Opinion ID: 481372
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The City of Farmer City

Text: 32 The Sec. 1983 claim against the City of Farmer City alleges that the municipality through its agent Terry Scott, the Chief of Police, aided and abetted the Bank in confiscating the Henrys' business property without any writ, warrant, or Court Order. 33 To the extent that the Henrys seek to impose liability on the City for the alleged unconstitutional acts of its employee Scott, their claim must fail. In Monell v. Department of Social Services, 436 U.S. 658, 98 S.Ct. 2018, 56 L.Ed.2d 611 (1978), the Supreme Court expressly rejected municipal liability based on respondeat superior. [A] municipality cannot be held liable solely because it employs a tortfeasor--or, in other words, a municipality cannot be held liable under Sec. 1983 on a respondeat superior theory. Id. at 691, 98 S.Ct. at 2036 (emphasis in original). 34 To the extent that the Henrys seek to impose liability under Sec. 1983 on the City in its own right, they must prove that the constitutional deprivation was caused by an official municipal policy or custom, Oklahoma City v. Tuttle, 471 U.S. 808, 105 S.Ct. 2427, 2433, 85 L.Ed.2d 791 (1985); Monell, 436 U.S. at 690-691, 694, 98 S.Ct. at 2035-2036, 2037. To establish a municipal policy or custom, the plaintiff must allege a specific pattern or series of incidents that support the general allegation of a custom or policy; alleging one specific incident in which the plaintiff suffered a deprivation will not suffice. Hossman v. Blunk, 784 F.2d 793, 796-797 (7th Cir.1986); Strauss v. City of Chicago, 760 F.2d 765, 767-769 (7th Cir.1985). The amended complaint alleges only one unconstitutional act committed by the City and fails to include even a general allegation that this act was in furtherance of an official municipal policy or custom. The Sec. 1983 claim against the City was properly dismissed.