of St. Louis v. Praprotnik, 485 U.S. 112, 127, 130, 108 S.Ct. 915, 926, 927-28, 99 L.Ed.2d 107 (1988) (plurality opinion) (custom requires that the illegal practice be widespread--i.e., involving a series of decisions); Melton v. City of Oklahoma City, 879 F.2d 706, 725 n. 26 (10th Cir.1989) (distinguishing case from Praprotnik because plaintiff offered evidence that the City acted similarly against another person in addition to himself, and thus, was potentially able to demonstrate the existence of a custom), modified on other grounds, 928 F.2d 920, 922 (10th Cir.) (en banc) (explicitly leaving panel's judgment on Sec. 1983 liability intact), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 906, 112 S.Ct. 296, 116 L.Ed.2d 241 (1991). The Supreme Court recently reiterated that governmental entities may be held liable for a longstanding practice or custom which constitutes the standard operating procedure of the local governmental entity. Jett. Dallas Indep. Sch. Dist., 491 U.S. 701, 736, 109 S.Ct. 2702, 2724, 105 L.Ed.2d 598 (1989) (quotation omitted). Here, based on the few incidents of discrimination alleged by Randle (which were all directed against her), we agree with the district court that Randle has failed to establish a genuine dispute of material fact about whether the City had a custom of discriminatory employment practices.