Singh v. Lintech Electric, Inc.

**What Happened** Gurpreet Singh filed a civil rights lawsuit against Bridgeport Hospital and its employees, claiming they violated his constitutional rights. Singh used a federal law called Section 1983, which allows people to sue when government officials or those acting on behalf of the government violate their civil rights. **What the Court Decided** The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Singh and dismissed his case entirely. The court found that Bridgeport Hospital and its employees are private entities, not government actors. Since Section 1983 civil rights lawsuits can only be filed against government officials or people acting under government authority, Singh couldn't use this law against a private hospital. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling highlights an important limitation for workers seeking to protect their civil rights. Federal civil rights laws like Section 1983 only apply to government employers or private entities acting on behalf of the government. Workers at private companies, hospitals, or businesses generally cannot use these federal civil rights protections against their employers. Instead, they must rely on other employment laws, state civil rights statutes, or workplace discrimination laws that specifically cover private employers.