School Employee’s After-Hours Inappropriate Behavior Involving a Student Was Not Proximately Caused by Negligent Supervision/Retention of the Employee or Negligent Supervision of the Student on the Part of the School District
The Second Department reversed Supreme Court and granted the defendant school district’s motion to dismiss the complaint. The school’s marching band director, Perna, engaged in inappropriate communications with plaintiff’s child, KS, a student who was in the marching band. The communications by computer and cell phone took place off school grounds after hours. The Second Department determined the band director’s after-hours behavior was not proximately caused by negligent retention or supervision of Perna or negligent supervision of KS:
Because the inappropriate conduct by Perna toward KS, the plaintiff’s child, occurred after school hours and off school grounds by means of their personal computers and cellular phones, the causes of action alleging negligent retention and supervision cannot provide a basis for liability against the appellants. Although KS first met Perna through the marching band, KS’s injuries were not proximately caused by any negligent retention or supervision by the appellants … . In opposition, the plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue of fact.
Additionally, the Supreme Court should have granted that branch of the appellants’ motion which was for summary judgment dismissing so much of the complaint as alleged negligent supervision of KS, since the appellants established, prima facie, that the wrongful acts occurred outside of the school grounds … and, in opposition, the plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue of fact. MS, etc. v Arlington Cent. School Dist., 2015 NY Slip Op 04290, 2nd Dept 5-20-15