Opinion ID: 2982202
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Gross-negligence claims

Text: For similar reasons, we deny the defendants’ claims of governmental immunity on Brent’s gross-negligence claims. The parties’ briefing and the district court’s opinion leaves some doubt as to what the factual bases are for these claims. Nonetheless, as with Brent’s IIED claims, the burden is on the government official asserting immunity to prove that she or he is so entitled, see Odom v. Wayne Cnty., 760 N.W.2d 217, 227–28 (Mich. 2008), which includes proving that he or she “was acting or reasonably believed that he was acting within the scope of his authority.” Id. at 228. As with Brent’s IIED claims, the defendants have failed to cite the authority that allegedly authorized their actions. Absent such authority, we cannot conclude as a matter of law that the defendants reasonably believed that Michigan law authorized their actions. State-law immunity is therefore inappropriate at this stage of the case.