Collins v. Harker Heights, 503 U.S. 115, 9 (1992)

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Cite as: 503 U. S. 115 (1992)

Opinion of the Court

tiff's constitutional right to receive medical care had been denied, id., at 388-389, n. 8, our opinion addressed only the question whether the constitutional deprivation was attributable to a municipal policy or custom.

We began our analysis by plainly indicating that we were not deciding the constitutional issue.

"In Monell v. New York City Dept. of Social Services, 436 U. S. 658 (1978), we decided that a municipality can be found liable under § 1983 only where the municipality itself causes the constitutional violation at issue. Respondeat superior or vicarious liability will not attach under § 1983. Id., at 694-695. 'It is only when the "execution of the government's policy or custom . . . inflicts the injury" that the municipality may be held liable under § 1983.' Springfield v. Kibbe, 480 U. S. 257, 267 (1987) (O'Connor, J., dissenting) (quoting Monell, supra, at 694).

"Thus, our first inquiry in any case alleging municipal liability under § 1983 is the question whether there is a direct causal link between a municipal policy or custom and the alleged constitutional deprivation." Id., at 385.

We did not suggest that all harm-causing municipal policies are actionable under § 1983 or that all such policies are unconstitutional. Moreover, we rejected the city's argument that only unconstitutional policies can create municipal liability under the statute. Id., at 387. Instead, we concluded that if a city employee violates another's constitutional rights, the city may be liable if it had a policy or custom of failing to train its employees and that failure to train caused the constitutional violation. In particular, we held that the inadequate training of police officers could be characterized as the cause of the constitutional tort if—and only if—the

cal treatment while in custody." Canton v. Harris, 489 U. S., at 382 (emphasis added).

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