Opinion ID: 1983925
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Discretionary Duty Exception

Text: Because we hold that the private-analog provision of the Tort Claims Act does not bar plaintiffs' suit, we briefly address the discretionary duty exception. [7] Under this exception, the State's waiver of sovereign immunity does not apply to acts or omissions of state employees that are based upon the exercise or performance or failure to exercise or perform a discretionary function or duty. . . whether or not the discretion involved is abused. 12 V.S.A. § 5601(e)(1). [8] The purpose of this exception is to assure that the courts do not invade the province of coordinate branches of government by passing judgment on legislative or administrative policy decisions through tort law. Restatement (Second) of Torts § 895B cmt. d (1979); W. Keeton, supra, § 131, at 1046; cf. Hudson v. Town of East Montpelier, 161 Vt. 168, 175, 638 A.2d 561, 566 (1993) (act of government employee is discretionary if employee's action involved the type of policy considerations not suitable for review under the judicial system's traditional tort standards). Generally, statutory duties that involve a predictable standard for decision making are ministerial, and thus subject to tort suits. W. Keeton, supra, § 131, at 1046-47; see LaShay, 160 Vt. at 67, 625 A.2d at 228 (if reporting child abuse was mandatory, it was ministerial); Libercent v. Aldrich, 149 Vt. 76, 82, 539 A.2d 981, 984 (1987) (agency's absolute duty to perform periodic inspections of state motor vehicles was ministerial in nature and thus not immune from tort liability; agency had no right to fail to inspect and maintain, or to negligently maintain, trucks). Considering the law in this area and the current state of the record in this case, judgment on the pleadings in favor of the State based on the discretionary duty exception would be inappropriate. Cf. Yamuni, 529 So.2d at 260 (caseworkers' failure to act on reports of child abuse did not involve discretionary policy decisions; thus, caseworkers were not immune from suit); Little, 667 P.2d at 51 (no official immunity under discretionary function exception for state's failure to properly evaluate foster home and to protect foster child from harm).