Opinion ID: 737024
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Continuing Violations Doctrine in Section 1983 Claims

Text: 13 Noting the dearth of authority regarding the timeliness of a Monell 3 employment discrimination suit under Section 1983, Gutowsky argues that the continuing violations doctrine used in Title VII claims should be applied in Section 1983 cases. The County suggests no cogent reasons why this should not be the case. 14 A plaintiff in a Title VII action who alleges a policy or practice of systematic discrimination, as opposed to alleging only individual discriminatory acts, may in certain circumstances utilize the continuing violations doctrine. Under this approach, an action is always timely if brought by a present employee. Reed v. Lockheed Aircraft Corp., 613 F.2d 757, 761 (9th Cir.1980) (citation omitted). This is because the employer's discriminatory policy continually deters the employee from seeking ... full employment rights or threatens to adversely affect [the employee] in the future. Id. 15 As in a Title VII claim, a policy or practice of continuing discrimination is under attack in a Section 1983 claim for employment discrimination. Indeed, in order to sue a municipality under Section 1983, a plaintiff must show execution of a government's policy or custom ... [that] inflicts the injury. Monell v. Dep't of Social Servs., 436 U.S. 658, 694, 98 S.Ct. 2018, 2037-38, 56 L.Ed.2d 611 (1978). If the continuing violations doctrine were inapplicable to Monell actions, it is difficult to ascertain exactly when such claims would accrue, especially if no specific discriminatory acts evidenced the policy during the year immediately prior to the filing of the lawsuit. Therefore, the continuing violations doctrine is applicable to Monell actions. 16