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PLAINTIFF IN THIS CHILD VICTIMS ACT CASE RAISED A QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER DEFENDANT SUMMER CAMP WAS AWARE OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF ITS EMPLOYEE’S PROPENSITY FOR SEXUAL ABUSE; THE NEGLIGENT HIRING, RETENTION AND SUPERVISION CAUSE OF ACTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISMISSED (SECOND DEPT). ​

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court in this Child Victims Act case alleging abuse at defendant’s summer camp in 1970, determined plaintiff had raised a question of fact supporting the negligent hiring, retention and supervision cause of action. Plaintiff alleged he informed defendant of the abuse by the employee (Puello):

“Although an employer cannot be held vicariously liable for torts committed by an employee who is acting solely for personal motives unrelated to the furtherance of the employer’s business, the employer may still be held liable under theories of negligent hiring and retention of the employee” … . “To establish a cause of action based on negligent hiring, negligent retention, or negligent supervision, it must be shown that the employer knew or should have known of the employee’s propensity for the conduct which caused the injury” … . “The employer’s negligence lies in having placed the employee in a position to cause foreseeable harm, harm which would most probably have been spared the injured party had the employer taken reasonable care in making decisions respecting the [supervision,] hiring and retention of the employee” … .

Here, the defendant demonstrated, prima facie, that it lacked actual or constructive notice of Puello’s alleged propensity for the conduct that caused the plaintiff’s injury. However, in opposition, the plaintiff raised a triable issue of fact as to whether the defendant had constructive notice of Puello’s alleged propensity for sexual abuse, given, among other things, the frequency and nature of the alleged abuse perpetrated by Puello … . Moreover, the plaintiff averred in his affidavit submitted in opposition to the defendant’s motion that he “clearly told” Thomas Brown, an employee in the camp’s infirmary, about the first of Puello’s alleged assaults, which continued thereafter, raising a triable issue of fact as to whether the defendant had actual notice of Puello’s alleged propensity for sexual abuse. Hammill v Salesians of Don Bosco, 2024 NY Slip Op 03170, Second Dept 6-12-24

Practice Point: Here in this child victims act case alleging abuse of the plaintiff in 1970, plaintiff raised a question of fact whether defendant summer camp was aware of its employee’s propensity for sexual abuse. Among other allegations, plaintiff alleged he told an infirmary employee about the abuse and it continued thereafter.

 

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