Supreme Court of Vermont

Deborah Noble v. Office of Child Support

October 2, 1998168 Vt. 349

Summary

The Court held that sovereign immunity barred Noble’s negligence action against the Office of Child Support because OCS’s enforcement activities for families receiving public assistance have no private-sector analog. OCS’s statutory responsibilities are discretionary and serve broader child-welfare and governmental interests than those of a private collection agency. The Court therefore reversed the superior court’s denial of summary judgment.