Jacqueline M. Jones, Plaintiff-Appellant/cross-Appellee v. Los Angeles Community College District, Defendant-Appellee/cross-Appellant

The Los Angeles Community College District dismissed Jacqueline Jones on the principal ground that she accepted other employment while on sick leave. Jones brought this action alleging sex discrimination, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq., and 42 U.S.C. § 1983 . During the trial the district court granted Jones’s motion under Fed.R.Civ.P. 15(b) to amend her complaint and assert an additional cause of action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 alleging that the manner of her termination deprived her of procedural due process.

The trial court ruled for the District on the sex discrimination claim finding that Jones’s discharge was based upon legitimate, nondiscriminatory grounds. It held for Jones on her procedural due process claim and awarded her $9000 for mental and emotional distress resulting from deprivation of liberty and property interests. Both parties appealed. We affirm but re mand for a redetermination of damages since we find that Jones was not deprived of a liberty interest.

I. FACTS

Jones worked as a police officer at Los Angeles Pierce College. She had been a permanent classified employee of the District since 1971. On…