School Failed to Demonstrate Assault on Student Was Unforeseeable—Summary Judgment Properly Denied

The Second Department determined the defendant school district was not entitled to summary judgment because it failed to demonstrate the alleged assault on another student was unforeseeable:

“Schools are under a duty to adequately supervise the students in their charge and they will be held liable for foreseeable injuries proximately related to the absence of adequate supervision” … . In determining whether the duty to provide adequate supervision has been breached in the context of injuries caused by the acts of fellow students, it must be established that school authorities had sufficiently specific knowledge or notice of the dangerous conduct which caused injury; that is, the third-party acts could reasonably have been anticipated … .

Here, in support of that branch of its motion which was for summary judgment dismissing the causes of action alleging negligent supervision, the District failed to establish, prima facie, that the alleged assault was an unforeseeable act or that it had no actual or constructive notice of prior conduct similar to the subject incident … . Cruz v Brentwood Union Free Sch Dist, 2015 NY Slip Op 01604, 2nd Dept 2-25-15