Pagan Hernandez v. Milwaukee Composites Inc

**Pagan Hernandez v. Milwaukee Composites Inc** This case involved a sexual assault committed by a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) officer named Bullcoming against someone identified as L.B. The victim sued the federal government, arguing that since the assault was committed by a government employee, the government should be held responsible for the officer's actions. The court ruled in favor of the government, dismissing the case. The judge determined that the BIA officer's sexual assault happened outside the scope of his employment duties. Under the Federal Tort Claims Act, the government can only be held liable for employee actions that occur within their official job responsibilities. Since sexual assault is clearly not part of a BIA officer's legitimate work duties, the court found the government was not responsible for the officer's criminal behavior. **What this means for workers:** This ruling reinforces that employers are generally not liable for employee actions that fall completely outside their job duties, especially criminal acts. However, this was a case against the federal government under special federal laws. Private sector workers may have different protections under state laws, and employers can still face liability in situations involving workplace harassment, inadequate supervision, or when they knew about problematic behavior but failed to act.