Page:United States Reports 502 OCT. TERM 1991.pdf/187

 502us1$$4Z 08-21-96 15:22:03 PAGES OPINPGT

Cite as: 502 U. S. 21 (1991)

29

Opinion of the Court

official at common law and the interests behind it,” Imbler v. Pachtman, 424 U. S. 409, 421 (1976), and officials seeking absolute immunity must show that such immunity is justified for the governmental function at issue, Burns v. Reed, 500 U. S. 478, 486–487 (1991). This Court has refused to extend absolute immunity beyond a very limited class of officials, including the President of the United States, legislators carrying out their legislative functions, and judges carrying out their judicial functions, “whose special functions or constitutional status requires complete protection from suit.” Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U. S. 800, 807 (1982). State executive officials are not entitled to absolute immunity for their official actions. Scheuer v. Rhodes, supra. In several instances, moreover, we have concluded that no more than a qualified immunity attaches to administrative employment decisions, even if the same official has absolute immunity when performing other functions. See Forrester v. White, 484 U. S. 219 (1988) (dismissal of court employee by state judge); Harlow v. Fitzgerald, supra (discharge of Air Force employee, allegedly orchestrated by senior White House aides) (action under Bivens v. Six Unknown Fed. Narcotics Agents, 403 U. S. 388 (1971)); Davis v. Passman, 442 U. S. 228 (1979) (dismissal of congressional aide) (Bivens action). That Hafer may assert personal immunity within the framework of these cases in no way supports her argument here. B Hafer further asks us to read Will’s language concerning suits against state officials as establishing the limits of liability under the Eleventh Amendment. She asserts that imposing personal liability on officeholders may infringe on state sovereignty by rendering government less effective; thus, she argues, the Eleventh Amendment forbids personalcapacity suits against state officials in federal court.