Steven Ray Franks, Pamela S. Franks v. J.A. Bolden, Davis G. Nye, Paul Townsel, John Butler, Ernie Ball, and Jerry Campbell

VANCE, Circuit Judge:

The primary question in this case is whether employees of the Tennessee Valley Authority charged with failing to provide a safe working environment are entitled to official immunity for their alleged acts of negligence. We conclude that immunity is not available for the particular acts in question and affirm the jury verdict in favor of the plaintiffs.

I. Facts and Procedural History

Beneath the unit 2 nuclear reactor at the TVA’s Browns Ferry power plant sits a giant metal torus. This hollow doughnut serves as a receptacle for steam from the reactor in the event that an…