Ritchie v. Turner

The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals reversing the trial court’s denial of Defendants’ motion for summary judgment based on their claims of qualified immunity, holding that Defendants, officials in the Breathitt County school system, were entitled to qualified official immunity on the claims brought by Jane Doe and her mother based on sexual abuse Doe experienced as a middle-school student.Doe alleged that Defendants breached their ministerial duties to properly supervise students and to report abuse and acted in bad faith in handling misconduct claims involving a former teacher. The court of appeals concluded that qualified immunity applied because Defendants’ acts - or inactions - were discretionary, were within the scope of their authority, and were undertaken in good faith. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) Defendants’ duty to supervise was a discretionary act, and the duty to report can have both discretionary and ministerial elements, depending on the facts; (2) Defendants’ response to a texting incident did not constitute a violation of a ministerial duty that destroyed qualified official immunity; and (3) Doe failed to show Defendants acted in bad faith so as to deprive them of qualified official immunity View "Ritchie v. Turner" on Justia Law