Opinion ID: 1738387
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Whether the lower court committed error in granting Appellee Jackson State University's Motion for Summary Judgment on immunity grounds.

Text: ¶ 15. Glover alleges that JSU has waived any immunity provided it under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act, Miss.Code Ann. §§ 11-46-1, et seq. (Supp.1999), by purchasing liability insurance. JSU responds that the liability insurance coverage provided through the NYSP was not authorized by JSU's governing authority. The injury in this case occurred on June 18, 1993, prior to the waiver of sovereign immunity for the state and its political subdivisions. The Tort Claims Act took effect in April of 1993, but immunity was not waived for the state (JSU falls within § 11-46-1's definition of state) until July 1, 1993. Therefore, this case is governed by Gressett v. Newton Separate Mun. Sch. Dist., 697 So.2d 444 (Miss.1997). In Gressett, this Court held that a school district was immune from suit for a tort that arose after the April 1993 date of the Mississippi Tort Claims Act, but before immunity was waived for the state's political subdivisions on October 1, 1993. Id. at 446. ¶ 16. However, our holding in Gressett is tempered by the recent decision in Lincoln County Sch. Dist. v. Doe, 749 So.2d 943 (Miss.1999), where we held that, pursuant to § 11-46-16(2) of the Tort Claims Act, a governmental entity which has in effect a policy of liability insurance which covers the tort sued upon will waive immunity to the extent of the liability coverage. ¶ 17. In this case, JSU argues that it should not be liable, even under a policy of liability insurance, as the liability insurance was not provided for or approved by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. Instead, the liability insurance in this case was provided by the National Youth Sports Program as part of the agreement between it and JSU. Miss. Code Ann. § 11-46-17 specifically provides that [p]rior to July 1, 1993, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning may provide such liability coverage, thereby waiving insurance to the extent of that coverage. Miss.Code Ann. § 11-46-17 (Supp.1999) (emphasis added). The statute uses the word may, which is permissive and does not exclude the possibility that there will be other policies of liability coverage provided by other persons or entities. ¶ 18. Since § 11-46-16(2) states that immunity is waived to the extent that a governmental entity has in effect liability insurance, JSU's immunity is waived to the extent of any policy it had in effect at the time that Glover's alleged injuries arose. Miss.Code Ann. § 11-46-16(2) (Supp.1999) (emphasis added). Since the issue of whether the insurance policy in dispute would cover Glover's injuries was not addressed by the trial court and, therefore, is not properly before this Court, we vacate the summary judgment as to JSU and remand this case to the trial court for such a determination.