Kallstrom v. City of Columbus
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
136 F.3d 1055 (1998)
- Written by Sean Carroll, JD
Facts
Melissa Kallstrom (plaintiff) was an undercover officer for the City of Columbus (the city) (defendant). Kallstrom went undercover to investigate the Short North Posse, a violent gang. The investigation aided the prosecution of 41 members of the gang for drug conspiracy (criminal defendants). During the course of the criminal defendants’ trial, their attorney asked for and received from the city Kallstrom’s personnel and preemployment file. The file contained Kallstrom’s name and address, the name and address of Kallstrom’s immediate family members and references, Kallstrom’s bank-account information, and Kallstrom’s Social Security number, among other personal information. Kallstrom sued the city pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging that the disclosure of the personnel file violated her constitutional right to privacy under the Fourteenth Amendment. The district court ruled in Kallstrom’s favor. The city appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Moore, J.)
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