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

Press Release
June 6, 1977

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 June 13, 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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