Under which doctrine are public entities now liable for employees' wrongful acts while acting in the scope of their employment?

The doctrine that holds public entities liable for the wrongful acts of their employees while those employees are acting within the scope of their employment is known as respondeat superior. This legal principle establishes that an employer can be held responsible for the actions of an employee if those actions are closely related to the employee's official duties.

Respondeat superior is based on the idea that employers have a responsibility to oversee and control their employees, and they benefit from the employees' work. By holding the entity accountable, the doctrine encourages businesses and public entities to maintain high standards of training and supervision, promoting broader accountability within the workplace.

While vicarious liability is a term that closely aligns with this concept by emphasizing that an entity can be responsible for the actions of another person (often in the employer-employee relationship), respondeat superior specifically addresses the employment aspect and the conditions under which liability arises. Negligence and direct accountability refer to other aspects of liability and responsibility that do not specifically target the employer-employee relationship in the same way.