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IN THIS CHILD VICTIMS ACT NEGLIGENT-SUPERVISON ACTION AGAINST THE COUNTY, THE PLAINTIFF DID NOT RAISE A QUESTION OF FACT ABOUT WHETHER THE COUNTY HAD NOTICE OF A SOCIAL SERVICES CASEWORKER’S SEXUAL ABUSE OR PROPENSITY FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, affirming the dismissal of this Child Victims Act suit against the county, in a full-fledged opinion by Judge Wilson, over a comprehensive dissenting opinion, determined the plaintiff did not raise a question of fact about whether the county had actual or constructive notice that a Department of Social Services caseworker (Hoch) had sexually abused children or had a propensity for the sexual abuse of children. Therefore, the plaintiff did not make out a prima facie “negligent supervision” cause of action:

In the summer of 1993, the parents of 11-year-old Michael Nellenback had him designated as a person in need of supervision (PINS) and placed in the care of Madison County’s Department of Social Services. The Madison County Department of Social Services assigned caseworker Karl Hoch to the Nellenback case. According to Mr. Nellenback, over the next three years, Mr. Hoch repeatedly sexually abused and assaulted him. It turned out that Mr. Hoch had sexually abused several other children to whose cases he was assigned.

In 2019, Mr. Nellenback filed suit against Madison County under the claim-revival provision of the Child Victims Act, alleging that that the County was negligent in hiring, supervising, and retaining Mr. Hoch. The sole issue on appeal is whether Mr. Nellenback raised a triable issue of fact on his negligent supervision claim. We hold that he did not: Even viewed in the light most favorable to Mr. Nellenback, the evidence was insufficient to prove the County was on notice of the abuse and that it negligently placed Mr. Hoch in a position to cause harm. * * *

… [T]here was neither evidence that the County had any knowledge of Mr. Hoch’s abuse before the report of his abuse of another child in 1996, nor any evidence the County was aware of any conduct that could have alerted them to the potential for harm. Nellenback v Madison County, 2025 NY Slip Op 02263, CtApp 4-17-25

Practice Point: This is a fact-specific opinion which analyzes the proof necessary to raise a question of fact whether a county social services department had constructive notice of its caseworker’s propensity for the sexual abuse of children. The majority, over an extensive dissent, determined the evidence relied on by the plaintiff was not sufficient to raise a question of fact.

 

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