The Maryland Supreme Court has determined that the state’s waiver of sovereign immunity for tort actions under the Maryland Tort Claims Act (MTCA) does not include federal statutory claims. This conclusion was reached in response to a certifying question from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
The root of this decision stems from the case Michele Williams v. Morgan State University, which began in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City before being elevated to federal court. In this context, the MTCA provided a mechanism for waiving Maryland’s immunity in a state court tort action. However, the court found no evidence of the General Assembly’s intention to extend this immunity waiver to federal statutory claims within the scope of MTCA.
Crucially, the court noted that accepting such a broad interpretation could lead to outcomes inconsistent with one of MTCA’s main purposes. To review the court’s full opinion in depth, it can be found here.
For more details on the court’s decision and its implications, refer to the original article here .