Court Opinion

ID: 9673316
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 04:10:02.88123+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:21.550879
License: Public Domain

Cynar, J.
Plaintiffs appealed as of right from the trial court’s order granting summary judgment to the defendants based on the governmental immunity statute. This Court affirmed the trial court in an unpublished opinion filed on November 15, 1983 (Docket No. 68302, Hood, J., concurring separately). Plaintiffs filed for leave to appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court. The leave application was held in abeyance pending the decision in Ross v Consumers Power Co (On Rehearing). On order of the Michigan Supreme Court, the decision in Ross v Consumers Power Co (On Rehearing), 420 Mich 567; 363 NW2d 641 (1985), having been issued on January 22, 1985, the application was reconsidered and in lieu of granting leave to appeal the case was remanded, 422 Mich 925 (1985), to this Court pursuant to MCR 7.302(F)(1) for reconsideration in light of Ross, supra.
*126The issue on reconsideration as stated in the Michigan Supreme Court’s remand order is whether the individual defendant, L. M. Cruse, a child protective services worker, is individually immune from liability.
Individual immunity is granted to individual defendants under MCL 691.1407; MSA 3.996(107) only when they are: (1) acting in the course of their employment and acting, or reasonably believe they are acting, within the scope of their authority; (2) acting in good faith; and (3) performing discretionary as opposed to ministerial acts. Ross, supra, pp 633-634. In Ross it was noted that an individual who decides whether to engage in an activity and how best to carry it out engages in a discretionary act. The specific acts complained of, rather than the general nature of the activity, must be examined. Ross, supra, pp 634-635. Our examination of the complaint indicates that the specific activity of which plaintiffs complain is that Cruse continued the investigation and continued to maintain records on the case notwithstanding plaintiffs’ protests. These decisions were discretionary. Cruse was exercising his discretion in deciding whether the investigation should be continued. He was therefore cloaked with immunity. Ross, supra, pp 633-634. The order of summary judgment is affirmed.
Hood, J., concurs in result only.