CITIES CAN BE HELD LIABLE FOR POOR WORKER TRAINING, HIGH COURT RULES

Local governments may be forced to pay monetary damages to people whose rights are violated by inadequately trained public employees, the US Supreme Court ruled unanimously Tuesday. Ruling in a case from Canton, Ohio, the justices said cities and towns may be held legally accountable if the inadequate training stemmed from governmental ``deliberate indifference.''

Justice Byron R. White said the court was imposing a stringent standard for those filing such suits because any lesser standard would open local governments to ``unprecedented liability.''

The decision is a setback for Canton officials who sought to kill a lawsuit by a woman who says police failed to get needed medical attention for her after she was arrested for speeding.