Opinion ID: 196116
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sheriff Garvey

Text: 10 Appellant failed to state a claim against Sheriff Garvey even if we assume, arguendo, that his deputies violated a federally protected right. A supervisor may be liable only on the basis of his own acts or omissions, and there must be an affirmative link between the supervisor's action or inaction and the street level misconduct. Bowen v. City of Manchester, 966 F.2d 13, 20 (1st Cir. 1992); Gutierrez-Rodriguez v. Cartagena, 882 F.2d 553, 562 (1st Cir. 1989). In the instant case, appellant attempts to hold Sheriff Garvey liable based on his failure to reprimand deputy sheriffs Knightly and Cote for their actions on February 23, 1994. However, the failure of a supervisor to discipline his subordinates following a single instance of misconduct is insufficient for a finding of supervisory liability because the failure to act cannot have caused the violation. See Febus-Rodriguez v. Batencourt- Lebron, 14 F.3d 87, 93 (1st Cir. 1994) (no liability where supervisor was not provided with requisite notice of behavior which was likely to result in constitutional violation). We add that, in any event, Sheriff Garvey would also be entitled to a defense of qualified immunity. 11 Appellant's claim against Sheriff Garvey in his official capacity also fails. An official-capacity suit is actually a suit against the entity of which the officer is an agent. Kentucky v. Graham, 473 U.S. 159, 165 (1985). To establish municipal liability under Sec. 1983, the plaintiff must show that municipal employees were acting pursuant to some official policy or custom of the city when they violated the plaintiff's rights. Oklahoma City v. Tuttle, 471 U.S. 808, 810 (1985); Monell v. Department of Social Servs., 436 U.S. 658, 694 (1978). Because the issue was not briefed, we pass the question whether Sheriff Garvey, in the instant case, should be considered an agent of the state (in which case Eleventh Amendment immunity applies) or of the county (in which case it does not). We will assume, without deciding, that Sheriff Garvey should be considered a county agent. Even so, appellant's claim fails because he does not allege that deputy sheriffs Knightly and Cote acted in conformity with official county policy, or that their actions were caused by Sheriff Garvey's acquiescence in previous misconduct.