Opinion ID: 77695
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Skop's Claims Against Padgett and the City of Atlanta

Text: 76 As for Skop's claims against the City of Atlanta and Sergeant Padgett, we affirm the district court's order of final summary judgment for those defendants. As the district court observed, Skop failed to present evidence to defeat Padgett's summary judgment motion — there was virtually nothing in the record to support her claim that Padgett conspired with Brown in an effort to cover up the actual circumstances of her arrest. With regard to the City of Atlanta, the district court entered summary judgment, concluding that since Brown had arguable probable cause to arrest Skop, there could be no constitutional violation. Although we have reversed the district court's finding of arguable probable cause, we nonetheless affirm the entry of summary judgment for the city, albeit on different grounds. 77 Municipalities are not wholly immune from liability. See Monell v. Dep't of Soc. Servs., 436 U.S. 658, 700, 98 S.Ct. 2018, 56 L.Ed.2d 611 (1978) (overruling Monroe v. Pape, 365 U.S. 167, 81 S.Ct. 473, 5 L.Ed.2d 492 (1961)). But it is by now axiomatic that in order to be held liable for a § 1983 violation, a municipality must be found to have itself caused the constitutional violation at issue; it cannot be found liable on a vicarious liability theory. Id. at 694-95, 98 S.Ct. 2018; City of Canton v. Harris, 489 U.S. 378, 385, 109 S.Ct. 1197, 103 L.Ed.2d 412 (1989). Thus, Skop can only succeed on her § 1983 claim against the City of Atlanta by showing that her injury was the result of the city's unlawful policy or custom. Monell, 436 U.S. at 694, 98 S.Ct. 2018. In order to sustain her claim that her injury was the result of improper training, Skop was required to bring forth some evidence of a pattern of improper training to sustain [her] claim, and [s]he must show that [Atlanta] was aware of the deficiencies in the program. See Mercado v. City of Orlando, 407 F.3d 1152, 1161 (11th Cir.2005). 78 After careful review of the summary judgment record, it is plain that Skop has failed to meet this standard. The City of Atlanta undeniably trains its officers not to arrest unless there is probable cause to support the arrest. Indeed, the fact that Officer Brown was officially disciplined for his actions by the Atlanta Police Department well in advance of the present lawsuit suggests that his actions were inconsistent with APD goals and training. Because Skop has not introduced any evidence that a custom or policy of the City of Atlanta was a moving force of her unconstitutional arrest, see Monell, 436 U.S. at 694, 98 S.Ct. 2018, we affirm the district court's award of final summary judgment to the city. 7 79 AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART, AND REMANDED IN PART.