Public personnel directors increasingly are subject to litigation as a result of alleged violations of the civil rights of employees or clients. This article: (1) presents the legal history of personal liability issues for public administrators; (2) reviews literature to determine specific areas of concern, and suggested responses; (3) describes the results of a national survey of state and municipal personnel directors to determine their personal and organizational responses to this issue; and (4) discusses the organizational and ethical implications of these responses.
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