Meyer v. Magalios

170 A.D.3d 1163

97 N.Y.S.3d 265

Christopher George MEYER, et al., Respondents,

v.John MAGALIOS, et al., Defendants,Lindenhurst Union Free School District, etc., Appellant.

2017–02913

Index No. 14505/13

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department, New York.

Argued - December 7, 2018

March 27, 2019

Congdon, Flaherty, O'Callaghan, Reid, Donlon, Travis & Fishlinger, Uniondale, N.Y. (Christine Gasser of counsel), for appellant.

Wagner, Doman & Leto, P.C., Mineola, N.Y. (Salvatore J. Leto of counsel), for respondents.

WILLIAM F. MASTRO, J.P., JEFFREY A. COHEN, JOSEPH J. MALTESE, HECTOR D. LASALLE, JJ.

DECISION & ORDER

In an action, inter alia, to recover damages for personal injuries, the defendant Lindenhurst Union Free School District, also sued herein as Lindenhurst Public Schools and Lindenhurst High School, appeals from an order of the Supreme Court, Suffolk County (James Hudson, J.), dated January 30, 2017. The order, insofar as appealed from, denied that branch of the motion of the defendant Lindenhurst Union Free School District, also sued herein as Lindenhurst Public Schools and Lindenhurst High School, which was for summary judgment dismissing the complaint insofar as asserted against it by the plaintiffs Christopher George Meyer and Dawn Marie Meyer.

ORDERED that the order is reversed insofar as appealed from, on the law, with costs, and that branch of the motion of the defendant Lindenhurst Union Free School District, also sued herein as Lindenhurst Public Schools and Lindenhurst High School, which was for summary judgment dismissing the complaint insofar as asserted against it by the plaintiffs Christopher George Meyer and Dawn Marie Meyer is granted.

On April 23, 2012, when the plaintiff Christopher George Meyer (hereinafter the injured plaintiff) was in the 11th grade, he allegedly was assaulted by a fellow classmate, who was in the 12th grade, during an incident which lasted approximately 20 to 30 seconds. The incident occurred while the two boys were in a classroom, during the start of their fifth period class at Lindenhurst High School, after the injured plaintiff walked by the other student and called him "fat." When the incident began, the classroom teacher was standing in the hallway ushering other students into the classroom and/or conversing with another teacher.

The plaintiffs commenced this action, inter alia, to recover damages for personal injuries. They asserted a cause of action alleging negligent supervision, among other things, against the defendant Lindenhurst Union Free School District, also sued herein as Lindenhurst Public Schools and Lindenhurst High School (hereinafter the School District). The School District moved for summary judgment dismissing the complaint insofar as asserted against it, and the Supreme Court denied the motion, except with respect to the causes of action asserted against the School District by the plaintiff William Meyer. The School District appeals.

The School District established its prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law dismissing the cause of action alleging negligent supervision. "Schools have a duty to adequately supervise the students in their care, and may be held liable for foreseeable injuries proximately related to the absence of adequate supervision" ( Timothy Mc. v. Beacon City Sch. Dist., 127 A.D.3d 826, 827, 7 N.Y.S.3d 348 ; see Brandy B. v. Eden Cent. School Dist., 15 N.Y.3d 297, 907 N.Y.S.2d 735, 934 N.E.2d 304 ; Sacino v. Warwick Val. Cent. Sch. Dist., 138 A.D.3d 717, 29 N.Y.S.3d 57 ; Nevaeh T. v. City of New York, 132 A.D.3d 840, 841, 18 N.Y.S.3d 415 ). "The standard for determining whether the school has breached its duty is to compare the school's supervision and protection to that of a parent of ordinary prudence placed in the same situation and armed with the same information" ( Timothy Mc. v. Beacon City Sch. Dist., 127 A.D.3d at 828, 7 N.Y.S.3d 348 ; see Mirand v. City of New York, 84 N.Y.2d 44, 614 N.Y.S.2d 372, 637 N.E.2d 263 ; Nevaeh T. v. City of New York, 132 A.D.3d at 841–842, 18 N.Y.S.3d 415 ). "Where the complaint alleges negligent supervision due to injuries related to an individual's intentional acts, the plaintiff generally must demonstrate that the school knew or should have known of the individual's propensity to engage in such conduct, such that the individual's acts could be anticipated or were foreseeable" ( Timothy Mc. v. Beacon City Sch. Dist., 127 A.D.3d at 828, 7 N.Y.S.3d 348 ; see Mirand v. City of New York, 84 N.Y.2d at 49, 614 N.Y.S.2d 372, 637 N.E.2d 263 ; Nevaeh T. v. City of New York, 132 A.D.3d at 842, 18 N.Y.S.3d 415 ). "Actual or constructive notice to the school of prior similar conduct generally is required" ( Mathis v. Board of Educ. of City of N.Y., 126 A.D.3d 951, 952, 7 N.Y.S.3d 182 ; see Nevaeh T. v. City of New York, 132 A.D.3d at 842, 18 N.Y.S.3d 415 ).

Here, the School District established, prima facie, that the alleged assault by the fellow student was an unforeseeable act and that the School District had no actual or constructive notice of prior conduct of the students involved here which was similar to the subject incident (see Maldari v. Mount Pleasant Cent. Sch. Dist., 131 A.D.3d 1019, 17 N.Y.S.3d 48 ; Harrington v. Bellmore–Merrick Cent. High Sch. Dist., 113 A.D.3d 727, 978 N.Y.S.2d 868 ; Jake F. v. Plainview–Old Bethpage Cent. School Dist., 94 A.D.3d 804, 944 N.Y.S.2d 152 ; Morman v. Ossining Union Free School Dist., 297 A.D.2d 788, 747 N.Y.S.2d 586 ). Moreover, the School District established, prima facie, that "the incident occurred in so short a period of time that any negligent supervision on its part was not a proximate cause of the infant plaintiff's injuries" ( Sacino v. Warwick Val. Cent. Sch. Dist., 138 A.D.3d at 719, 29 N.Y.S.3d 57 ; see Baez v. City of New Rochelle, 128 A.D.3d 993, 8 N.Y.S.3d 601 ; Keith S. v. East Islip Union Free School Dist., 96 A.D.3d 927, 946...