[Download] "Sparr v. Ward" by Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals " Book PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Sparr v. Ward
- Author : Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals
- Release Date : January 07, 2002
- Genre: Law,Books,Professional & Technical,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 54 KB
Description
Following her termination as a Cedar Rapids probationary police officer, Teresa Mercer filed this action against the City of Cedar Rapids and its former police chief, William Byrne. We will collectively refer to these defendants as the "City." Mercer asserted equal protection and due process claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, sex discrimination claims under 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2 and Iowa Code § 216 et seq., and wrongful discharge and slander claims under state law. The district court granted summary judgment dismissing the § 1983, sex discrimination, and wrongful discharge claims. Mercer v. City of Cedar Rapids, 104 F. Supp. 2d 1130 (N.D. Iowa 2000). Mercer appeals, and we affirm those rulings. After a trial, the jury awarded Mercer $48,000 in compensatory damages on her slander claim, and the district court denied the Citys post-verdict motion for judgment as a matter of law. Mercer v. City of Cedar Rapids, 129 F. Supp. 2d 1226 (N.D. Iowa 2001). The City cross-appeals that ruling. Concluding that Mercer presented constitutionally insufficient evidence of actual malice, we reverse the judgment in her favor on the slander claim.