Public Employees and Accountability

Bruce Bierhans

Attorney
(866) 735-1102 Ext 540

0 CommentsPrint ArticleSubscribe

Our office recently took on the representation of a Harwich High School student that sustained serious injuries during an unchaperoned event that took place on high school property. A claim has been made against the town based upon our allegation of negligence on the part of school officials.

Today, in the Cape Cod Times, there is an editorial commenting on the payments of $10,000,00 each by the state and town arising out of alleged negligence of public officials in the Station Nightclub fire. The editorial, quite correctly, reminds us that we rely on the competency of our public officials; both elected and appointed.

When these public officials fail us, and injury results, our system of "accountability" applies to them, as well as to those in the private sector. Without accountability and adherence to the rule of law, we have no direction, and anarchy and confusion is the result. That's when people become injured victims. The CCTimes also correctly questioned whether or not there was "a lack of will to enforce the rules" in the Station case. If so, it resulted in the death or serious injury of 300 people.