You are here: / / PLAINTIFF BROUGHT A PERSONAL INJURY ACTION AGAINST A SCHOOL DISTRICT AND...
, ,

PLAINTIFF BROUGHT A PERSONAL INJURY ACTION AGAINST A SCHOOL DISTRICT AND AN INDIVIDUAL UNDER THE CHILD VICTIMS ACT ALLEGING SEXUAL ABUSE BY A GUIDANCE COUNSELOR IN THE 1980’S; SUPREME COURT PROPERLY ALLOWED PLAINTIFF’S SUIT TO GO FORWARD UNDER A PSEUDONYM (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Smith, determined Supreme Court properly allowed plaintiff to proceed under a pseudonym in her personal injury action against the school district and an individual defendant pursuant to the Child Victims Act (CBA). Plaintiff alleged she was sexually abused in the 1980’s by a guidance counselor at her high school:

… [P]laintiff alleged that she was employed by the county in which these allegations arose, that her job may be in jeopardy as a result of the allegations, and that she experienced “emotional distress, suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, feelings of worthlessness, and many other psychological damages, painful feelings, emotions, nightmares, flashbacks, as well as physical manifestations of these problems” that would recur if her name was publicized.

… [T]he record establishes that plaintiff has disclosed her name to defendants, thereby minimizing any prejudice arising from her use of a pseudonym for the purposes of discovery and investigation, and defendants have not asserted any other prejudice that they will sustain therefrom. An additional factor supporting the court’s determination is that plaintiff did not seek, nor did the court order, that the records in the case be sealed or that public access be denied. Thus, the public’s interest in open court proceedings is preserved … . Although the School and defendant Amherst Central School District are governmental entities, which supports plaintiff’s position, defendant John Koch … is an individual, which favors defendants’ position. Thus, there is no clear advantage to either side with respect to that factor. PB-7 Doe v Amherst Cent. Sch. Dist., 2021 NY Slip Op 02969, Fourth Dept 5-7-21

 

You might also like
Cleaning Cement Truck After Cement-Delivery Not Covered by Labor Law 240
DESCRIPTION OF CLOTHES WORN BY THE SUSPECT DID NOT MATCH THE CLOTHES WORN BY THE MAN OBSERVED BY THE POLICE, THE STOP OF THE CAR THE MAN GOT INTO WAS NOT JUSTIFIED BY REASONABLE SUSPICION OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, SEIZED WEAPONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED.
THE AMENDED STATUTE CHANGING THE CRITERIA FOR NEGLECT BASED ON MARIHUANA USE WENT INTO EFFECT TWO DAYS BEFORE THE HEARING AND WAS NOT APPLIED TO THE FACTS; MATTER REMITTED (FOURTH DEPT).
ADMISSION OF A HEARSAY STATEMENT BY A BYSTANDER WHO TOLD A POLICE OFFICER DEFENDANT HAD RUN INTO A HOUSE WAS (HARMLESS) ERROR (FOURTH DEPT).
Internally Inconsistent Verdict Properly Set Aside
THE CITY OF ROCHESTER LOCAL LAW WHICH PURPORTED TO TRANSFER THE POWER TO DISCIPLINE POLICE OFFICERS TO THE POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD (PAB) IS INVALID AND CANNOT BE ENFORCED (FOURTH DEPT).
Child Support Awarded to Wife Even though Husband Awarded Sole Custody; Residency Shared Equally/Husband Has Much Higher Income than Wife
DEFENDANT WAS NOT PRESENT AT A SIDEBAR CONCERNING THE BIAS OF A PROSPECTIVE JUROR, CONVICTION REVERSED (FOURTH DEPT).

Categories

Sign Up for the Mailing List to Be Notified When the Site Is Updated.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2026 New York Appellate Digest, Inc.
Site by CurlyHost | Privacy Policy

THE EVIDENCE OF ESCAPE IN THE FIRST DEGREE WAS LEGALLY INSUFFICIENT; DEFENDANT... THE LANGUAGE IN THE HIPAA FORM, INDICATING PLAINTIFF’S PHYSICIAN MAY BUT...