Greenberg Statement on Supreme Court Decision in Monell v. Department of Social Services of City of New York

Press Release
June 6, 1977

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Greenberg Statement on Supreme Court Decision in Monell v. Department of Social Services of City of New York preview

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  • Press Releases, Volume 6. Greenberg Statement on Supreme Court Decision in Monell v. Department of Social Services of City of New York, 1977. 557aaa69-bb92-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/24e81ff7-9c00-429e-8fb5-17ad1e3d2028/greenberg-statement-on-supreme-court-decision-in-monell-v-department-of-social-services-of-city-of-new-york. Accessed November 23, 2025.

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STATEMENT 

BY JACK GREENBERG, 
DIRECTOR- 

iy th + 
COUNSEL, LEGAL DEFENSE FUND, ON SUPREME 

COURT DECISION IN MONELL V- DEPARTMENT 

ESE 
or SOCIAL SERVICES OF CITY OF 

NEW YORK 

New york, gune 6 -- The Supreme court's decision 

handed down this afternoon 
in Monell @® v- Department 

of 

social services of the City of New york "yemoves @ major 

obstacle to effective 
implementat

in of the equal rights 

: : 

~~: 
: 

: 

provisions 
of the constituti

on," said Jack Greenberg, 

pirector-co
unsel of the NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL

 

FUND, INC. which participate
d ssfine case. The court, in a 

7 to 2 epee opinion, reversed 4 lower court ruling that the 

New YORK Department 
of gocial services did not deprive 

gane Monell of her rights when it compelled 
her to takeaunpaid

 

he 

to do sO- rR 

nqpe decision is spmmeemnis 
3 major and sigifnicant

 

W 

u“ 

advance in equal rights, Greenberg 
said, = 

pecause it 

removes the ambiguity 
and complexity 

surrounding
 the question 

of whether an individual 
can sue a government

al pody for 

=. 
a 

—————
—— 

leave of ™@&% absence pefore medical reasons s required re
n 



y ° n> 
ee 

mmige denial of civil rights 

The Court's answer is clearly yes The =~ bead 

“with at least two immediate results: 
RXEXRAXKXXWEKHXEKEXXESUEEX KHAEXKHEXBKWEEEXBEXAXSPEERINGXUP 

“First, 
Siukhanwenekuseamnme cases previously bogged down in technicalities 

will be speedily resolved and second, it will now be possible 

ges \ Ly \ A 
to bring cases tha_t were -negimgmimes in the past because of 

uncertainty over 3g this issue." 

Anne - 

Started 3:15 finished 3:32 

Statement should be on wires in about 20 mins, 
W. Weaver was not in the S Court chambers. A message 

was left on his line about this statement. His light 

showing that he has such a message will stay on until 

he picks it up. 

Faythe

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