Opinion ID: 1140705
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Ketzler's Immunity Defense

Text: Ketzler was sued in his capacity as chairman of the board of Saint James. In entering its summary judgment, the trial court found Ketzler to be immune from suit pursuant to § 6-5-336, Ala.Code 1975, as to all the plaintiffs' claims against him. Section 6-5-336(c) and (d), Ala.Code 1975, provide, in part: (4) VOLUNTEER. A person performing services for a nonprofit organization, a nonprofit corporation, a hospital, or a governmental entity without compensation, other than reimbursement for actual expenses incurred. The term includes a volunteer serving as a director, officer, trustee, or direct service volunteer. (d) Any volunteer shall be immune from civil liability in any action on the basis of any act or omission of a volunteer resulting in damage or injury if: (1) The volunteer was acting in good faith and within the scope of such volunteer's official functions and duties for a nonprofit organization, a nonprofit corporation, hospital, or a governmental entity; and (2) The damage or injury was not caused by willful or wanton misconduct by such volunteer. It is undisputed that Saint James School is a nonprofit organization and that Ketzler was an unpaid volunteer. The plaintiffs argue that Ketzler was not acting within the scope of his official duties when he was present during Bell's meeting with the parents of three of the students on Monday, February 19, because, they argue, the board of directors of Saint James School had delegated all of its disciplinary authority to the headmaster. We disagree. Ketzler, as the chairman of the board, had an interest in obtaining as much information as possible about the developing situation, and his presence during the meeting with the parents of three of the students cannot be described as that of an interloper. We agree that in the policy manual the board of Saint James School delegated all of its disciplinary authority to the headmaster and expressly designated the headmaster as the sole authority for the dismissal of students from Saint James. The policy manual also states that it is written in broad terms and that the formulation of regulations and procedures to implement the policies is left to the headmaster. It is undisputed that Bell notified Ketzler of the developing situation regarding the photographs and that Bell requested Ketzler to be present in his office on Monday, February 19, during the meetings with the parents of three of the students. Thus, Ketzler's presence at the meetings was at Bell's discretion, and Bell was the person charged by the board with both disciplinary and rule-making authority. Finally, the record contains no evidence suggesting that the decision to dismiss the students from Saint James School was made by anyone other than Bell. Accordingly, we conclude that the trial court did not err in concluding as a matter of law that Ketzler was acting within the scope of his official duties as chairman of the Saint James board of directors and that he was therefore immune from liability, unless his actions would exempt him from the protection of § 6-5-336. The plaintiffs further contend that Ketzler's conduct during a meeting with at least one set of parents was willful and wanton and that he is therefore excluded from the protection of § 6-5-336. The plaintiffs' argument is based on the question they contend Ketzler asked them in a hostile or accusatory manner: [H]ow did they think he felt having to tell his daughter . . . what she saw when she turned the computer on that morning? The comment was taken by the plaintiffs to mean that Ketzler's daughter actually saw a copy of the photographs on a school computer when nothing in the record indicates that she did. Wantonness has been defined by statute as [c]onduct which is carried on with a reckless or conscious disregard of the rights or safety of others. § 6-11-20(b)(3), Ala.Code 1975. This Court has defined wantonness as the conscious doing of some act or the omission of some duty, while knowing of the existing conditions and being conscious that, from doing or omitting to do an act, injury will likely or probably result. Alfa Mut. Ins. Co. v. Roush, 723 So.2d 1250, 1256 (Ala.1998). Assuming, as we must, that Ketzler asked the question and that he asked it in a hostile or accusatory manner, such conduct does not rise to the level of wantonness as that term is defined by statute and by this Court. Accordingly, we conclude that the trial court did not err as a matter of law in determining that Ketzler's conduct was not willful and wanton. Therefore, we affirm that portion of the trial court's judgment determining that Ketzler was immune from suit as to all claims asserted against him by the plaintiffs. One of the plaintiffs' claimstortious interference with contractual relationships survives an immunity defense, and the summary judgment as to that claim is reviewed later in this opinion.