Nurse-employee brought action against employer, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSMC), alleging claims for retaliation and disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas dismissed. Nurse appealed.
The Court of Appeals held that UTSMC was “arm of the state” of Texas entitled to Eleventh Amendment immunity.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSMC) was “arm of the state” of Texas entitled to Eleventh Amendment immunity; public university systems were designated by Texas statute as state agencies, UTSMC received state funding, and although it also received private funds, there was no showing that judgment against UTSMC would not be paid by state-allocated funds, Texas mandated that UTSMC follow statutory accounting and financial reporting requirements, UTSMC had statewide presence, and UTSMC did not exclusively manage the use of its property.