In the case of Chardon, Secretary of Public Education of Puerto Rico, et al. v. Fernandez et al., 1981, the U.S Supreme Court ruled on a matter concerning employment termination and civil rights violations in Puerto Rico's Department of Education. The plaintiffs were former employees who claimed they had been dismissed due to their political affiliations which violated their First Amendment rights. They sought damages under Section 1983 from various officials within the department including Carlos Chardon, then-Secretary for Public Education in Puerto Rico. The main issue was determining when the statute limitations period began - whether it started at notice or actual termination date? In an unanimous decision led by Justice Thurgood Marshall, it was held that "the cause of action accrues upon awareness by plaintiff(s) about impending job loss", meaning that limitation period starts with initial notification not final dismissal date as argued by defendants.

In the dissenting opinion for Chardon v. Fernandez, Justice Brennan argued that the majority's decision was inconsistent with prior case law and failed to adequately protect individuals from discriminatory practices. He disagreed with the majority's interpretation of when a cause of action arises in discrimination cases under 42 U.S.C §1983, arguing instead that it should be considered ongoing as long as its effects are felt by victims. In his view, each day an individual suffers from past discrimination constitutes a new violation and restarts the statute of limitations period. This perspective would allow more people who have been discriminated against to seek justice even if they did not immediately realize their rights had been violated or were unable to file suit within 180 days due to fear or other barriers. By interpreting this rule narrowly, he believed that the court was effectively limiting access to remedies for those affected by discriminatory actions.