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CAREY v. PIPHUS
Supreme Court of United States (1978) | 435 U.S. 247; 98 S.Ct. 1042; 55 L.Ed.2d 252
TL;DR: Students suspended without a hearing sued under § 1983. The Supreme Court held that a denial of procedural due process, without proof of actual injury caused by the denial itself, only entitles a plaintiff to nominal damages, not substantial compensatory damages presumed from the constitutional violation.
Legal Significance: This case establishes that plaintiffs in § 1983 procedural due process actions must prove actual injury to recover substantial compensatory damages. It rejects presumed damages for such violations, affirming that § 1983's purpose is compensation and requires a causal link between the violation and the harm.