Opinion ID: 2977529
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Parties on appeal

Text: The CCJC itself was neither a party below nor is a party to this appeal, even though this case has been styled Garner v. Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court. Instead, the appellees are a number of the CCJC’s administrators and supervisors who were sued in both their official and individual capacities. Because a suit against individuals in their official capacities is legally the same as a suit against the public entity employing them, they will be henceforth referred to as the CCJC. Numerous employees brought suit against the CCJC, alleging that it wrongfully terminated them in violation of Ohio law, that it violated their rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and that it retaliated against them for engaging in activities that are protected by law, such as the filing of a civil rights lawsuit. Some of the employees also claimed that the CCJC intentionally subjected them to emotional distress. Not all of the original plaintiff-employees, however, are appellants in this case. The ones who have appealed are Spencer Bellamy, Sonja Colwell, Tiffanie Dennis, Anthony Garner, Shelley Isom, Terrance Jenkins, Heather McCollough, Monique Moore, Nathaniel Prather, Bruce Richardson, and Thomas Washington (collectively, the employees). This appeal does not concern the merits of the employees’ claims because this court has already addressed those claims in a prior proceeding. See Garner v. Cuyahoga Cty. Juvenile Ct., 194 F. App’x 279 (6th Cir. 2006) (affirming the district court’s order granting the CCJC’s motion for summary judgment with respect to all of the claims raised by the employees), cert. denied, 127 S. Ct. 1915 (2007). Instead, the employees are contesting the district court’s order holding them jointly and severally liable for the CCJC’s attorney fees. Attorney Frost is also named as an appellant. She contests the district court’s decision to sanction her by holding her jointly and severally liable for the same award of No. 07-3602 Garner et al. v. Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court et al. Page 3 attorney fees to the CCJC. For convenience, we will refer to the employees and Frost together as the “appellants.”