What types of Georgia entities can I sue in Federal Court for a civil rights violation, without having to worry about sovereign immunity?
In answering this question, the key factor is whether or not the entity is the “State of Georgia” or one if its departments or if the entity is a merely a creature created by State law. For example, counties (generally) and cities are not considered to be arms of the State of Georgia. Similarly, local school boards are also not the State. However, State prisons, the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, the Department of Transportation, the Attorney General’s Office . . ., etc. – these are all examples of State of Georgia entities not subject to suit in the State of Georgia. Keep in mind, even if you cannot sue the entity, you can still sue the individual actor.
