Myers v. Brewer

**What Happened** A school district employee sued the Racine Unified School District in Wisconsin after a benefits specialist gave them wrong information about disability benefits. The employee claimed the district was careless and provided misleading information that caused them harm. **What the Court Decided** The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in favor of the school district. The court found that when the benefits specialist gave incorrect information, they were performing a "discretionary governmental act" - meaning they were making decisions as part of their government job duties. Because of this, the specialist was protected by something called "public officer immunity," which shields government employees from being sued for mistakes made while doing their official work. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling shows that it can be very difficult to successfully sue government employers when their staff gives you wrong information about benefits. Government employees often have legal protection when they make mistakes during their regular job duties. If you work for a government agency or receive benefits information from one, it's important to double-check any information you receive and get things in writing when possible, since you may have limited options if the information turns out to be wrong.