Opinion ID: 619913
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Liability as a Supervisor

Text: Dean Jones acted in her capacity as a supervisor. A supervisor incurs § 1983 liability for a violation of a federally protected right when the supervisor is personally involved in the violation or when the supervisor’s corrective inaction constitutes deliberate indifference toward the violation. The -21- supervisor must know about the conduct and facilitate it, approve it, condone it, or turn a blind eye for fear of what [he or she] might see. Ottman v. City of Independence, Mo., 341 F.3d 751, 761 (8th Cir. 2003) (alteration in original) (citation and internal quotations omitted). “[A] supervisor can act with ‘deliberate, reckless indifference’ even when [s]he does not act ‘knowingly.’ ” Kahle v. Leonard, 477 F.3d 544, 551-52 (8th Cir. 2007). “A supervisor can be found liable under § 1983 for deliberate indifference if [s]he is aware of ‘a substantial risk of serious harm,’ even if [s]he is not aware that the harm has, in fact, occurred.” Id. (quoting Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 842 (1994)). But a supervisor “ ‘is only liable for [her] . . . own misconduct’ and is not ‘accountable for the misdeeds of [her] agents’ under a theory such as respondeat superior or supervisor liability.” Whitson v. Stone Cnty. Jail, 602 F.3d 920, 928 (8th Cir. 2010) (quoting Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, , 129 S. Ct. 1937, 1949 (2009)). “ ‘A supervisor may be held individually liable under § 1983 if [s]he directly participates in the constitutional violation . . . .’ ” Riehm v. Engelking, 538 F.3d 952, 962-63 (8th Cir. 2008) (alterations in original) (quoting Brockinton v. City of Sherwood, Ark., 503 F.3d 667, 674 (8th Cir. 2007)). Wagner’s claim against Dean Jones is based on Dean Jones’s own actions and omissions during the hiring process. Wagner has alleged facts establishing that even though Dean Jones was on notice that Wagner’s political beliefs and associations may have impermissibly affected the faculty’s hiring recommendation, she still refused to hire Wagner for any position. Accordingly, Dean Jones’s position as a supervisor does not shield her from § 1983 liability. The district court erred in finding that qualified immunity protects Dean Jones from liability in her individual capacity. We reverse the district court’s grant of summary judgment as to Carolyn Jones in her personal capacity, and we remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. _____________________ -22-