No. 25-1323October Term 2025Petition PendingUpdated Sep 2, 2026
City of Bossier City, Louisiana v. Hershey
Case status
Where it stands
Awaiting an order on the petition
- Next
- No decision timeline until the Court agrees to hear the case.
What it's about
Bossier City asks the Court to review a lawsuit claiming that the city is liable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for allegedly failing to train its police officers about First Amendment rights, after Richard Hershey was allegedly prevented from peacefully distributing religious leaflets in a public park. The case concerns when a city may face liability for an alleged training failure based on a single unconstitutional incident.
Question presented
Whether petitioner Bossier City can be held liable under 42 U.S.C. §1983 for its egregious failure to train its law enforcement officers on the First Amendment, which predictably resulted in the violation of respondent Richard Hershey’s clearly established First Amendment right to peacefully distribute religious leaflets on a public sidewalk in a public park.
What happens next
The next milestone is action on the petition for certiorari (a request that the Supreme Court hear the case) or another scheduling move. No decision window is available yet.
Why it matters
The case could affect when cities face civil-rights claims over police training after a single alleged constitutional violation. It matters to people who speak, protest, or distribute leaflets in public spaces, as well as to local police departments.
The petition raises a narrow question about when a city's failure to train officers can show deliberate indifference to constitutional rights.
Case file
- Docket
- 25-1323
- Status
- Petition Pending
- From
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Issue
- Documents
- 2
Documents
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AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Brief added: Petition
Court Order added: Lower Court Orders/Opinions
More questions
- What is at stake in City of Bossier City v. Hershey?
- The case concerns whether Bossier City can face a federal civil-rights claim for allegedly failing to train police about First Amendment protections.
- Who could be affected by this police-training dispute?
- People distributing religious leaflets or engaging in other speech in public spaces could be affected. Cities and police departments also could face different exposure to civil-rights claims.
- When will the Supreme Court act in Bossier City v. Hershey?
- No decision window is available. The Court may next act on the pending petition or make another scheduling move.
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.