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THE CLAIM OF SEXUAL ABUSE UNDER THE CHILD VICTIMS ACT MET THE PLEADING CRITERIA OF THE COURT OF CLAIMS ACT; THE FOUR-YEAR TIME FRAME WAS SUFFICIENTLY PRECISE; THE FACTS ALLEGED SUFFICIENTLY STATED THE NATURE OF THE DEFENDANT’S NEGLIGENCE (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, reversing the Court of Claims, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Mackey, determined claimant sufficiently stated a sexual-abuse claim under the Child Victims Act:

The reality is that “in matters of sexual abuse involving minors, as recounted by survivors years after the fact, dates and times are sometimes approximate and incapable of calendrical exactitude” … .Where sexual abuse is alleged to have occurred several decades ago “when the claimant was a child, it is not reasonable to expect the claimant to be able to provide exact dates when each instance of abuse occurred, nor is it required” … . Under the particular circumstances of the case before us, where the events are alleged to have occurred several decades ago, when claimant was a child, we conclude that the four-year time frame pleaded is sufficient … . Accordingly, the Court of Claims should not have granted defendant’s motion to dismiss on the ground that the claim failed to adequately state the time when the claim arose.

Also, contrary to defendant’s contention, claimant sufficiently states the nature of his claim. He alleges that between 1986 and 1990, when he was a minor, he was raped and sexually abused by numerous men in multiple incidents while he was lawfully at the premises; that the abuse was perpetrated “by both employees of [defendant] as well as members of the general public”; that the “majority of these incidents occurred at the premises, more specifically in the bathrooms, stairwells, tunnels, boiler room, and Kitty Carlisle Hart Theater”; that many of the perpetrators “were agents, servants and/or employees of [defendant]”; and that “[t]hese men were known among the community and the children as a sexual predator [sic] yet allowed unfettered access to children.” Claimant also alleges that abusers used their positions of power and authority provided by defendant “to be able to sexually abuse [him] and other boys” and that their abuse “was open and obvious.” Claimant further asserts that defendant negligently retained an abuser “in his position as teacher, coach, and counselor,” despite notice of his propensities, thereby allowing his abuse of claimant and other boys to continue. We conclude that these allegations are sufficient to provide defendant with “an indication of the manner in which . . . claimant was injured and how [defendant] was negligent” … , and thus “defendant cannot reasonably assert that it is unaware of the nature of the claim” … . Because the claim is sufficiently detailed to allow defendant “to investigate the claim and to reasonably infer the basis for its alleged liability” … , it satisfies the nature of the claim requirement of Court of Claims Act § 11 (b). Wright v State of New York, 2023 NY Slip Op 06013, Third Dept 11-22-23

Practice Point: The allegations of sexual abuse within a four-year time frame met the pleading criteria of Court of Claims Act section 11 (b) in that the allegations were sufficiently detailed to determine the nature of the claim and to allow investigation of the claim.

 

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