Summary Judgment Properly Awarded in Derivative Child-Neglect Proceeding
The Third Department determined summary judgment was properly awarded in a derivative child-neglect proceeding, based in large part on findings made in prior neglect proceedings:
“‘Although it is a drastic procedural device, Family Court is authorized to grant summary judgment in a neglect proceeding where no triable issue of fact exists'” … . Neglect or abuse of one child typically may not serve as the sole support for a finding of derivative abuse or neglect; however, where the proof of “past neglect and abuse demonstrably ‘evidence[s] fundamental flaws in the respondent’s understanding of the duties of parenthood, proof of abuse or neglect of other children is alone sufficient to sustain a finding of abuse or neglect of another child'” … . A prior determination should be “sufficiently proximate in time to reasonably conclude that the problematic conditions continue to exist” …, but “there is no ‘bright-line, temporal rule beyond which we will not consider older child protective determinations'” … .
Here, petitioner established a prima facie case for summary judgment with the affidavit of its counsel setting forth the prior proceedings, the Family Court records of such proceedings and an affidavit from a caseworker. The nature of the acts that Family Court had found in the 2010 proceedings as having been perpetrated upon a child entrusted to respondent’s care established a fundamental defect in respondent’s understanding of parental duties. The caseworker set forth, among other things, respondent’s failure to complete preventive services, including sex offender treatment. Although respondent’s affidavit in opposition offered explanations for his inability to complete some services, he acknowledged that he had not yet completed sex offender treatment. Given the nature of the 2008 acts found in the 2010 proceedings, together with the fact that respondent is still in, but has not yet successfully completed, sex offender treatment, we are unpersuaded that Family Court erred in granting summary judgment… . Matter of Ilonni I…, 2014 NY Slip Op 04987, 3rd Dept 7-3-14