Opinion ID: 767610
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Elrod/Branti Exception

Text: 20 Loudon County and Guider argue that even if Sowards is able to show that she was fired because of her political association with her husband, political affiliation is an appropriate consideration for the employment or termination of a jailer. Whether political affiliation is an appropriate consideration for a government position is a question of law. See Mumford v. Basinski, 105 F.3d 264, 271 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, 118 S. Ct. 298 (1997). The issue on summary judgment is whether Defendants have established that no genuine factual issue exists as to whether political affiliation may appropriately be considered with respect to the position in question. Feeney v. Shipley, 164 F.3d 311, 314 (6th Cir. 1999) (quotation omitted). 21 In Elrod v. Burns, 427 U.S. 347, 367 (1976), the Supreme Court established the principle that certain public employees in confidential and policymaking positions may be dismissed on the basis of their political affiliation without violating the First Amendment. The Supreme Court reaffirmed this holding in Branti v. Finkel, 445 U.S. 507, 518 (1980), stating that the question is whether the hiring authority can demonstrate that party affiliation is an appropriate requirement for the effective performance of the public office involved. In this analysis, we must look beyond the mere job title and examine the actual duties of the specific position. Hall v. Tollett, 128 F.3d 418, 423 (6th Cir. 1997). It is the inherent duties of the position in question, not the work actually performed by the person who happens to occupy the office that must be analyzed. Williams v. City of River Rouge, 909 F.2d 151, 154 (6th Cir. 1990). In McCloud v. Testa, 97 F.3d 1536, 1557 (6th Cir. 1996), we identified four categories of positions which should fall under the Elrod-Branti exception with reasonable certainty: 22 Category One: positions specifically named in relevant federal, state, county, or municipal law to which discretionary authority with respect to the enforcement of that law or the carrying out ofsome other policy of political concern is granted; 23 Category Two: positions to which a significant portion of the total discretionary authority available to category one position-holders has been delegated; or positions not named in law, possessing by virtue of the jurisdiction's pattern or practice the same quantum or type of discretionary authority commonly held by category one positions in other jurisdictions; 24 Category Three: confidential advisors who spend a significant portion of their time on the job advising category one or category two position-holders on how to exercise their statutory or delegated policymaking authority, or other confidential employees who control the lines of communications to category one positions, category two positions or confidential advisors; 25 Category Four: positions that are part of a group of positions filled by balancing out political party representation, or that are filled by balancing out selections made by different governmental agents or bodies. 26 If a particular position falls into one of these categories, then political affiliation is an appropriate consideration for that position and a public employee may be dismissed without violating the First Amendment. See Hall, 128 F.3d at 424. A government position is not required, however, to fall neatly within one of the categories to be entitled to the Elrod-Branti exception. See Feeney, 164 F.3d at 318. 27 Under Tennessee law, [t]he sheriff of the county . . . may appoint a jailer, for whose acts the sheriff is civilly responsible. Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-4-101 (1997). Jailers are charged with the following responsibilities: to receive and safely keep convicts on their way to the state or federal penitentiary, to file and keep safe under the sheriff's direction the mittimus or process by which a prisoner is committed or discharged from jail, to determine within their discretion what type of precautions to take for guarding against escape and to prevent the importation of drugs, to provide support, to furnish adequate food and bedding, to enforce cleanliness in the jails, to convey letters from prisoners to their counsel and others, and to admit persons having business with the prisoner. See Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 41-4-104, 41-4-105, 41-4-106, 41-4-108, 41-4-109, 41-4-111, 41-4-114 (1997). 28 Defendants argue that these statutory duties require discretion in the day-to-day operation of the jail and have serious consequences with respect to the safety of the prisoners and the public. Chief Jailer Bridges stated that As a jailer, Sowards was required to exercise her discretion and judgment in determining whether the inmates needed medical attention, whether any of the inmates was suicidal, and whether any disruptions were likely to arise between the inmates. J.A. at 247 (Bridges Aff.). She also was responsible for exercising [her] discretion and judgment with regard to the admission of visitors and any special requests or requirements by the inmates or their relatives or agents . . . . [and also] for dispensing medication, food, necessary living supplies, and mail. J.A. at 247. In addition, she was responsible for preventing contraband from entering or exiting the facility and for making sure inmates remain secure in the facility. J.A. at 247. Bridges also stated that at certain times only two jailers are on duty, without any direct supervision at the jail facility, and that he relies on them to carry out their duties to avoid any danger to the inmates or the visiting public. Defendants argue that the position of a jailer involves especially serious consequences because a jailer could violate the civil rights of the prisoners and the visiting public, and the sheriff is civilly liable for the acts of a jailer. Therefore, they argue that a jailer's actions could have serious political and legal implications for the sheriff. 29 Sowards agrees that her responsibilities included securing the inmates located in the Loudon County jail, looking after their safety, providing medications and other medical necessities for their needs. J.A. at 91. She asserts that her position did not, however, involve any managerial responsibilities, any policy making or involvement in political or policy decisionmaking. [She] simply followed orders and directives given by Chief Jailer Bridges and Sheriff Guider. J.A. at 91. Guider admitted that Sowards's position as a jailer did not involve any policymaking for the day-to-day operation of the prison facility and that she was not in a confidential relationship with him regarding how to run the facility. Nor did he believe that political loyalty was required for Sowards to carry out her responsibilities. In addition, Bridges stated that Sowards did not make policy for the jail or the sheriff's department and that she would carry out the duties and orders that he or the sheriff would give to her. He also agreed that this position did not require political loyalty to the sheriff. 30 Loudon County and Guider claim that the position of a jailer could fall under McCloud category two or three. With respect to category two, they assert that Guider and Bridges delegated much of their discretionary authority regarding the day-to-day operation of the jail to jailers. The position of a jailer does not fall under McCloud category two, however, because this category involves delegations of policymaking authority. Category two also exists to capture those who would otherwise be category one policymakers, except that the federal government, state, county, or municipality has chosen for whatever reason not to set out the responsibilities of such a position in a statute, ordinance, or regulation. McCloud, 97 F.3d at 1557 n.31. Both Guider and Bridges admitted that jailers do not participate in any type of policymaking for the prison and are simply required to follow directives. Therefore, the position of a jailer does not fall under McCloud category two. 31 In addition, defendants argue that a jailer falls under category three because a jailer acts as a conduit for communication between prisoners and the sheriff. The McCloud category three position involves employees who control the lines of communication to category one or category two position-holders. See id. at 1557 n.32. This category is concerned with this type of employee's access to confidential, political information transmitted to the policymaker, which requires political loyalty. See id. (citing Faughender v. City of North Olmsted, 927 F.2d 909, 914 (6th Cir. 1991) (holding that mayor's secretary had access to confidential and political material because she controlled the lines of communication to the mayor)). Both Guider and Bridges stated that Sowards did not have any access to any confidential or political information. Therefore, category three does not apply in this case. 32 Although none of the McCloud categories are applicable, defendants also cite to several cases in other circuits that have held upheld the use of political considerations for positions allegedly similar to a jailer at the LCSD. The primary case they rely on, however, is inapposite. In Jenkins v. Medford, 119 F.3d 1156, 1164 (4th Cir. 1997), cert. denied, 118 S. Ct. 881 (1998), the Fourth Circuit held that a sheriff could base his decision to fire or hire deputy sheriffs on political considerations. It reasoned that under North Carolina law the deputy sheriffs play a special role in implementing the sheriff's policies and goals because they are sworn to carry out law enforcement on behalf of the sheriff and make independent decisions which may ultimately affect law enforcement policies. Jenkins, 119 F.3d at 1162. In addition, the sheriff relies on the deputies to foster public confidence in law enforcement and is civilly liable for their actions. See id. at 1162-63. Based on this evidence, the court concluded that deputy sheriffs are the alter ego of the sheriff in NorthCarolina. See id. at 1164. Defendants argue that, like the deputy sheriffs in Jenkins, jailers at the LCSD in fact establish policy with the individual decisions they make and the sheriff is civilly liable for their actions. Although jailers have some decisionmaking authority with respect to providing for the needs and safety of the prisoners, they are supervised by and must follow the directives of Guider and Bridges. They have no role in the policymaking process of the prison. While Guider is civilly liable for jailers' actions, this is not sufficient to characterize them as his alter-ego. 33 A jailer's statutory duties under Tennessee law generally involve providing for the needs and safety of the jail's inmates, such as providing food, bedding, and support for the inmates, taking precautions to ensure their safety, and arranging communications between inmates and the public. These duties essentially mirror the duties of a prison guard. In Rutan v. Republican Party of Illinois, 497 U.S. 62, 79 (1990), the Supreme Court determined that political considerations are not appropriate for employment decisions regarding the position of a prison guard. Defendants argue that LCSD jailers are not like prison guards because they work in a small facility where each individual decision has serious consequences, unlike a large prison facility with several guards on duty and multiple levels of supervision. This argument is not persuasive because, like a jailer, a prison guard's individual decisions and actions also could have serious consequences for the inmates and the visiting public. Therefore, based on the Rutan decision, it is not appropriate to take political considerations into account for the position of a jailer at the LCSD, and the Elrod/Branti exception is not applicable in this case.