Court Opinion

ID: 9567460
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 19:54:07.504002+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T10:00:37.550924
License: Public Domain

*84STEPHENSON, J.,
dissenting.
1 respectfully dissent.
Two decades ago, we held that a negligent public school teacher could not escape liability by invoking the doctrine of sovereign immunity. Crabbe v. School Board and Albrite, 209 Va. 356, 164 S.E.2d 639 (1968). Just nine years ago, we reaffirmed that holding in Short v. Griffitts, 220 Va. 53, 255 S.E.2d 479 (1979). The unanimous decisions in Crabbe and Short are clear and unambiguous, and the present case is factually indistinguishable from those cases. Today, however, the majority overrules 20 years of established law.
It is significant that in the past 20 years the General Assembly has not enacted legislation overruling Crabbe. Presumably, therefore, a majority in the General Assembly believes that the decision in Crabbe represents sound public policy. Despite this absence of legislation and the time-honored precept of stare decisis, the majority has nullified long-established law, leaving an injured pupil and his parent remediless for the negligent acts of a public school teacher.
CARRICO, C.J., joins in dissent.