Monell v. Department of Social Services

Monell v. Department of Social Services (1978) is a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that established that municipalities, like city governments, can be held responsible for violations of individuals’ constitutional rights. The case clarified that a city can be sued under a legal doctrine called "municipal liability" if the violation results from official policies, practices, or customs. This means that when government agencies act in ways that harm people and such actions stem from official policies, the government can be held financially responsible, not just individual employees.