Luis Perez, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Zagami, LLC, D/B/A the Landmark Americana Tap and Grill, D/B/A Landmark…

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey held that the phrase “person acting under color of law” in N.J.S.A. 10:6-2(c) applies to both deprivation and interference claims, so a private cause of action under the Civil Rights Act may be brought only against defendants who act under color of law. The Court reversed the Appellate Division’s decision and adopted a construction consistent with the statute’s overall scheme and legislative history.