Opinion ID: 2514627
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Government Employees and Immunity Under the UGIA

Text: ¶ 13 The UGIA clearly grants immunity from suit to governmental entities. Section 63-30-3, the first substantive provision in the UGIA, begins with the following statement: Except as may be otherwise provided in this chapter, all governmental entities are immune from suit for any injury which results from the exercise of a governmental function.... [12] We have often referred to the immunity provided to governmental entities by the UGIA as a blanket immunity that protects the entities from suit unless a provision in the UGIA specifically waives that immunity. [13] ¶ 14 The UGIA does not contain a similarly explicit grant of immunity from suit to government employees. Nevertheless, section 63-30-4(3)(a) clearly provides that an action under the UGIA is a plaintiff's exclusive remedy for bringing suit against a government employee for an act occurring during the performance of the employee's duties, within the scope of employment, or under the color of authority. [14] By making suit under the UGIA a plaintiff's sole remedy against a government employee, the legislature extended to government employees the blanket immunity from suit that was explicitly granted to government entities. ¶ 15 A government employee's immunity from suit, however, is subject to three exceptions, [15] one of which is relevant here: a government employee can be sued individually if the employee acts or fails to act due to fraud or malice. [16] In order to successfully sue a government employee individually, a plaintiff must file a notice of claim with the proper government entity [17] thatas discussed in Part II of this opinioncontains an allegation of fraud or malice. When fraud or malice is properly alleged, the employee is not immune from suit and may be held personally liable if it is established that... the employee acted or failed to act due to fraud or malice. [18] Accordingly, whether a notice of claim properly alleges fraud or malice raises questions regarding the employee's immunity from suit and not the employee's immunity from liability.