Ferraro v. Board of Education

32 Misc. 2d 563, 212 N.Y.S.2d 615, 1961 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3443
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 3, 1961
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 32 Misc. 2d 563 (Ferraro v. Board of Education) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ferraro v. Board of Education, 32 Misc. 2d 563, 212 N.Y.S.2d 615, 1961 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3443 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1961).

Opinions

Anthony J. Di Giovanna, J.

This is an appeal from a judgment in favor of the plaintiff in the sum of $1,674.

The action was brought to recover damages for personal injuries sustained by the infant plaintiff as a result of an assault committed upon her person by another student assigned to the same class as plaintiff in Junior High School.

It is claimed that the defendant, through its principal and teachers, had knowledge of the vicious propensities of this other student to do harm to others and that they failed in their duty to protect the plaintiff from her.

According to the principal of this Junior High School this other student had been transferred to his school on January 6, 1955 from another Junior High School. The transfer had been made upon the recommendation of the principal of the other school and the assistant superintendent of the defendant in charge of that school because of a record of misbehavior. This principal had been informed of her prior record by the guidance record of the child forwarded at the time of transfer.

According to the guidance record, she had been a source of constant quarreling and aggressive behavior towards other students as well as teachers. The assault in this case took place on March 11, 1955. During the intervening period the principal became fully aware of constant misconduct on the part of this other student. He said: “ She disobeyed even the simplest orders and she felt * # * or she expressed resentment [565]*565of the treatment by other children and by teachers as well.” Further: u The child was a source of trouble from almost the first day that she arrived in the school.”

From the date of her enrollment to the date of the occurrence he had knowledge of at least three occasions when she assaulted other pupils. On other occasions her misconduct took other forms. His concern was such that he formed the opinion that:

this child was a very seriously disturbed child. I use the word seriously ’ with full awareness of what it means. The youngster has an average I. Q. and average ability, but day after day there were indications that the stability of temper was just not there.

You asked me whether I had spoken to her many times and if this was unusual. Certainly, it was, because I was concerned to try to make a good adjustment. Many of the times I spoke to her she had done nothing wrong and I seized these opportunities to praise her and to try to help her. Many days she was on a very smooth and even keel, but as reported to me by at least four or five teachers, they did not know when she would suddenly burst forth with some misbehavior for which we could determine no reason.”

Because of his deep concern he called in the family and he recommended medical attention for the child. Before the date of the attack he asked the Bureau of Child (Guidance on several occasions to have her examined concerning her emotional stability. Despite his requests, the bureau failed to cause the examination to be made. Had the bureau heeded his request an investigation and determination thereon would have been made concerning future treatment for the child.

On the day in question a substitute teacher was in charge of the class. It is conceded that an attack was made by this other student upon the infant plaintiff. The record of the infant plaintiff shows her characteristics as follows: Courtesy outstanding. Dependability outstanding. Cooperation outstanding. Self-control satisfactory. Social participation satisfactory. Other personality traits: Very aggressive. This is the kind of child who does not take a back-seat. She steps forward and speaks up.” The principal described the word aggressive ” to indicate a co-operative aggressiveness rather than a malicious aggressiveness, one in which a child seeks to do the right things in class and does not hesitate to step forward to do so.

According to the infant plaintiff’s testimony, she gave no cause to the other student to attack her nor was the substitute teacher aware of any friction in the classroom. The occurrence took place at a time when the children had lined up in preparation [566]*566for a change of period when the hell rang. The injuries, as described by the plaintiff and her doctor, were not contradicted by any testimony offered by the defendant.

In view of the fact that the principal and the substitute teacher had been called as witnesses by the plaintiff, the defendant called no witnesses but rested upon the plaintiffs ’ case.

When the attack took place the substitute teacher attempted to intervene but became aware of her inability to stop the assault because the other student attempted then to strike the teacher, whereupon the teacher summoned a female shop teacher from across the hall who entered the room, blew a whistle and then the fracas stopped. The substitute teacher testified that she was never told by anyone concerning the behavior of the other student. The principal testified that he had never told the substitute teacher about the misconduct of this other student. This substitute teacher had been teaching this class for either one or two days. She had taught this class on one occasion several weeks before. Nothing in her contact with this other student sufficiently alerted her to suspect that an attack such as this would take place.

The defendant contends that the plaintiff failed to make out a prima facie case and relies upon the following series of cases: Ohman v. Board of Educ. (300 N. Y. 306 [1949], motion for rearg. den. 301 N. Y. 662 [1950]); Wilber v. City of Binghamton (271 App. Div. 402 [3d Dept., 1946], affd. 296 N. Y. 950 [1947]); Curcio v. City of New York (275 N. Y. 20 [1937]); Bertola v. Board of Educ. (1 A D 2d 973 [2d Dept., 1956]); Blume v. City of Newburgh (265 App. Div. 965 [2d Dept., 1942], affd. 291 N. Y. 739 [1943]); Clark v. City of Buffalo (288 N. Y. 62 [1942]); Berner v. Board of Educ. (286 N. Y. 174 [1941]); Graff v. Board of Educ. (258 App. Div. 813 [2d Dept., 1939], Affd. 283 N. Y. 574 [1940]); Thompson v. Board of Educ. (280 N. Y. 92 [1939]); Ginsberg v. Board of Educ. N. Y. L. J., Oct. 14, 1946, p. 870, col. 3 [App. Term, 2d Dept.], affd. 272 App. Div. 774 [2d Dept., 1947]).

To that impressive list should be added the following for consideration by the court: Vitagliano v. Board of Educ. (12 A D 2d 655 [decided 12/19/60 by the Appellate Division, 2d Dept.]); May v. Board of Educ. (269 App. Div. 959); Abbott v. New York Public Library (263 App. Div. 314); Selleck v. Board of Educ. (276 App. Div. 263); and Wiener v. Board of Educ. (277 App. Div. 934) .

In my opinion, in none of these cases was the alleged act of negligence comparable to the one involved herein. In the instant case the principal failed to alert the substitute teacher [567]*567concerning the misconduct of this other student. Consequently the substitute teacher was not in a position to determine whether any supervisory steps had to be taken by her in regard to the other student. It is clear that the assault itself cannot be the basis for liability of the defendant.

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Bluebook (online)
32 Misc. 2d 563, 212 N.Y.S.2d 615, 1961 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3443, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ferraro-v-board-of-education-nysupct-1961.