Recently in Sexual abuse Category

February 15, 2012

Judge rejects Oliva's motion to dismiss suit

A Queens, NY judge has rejected Bob Oliva's motion to dismiss the $20 million lawsuit filed by a man who was sexually abused by the former Christ the King Regional High School basketball coach.

The decision by Queens Supreme Court Judge Roger N. Rosengarten means the case will go to trial later this year unless Oliva's attorney, Henry Weil, files an appeal or Oliva reaches a settlement with the plaintiff, Jimmy Carlino.

"The trial will continue to expose Bob Oliva for the sexual predator that he is," Carlino's Boston-based attorney, Mitchell Garabedian, told the New York Daily News.

The Daily News reported that Oliva admitted in a Boston courtroom last year that he had sexually abused Carlino during a trip to Massachusetts in 1976, when Carlino was 14. Oliva was sentenced to probation for five years and required to register as a sex offender.

Weil had argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed because it was barred by the statute of limitations and Oliva had not been charged or convicted of abusing Carlino in New York.

Rosengarten wrote in his decision that under New York law, the clock on the statute of limitation is reset after a defendant is convicted of a crime -- and that it doesn't matter where the crime occurred or where the defendant was charged.

The lawsuit, filed on April 1, 2011, three days before Oliva pleaded guilty to two sex-abuse charges, says the disgraced former coach abused Carlino more than 100 times between 1974 and 1978. Most of the abuse took place in New York, the suit says, but Oliva also molested Carlino during out-of-state trips.

Another man told the Boston grand jury that indicted Oliva that the legendary coach had sexually abused him also.

February 14, 2012

Massachusetts priest denies child abuse allegation

The lawyer for a Plymouth (MA) priest placed on leave by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston pending an investigation into allegations of child sexual abuse dating to the early 1980s says his client has been wrongly accused.

The Rev. James Braley, pastor of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha parish, was placed on leave earlier in February. William Sullivan, the lawyer who represents Braley, told the Patriot Ledger that the charge is "unsupported, inaccurate and untruthful.''

Sullivan says Braley was shocked to learn of the allegation and wants to clear his name.

While on leave, the 62-year-old Braley is not allowed to present himself as a priest or perform any of the duties of a priest. He is also not allowed to live at the rectory.

February 2, 2012

Niece accuses Waltham man of rape

The Boston Globe reports that a Burlington woman has filed a civil lawsuit against her uncle, alleging that he raped her repeatedly as a child and subjected her to sexual abuse from 10 other men, before her family coerced her into signing an agreement absolving him from responsibility.

Rosanne Sliney, 48, filed a civil complaint in Middlesex Superior Court accusing Domenic A. Previte Jr., 70, of Waltham, of abuse and stating that he confessed to it years later in a signed letter to his niece. The Globe (and this blog) does not identify alleged victims of sexual abuse but the Globe used Sliney's name because she has chosen to go public with her allegations and she included her own name in the complaint.

"You were like a flower in springtime,'' Previte wrote in the letter, according to a copy included in Sliney's complaint. "I admired and respected you and loved you as my own daughter. . . . Somehow things got twisted. . . . I had confused my love for you with sex.''

The abuse at the hands of Previte occurred at locations including his home in Waltham, his car wash business in Cambridge, and a movie theater in Woburn, the complaint states.

Sliney contends the abuse began when she was 5 and lasted until she was about 14. Her family pressured her to sign an agreement in 1991 releasing Previte from any responsibility in exchange for a payment from him of $26,500, according to the complaint.

She alleges in the complaint that she did not understand the nature of the agreement that she signed in her late 20s, because of her damaged mental state after the abuse.

Though Sliney was told that Previte would take care of her for the rest of her life, the complaint states, her uncle has refused to pay thousands of dollars in medical bills related to mental health problems stemming from the abuse.

Sliney also asserts that she has begun during the last year to recall Previte forcing her to engage in sex acts with 10 other men, who are listed as codefendants in the lawsuit, but who are not identified by name.

The state corporations database lists Previte as the president of Previte Real Estate and Investments Inc. in Waltham, a business specializing in car wash purchases and sales.

February 1, 2012

Children's Hospital Seeks Dismissal of Levine Sex Case

A Suffolk Superior Court judge will decide whether to dismiss a lawsuit against Children's Hospital Boston, after hearing arguments this week on the suit filed on behalf of 11 people who say they were abused by pediatrician Melvin Levine, when he worked in North Carolina.

Levine, who has been accused of sexually abusing dozens of children during medical treatments, had been an esteemed doctor at Children's and later became a professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina Medical School in Chapel Hill. He committed suicide last February. A class action suit had been filed against him at the time, but Levine had never faced criminal charges stemming from the allegations.

The Boston lawsuit contends that Children's Hospital could have prevented the abuses alleged in North Carolina if it had reported earlier complaints made about the doctor.

The Boston Globe reports that attorneys for Children's Hospital argued in Court that the hospital had no duty to report complaints to institutions that employed Levine after he left Boston.

"There is simply no duty under Massachusetts law between Children's Hospital and these North Carolina plaintiffs," said Gail Ryan, an attorney for the hospital.

The lawsuit, she continued, could set a bad precedent.

"We're talking about fundamental notions of the meaning of negligence," the Globe quoted Ryan as saying. "[The lawsuit] would open up this court to any out-of-state litigant who wanted to come back in here and file a suit against any former employer for potential acts of their former employees years down the road."

But Mark Itzkowitz, an attorney for the North Carolina plaintiffs, told the Globe that the hospital had received complaints about the doctor as early as 1967, and should have suspected that potential abuses could occur at other hospitals.

"The public is reliant on the medical community to police its own physicians," Itzkowitz said.

Judge Merita Hopkins did not specify when she will make a decision on whether the suit can go forward.

January 16, 2012

N.E. Conservatory Say They Have No Complaints About Peter Benjamin

The Boston Globe reports that New England Conservatory officials said they have received no complaints from students or alumni about a convicted sex offender hired by renowned conductor Benjamin Zander to make videos over the past decade.

Karen Schwartzman, a spokeswoman for the conservatory, would not confirm that Zander had been fired, but she said in a phone interview that his departure was warranted.
Zander believed Peter Benjamin was remorseful and determined to turn his life around.

Zander was one of numerous faculty members who used the services of Peter E. Benjamin, 68, but he was the only one to admit knowledge of the videographer's crimes. Zander has said he was fired after refusing to resign.

"His decision showed poor judgment,'' Schwartzman said. "The conservatory had no choice but to take the action it took.''

Benjamin spent five years in prison during the 1990s after pleading guilty to charges of rape and sex abuse. His case included allegations that he secretly videotaped himself having sex with three teenage boys.

Zander, 72, the revered conductor of the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and faculty member for the past 45 years, left a deep imprint on the thousands of students he inspired with rousing talks and exacting standards over more than four decades at the New England Conservatory, leaving many dismayed that he left on such a discordant note.

Schwartzman acknowledged during the weekend that the institution did not follow its own policies to protect children. She said that in November 2010 the school began screening its vendors for criminal backgrounds, not just staff and volunteers, which they had previously done to comply with state law. They did not check Benjamin's background, however.

Last week, school officials sent e-mails to some 6,500 current and former students and their families, explaining that they learned in mid-December that a videographer on campus was a convicted sex offender.

During the weekend, Zander sent a letter to his youth orchestra telling them he preferred to stay in a job he adored. He told them he knew Benjamin's crimes were of a "sexual nature,'' but he said he did not know details.

New England Conservatory officials yesterday said they have received no complaints from students or alumni about a convicted sex offender hired by renowned conductor Benjamin Zander to make videos over the past decade, and they defended the decision to cut ties with him last week.

Karen Schwartzman, a spokeswoman for the conservatory, would not confirm that Zander had been fired, but she said in a phone interview that his departure was warranted.
Zander believed Peter Benjamin (above) was profoundly remorseful and determined to turn his life around.

WBZTV

Zander believed Peter Benjamin (above) was profoundly remorseful and determined to turn his life around.

"There might be some who think that certain people in an organization can be held to a different standard, because of their prominence or because of the number of years they have been affiliated or because of their role or because of the degree to which they are revered,'' Schwartzman said. "But when an institution is presented with information that a senior faculty member has made a decision without consulting anyone else about bringing a sex offender on a campus that serves children, the organization has no choice but to take strong disciplinary measures.''

Zander was one of numerous faculty members who used the services of Peter E. Benjamin, 68, but he was the only one to admit knowledge of the videographer's crimes. Zander has said he was fired after refusing to resign.

"His decision showed poor judgment,'' Schwartzman said. "The conservatory had no choice but to take the action it took.''

Benjamin spent five years in prison during the 1990s after pleading guilty to charges of rape and sex abuse. His case included allegations that he secretly videotaped himself having sex with three teenage boys.

Zander, 72, the revered conductor of the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and faculty member for the past 45 years, left a deep imprint on the thousands of students he inspired with rousing talks and exacting standards over more than four decades at the New England Conservatory, leaving many dismayed that he left on such a discordant note.

But in interviews on and off campus yesterday, students and their parents had mixed feelings about Zander's departure.

"Sometimes he does things that annoy people, but like a lot of students, I think [Zander] is a very, very, very great person,'' said Rafael Horowitz Friedman, 19, a freshman oboist. "I can see why the administration thought he used poor judgment. But is this the way to treat someone who had such a huge impact for so many years?''

While dropping his son off at the school, Bill McShane said he thought the administration responded in a "knee-jerk fashion.''

"You get the sense that the administration was reacting to national concerns,'' he said. "At the very least, I think Zander had the responsibility to inform the conservatory that he was employing a sex offender. But I still don't think I would have fired someone who has been there for so long and done so much good.''

"It seems unfair to me,'' said his son, Billy McShane, 19, a sophomore.

Others said the school, which could be held legally accountable for any crimes committed on campus, had no choice.

"Zander has been really great for the conservatory, and I think he's a fantastic musician,'' said Vani Jagannathan of Southborough, who has a son and daughter in the conservatory's youth program. "As a parent, my first obligation is to my child. If the university administration thinks they made the right decision, I support them.''

Schwartzman acknowledged during the weekend that the institution did not follow its own policies to protect children. She said that in November 2010 the school began screening its vendors for criminal backgrounds, not just staff and volunteers, which they had previously done to comply with state law. They did not check Benjamin's background, however.

Last week, school officials sent e-mails to some 6,500 current and former students and their families, explaining that they learned in mid-December that a videographer on campus was a convicted sex offender.

During the weekend, Zander sent a letter to his youth orchestra telling them he preferred to stay in a job he adored. He told them he knew Benjamin's crimes were of a "sexual nature,'' but he said he did not know details.

He also told students he thought his removal had been influenced by other events, including previous disagreements with conservatory president Tony Woodcock.

"I felt it was the right thing at the time to give this man a chance,'' Zander wrote. "I deeply regret the upset I have brought to you all inadvertently as a result of the way this has all played out.''

December 20, 2011

Sex Abuse Allegations Surface in Waltham Schools

A former Waltham Public Schools student has filed a lawsuit alleging that a former Waltham High School principal failed to act on prior reports of sexual abuse by a teacher that could have prevented the teacher from abusing him.

Patch.com reports that former student and alleged victim, Michael Phillips Jr., in the lawsuit filed in Middlesex Superior Court on Dec. 16, claims that former Waltham High School Principal and School Committee member-elect John Graceffa failed to act on prior reports of sexual abuse against students by Robert Dacey a former drama teacher at John W. McDevitt Middle School, who died in 2007 while he was awaiting trial on sexual abuse charges.

Graceffa currently works as the dean of students at Arlington Catholic High School in Arlington, according to the Boston Globe.

Specifically, Phillips' attorney, Carmen Durso said that Graceffa had been informed three times in 2002 about prior acts of abuse by Dacey, but failed to take action about them.

Dacey allegedly abused Phillips, now 20, in 2005, while a student at McDevitt Middle School. Phillips, after being abused three times, reported it to police in August 2006, according to Durso.

Reached by Waltham Patch yesterday, Graceffa said he had "no idea" about the lawsuit and was shocked to learn about it from a reporter. When asked whether he planned to take his seat on the School Committee early next year, he said, "yes."

Specifically, the lawsuit claims Graceffa violated the state's law that mandates school officials report such incidents to police. The suit also claims the City of Waltham, also named as a defendant, violated Title IX, a federal law requiring schools to have procedures about notice, education and training for reporting sexual abuse.

"Waltham very likely has such procedures but they certainly were not followed in this case. If they had been, Michael ... probably would not have been abused," Durso said.

Dacey died in June 2007, reportedly from a heart attack, while awaiting trial on 17 felony charges of sexual intercourse with a child, assault with intent to rape, indecent assault and battery on child under the age of fourteen, indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14, indecent assault and battery on a child over the age of 14, enticement of a child and statutory rape of a child, according to the lawsuit. The charges stem from alleged abuse against three separate boys.

December 15, 2011

Accused Brookline rabbi backs off plea deal, seeks jury trial

The Boston Globe reported today that a plea deal to resolve sexual abuse charges stemming from the alleged molestations of three former students of Brookline's Maimonides School collapsed at the last minute when Rabbi Stanley Z. Levitt decided that he would not plead guilty to the charges and would instead take his case to a jury.

With Levitt's alleged victims prepared to read victim impact statements concerning allegations dating to the mid-1970s, Levitt's attorney declared that although an agreement for a guilty plea had been reached, Levitt had changed his mind, the Globe reported.

The turnabout prompted harsh criticism of Levitt and his attorney, Scott Curtis, from Suffolk Superior Court Judge Carol S. Ball, who pointed out that two of the alleged victims had traveled a considerable distance to Boston in anticipation of witnessing an admission of guilt by Levitt. "I would have hoped you or your client would have had the courtesy to let these people know before traveling to Boston,'' Ball said, speaking to Curtis. "It's like adding insult to injury.''

At another point during the hearing, Ball added that it was "the height of discourtesy'' for Curtis not to inform prosecutors of Levitt's change of heart in time to allow the alleged victims and family members to change their travel plans.

Levitt, asked outside the courtroom if he had been discourteous to his alleged victims with his last-minute change of heart, said, "The only victim here is me.''

Michael Brecher, one of the three former sixth-graders who has accused Levitt of abuse, said prosecutors told him that Levitt backed out of the plea agreement at the last minute after refusing to admit his guilt in open court.

"He couldn't do what I have wanted him to do all along, which is to take responsibility for his actions,'' Brecher said.

With a trial date set for May 14, Curtis said Levitt's defense will be based on the fact that the allegations lodged against him are more than 35 years old.

Continue reading "Accused Brookline rabbi backs off plea deal, seeks jury trial" »

December 13, 2011

Mass. child rape suspect arrested in New York City

Boston.com reports that a man wanted in Haverhill on a warrant accusing him of child rape has been arrested in New York City.

State police said 29-year-old Jose Alberto Gonzalez-Bonilla, also known as Jose B. Gonzalez, was traced to an address in Queens where New York City police found him hiding in a closet early Monday morning.

Haverhill police said he is accused of repeatedly raping an 11-year-old girl beginning in 2009.
State police said the Essex, Mass., district attorney's office will coordinate his return with New York authorities.

December 12, 2011

Former Red Sox Clubhouse Manager Accused of Assault Again

A former Boston Red Sox clubhouse manager, Donald Fitzpatrick, now deceased, is again the subject of Massachusetts sex crimes allegations, this time involving two former Boston Red Sox clubhouse attendants, who claim they were sexually assaulted by him in the early 1990's.

One of the victims alleges he was sexually assaulted in 1991 in the Boston Red Sox clubhouse restroom; the other victim alleges he was assaulted by Fitzpatrick when he was employed by the team as a clubhouse attendant.

Although Fitzpatrick passed away in 2005, the victims are still seeking compensation from the Boston Red Sox organization because he was employed by the team and the alleged assaults occurred on the team's property.

It has also been reported that 8 former clubhouse attendants had previously accused Fitzpatrick of sexual abuse. The Red Sox settled a lawsuit in 2003 with 7 men who alleged that they were molested during spring training sessions in the 1970's. In that case, the Boston Red Sox settled for $3.15 million. Additionally, in 2002, Fitzpatrick reportedly pled guilty to Sex Crimes Charges.

December 2, 2011

Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Crime, with tie to Massachusetts

A climbing coach at Earth Treks in Columbia, Maryland has pleaded guilty to having sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl, and another instructor at the facility is expected to enter a plea next week in a similar case.

Michael J. Lyons, a 31-year-old from Rockville who was the head coach of Earth Treks' competitive climbing team, pleaded guilty Wednesday, Nov. 30, in Howard County Circuit Court to one count of sexual abuse of a minor, as reported by the Baltimore Sun. The charge comes because he had temporary care, responsibility or supervision over the girl due to his role as her coach.

Prosecutors recommended Lyons be sentenced to 15 years in prison with all but eight years of that sentence suspended. Upon his release, he would be on probation for five years, could not have any contact with the victim, would have to register as a sex offender and would not be allowed to have any unsupervised contact with minors.

Meanwhile, Daniel Lloyd Montague, a 20-year-old from Fulton who was also a climbing coach at Earth Treks, has entered a plea agreement and is expected to appear in court on Dec. 6.

Lyons and Montague had gone through criminal background checks before being hired at the Earth Treks climbing gyms, according to owner Chris Warner. But within a two-week period this summer, each was arrested for allegedly having sexual contact with a girl on the company's competitive climbing team.

The victim in both cases is the same girl, who has since turned 15, according to court documents. The Columbia Flier does not identify victims of sex crimes.

Lyons was arrested in June at the company's Timonium location. He had also been charged with three counts of third-degree sex offenses and one count of sexual solicitation of a minor. He is being held at the Howard County Detention Center in Jessup.

Lyons was accused of having sexual contact between April and June 2011 with the girl, including having sexual intercourse with her in a closet at the Columbia gym during a team sleepover. Prosecutors said Wednesday he also had intercourse with the girl on a team trip to Massachusetts. Lyons admitted to having sex with her when police had the girl call him and say she was pregnant, even though she was not, according to prosecutors.

Lyons, who was also a coach for the U.S. national climbing team, had trained other coaches on proper relationships between coaches and athletes, Warner said.

Montague was arrested in July. He is facing four counts of committing an unnatural or perverted practice and four counts of fourth-degree sex offenses. He is out on bail.

November 28, 2011

Lorch escapes extradition to Mass. on sex abuse charges

Accused child molester Ernest Lorch, the founder of the prestigious Riverside Church (NY) basketball program, is not competent to be extradited to Massachusetts to stand trial for sexual abuse, a Westchester judge ruled in White Plains, as reported by the Daily News.

State Supreme Court Judge Albert Lorenzo made the ruling after prosecutor Carrie Russell of Massachusetts' Northwestern District Attorney's office said at an extradition hearing that she would not contest three experts' claims that Lorch suffers from dementia.

But Lorch is not off the hook in Massachusetts just yet. Lorenzo said he could review the case in three months. Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan said his office will review the case to determine if it should continue its efforts to bring Lorch to Massachusetts to stand trial.

"We want to look at the case and make sure his condition is permanent," Sullivan told the Daily News. "It is disheartening for an individual that we wanted to bring to justice to slip through the justice system because of his condition. We will make a decision in the next month."

Lorch, 79, was indicted by a western Massachusetts grand jury in October 2010 on attempted rape and indecent assault and battery of a person over 14 years old.

The indictment said Lorch assaulted the alleged victim sometime between March 1977 and April 1978 during a trip to Amherst for a basketball tournament. The indecent assault and battery charge was later dropped because it was not on the books until after the attack allegedly occurred.

Mitchell Garabedian, the victim's Boston attorney, said his client is "disappointed" that Lorch may not be prosecuted because of his failing health.

"He wanted the truth to come to light," Garabedian told the Daily News. "My client should be proud for coming forward and reporting sex abuse. By doing so, he made the world a safer place."

Garabedian said he is trying to determine if the ruling will permit him to proceed with a civil suit against Lorch and Riverside Church.

November 17, 2011

Massachusetts Lawmaker Seeks to Widen Sex Abuse Laws in Wake of Penn State

Following the scandal engulfing Penn State University, one Massachusetts lawmaker says he wants to widen laws governing who must report alleged sexual misconduct toward children.

Rep. Kevin Kuros, a Republican from Uxbridge, said he plans to introduce a measure to require state employees who witness or have knowledge of instances of sexual abuse to report it to law enforcement agencies, as reported by WCVB.

Kuros, a Penn State alumnus, was spurred to action by the alleged sexual abuse of eight young boys by former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. He says current Massachusetts law is similar to Pennsylvania law in that many categories of state employees are not mandated to report abuse under the mandated reporter laws.

According to published grand jury testimony, former head football coach Joe Paterno and ousted university President Graham Spanier both knew of the alleged abuse, but did not report it to police. Both men were relieved of their duties by Penn State's board of trustees after a meeting last Wednesday night.

Massachusetts law presently classifies mandatory reporters as including doctors, dentists, medical professionals, police officers, firefighters, social workers, teachers, those whose jobs require them to work with children, and members of clergy.

Read more: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/29734841/detail.html#ixzz1dzUZuneG

November 16, 2011

Cape Camp Pledges Improved Safety Following Abuse Scandal

The attorney for Camp Good News, the Christian summer camp in Sandwich that has been linked to allegations of past sexual abuse, told the Boston Globe that the 76-year-old facility is determined to provide as safe an environment as possible when the camp reopens this year.

"We have reflected on the allegations and the lessons learned and evaluated our abilities along with the mission of the camp," said Jon Fitch, the lawyer, as reported by the Globe.

The camp did not open this past summer after repeated allegations surfaced about sexual abuse, including one from US Senator Scott Brown, who wrote in his autobiography that he had been abused by a male counselor at an unnamed Cape Cod camp. Camp Good News later issued a written apology to Brown.

Fitch acknowledged that the camp mistakenly described itself as accredited by the American Camp Association on its website Monday, despite a decision by the association in April to revoke the accreditation after the allegations surfaced.

The camp has removed that accreditation claim from its website.

Camp officials also said in their website announcement, titled "The time has come to unlock the doors at Camp Good News," that they had revised their training for staff.

"I can't give you the specifics," said Fitch, who elaborated that the training has covered a wide range of safety precautions, including closer attention to the issue of sexual abuse of children.

"The allegations that caused us to pause all relate to some time ago," Fitch said. "The environment over the past few years has been as safe as could possibly be."

An investigation of sexual abuse allegations there dating to the 1970s, which have been lodged by more than a dozen people, is continuing by detectives assigned to the Cape & Islands District Attorney's office.

In April, a long-time counselor at the camp committed suicide on the grounds after a probe of the allegations began.

October 28, 2011

Judge Awards $3M In Priest Abuse Case

A Massachusetts judge on Friday awarded a total of $3 million to two child sex abuse victims of a former Franciscan priest who served prison time for child molestation in a separate case.

Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders entered the judgment against John Dority, awarding one victim $2 million and the other $1 million. Both were abused in Boston between 1965 and 1971, starting when they were ages 10 and 13.
Their attorney, Carmen Durso, said Sanders said that no amount of money could compensate either victim for their suffering.
Dority, 70, was convicted of child molestation in Rhode Island in 2005 and released from prison in 2007.

In interview in March, Dority told The Associated Press that he never answered the lawsuit because he couldn't afford an attorney and because the allegations are true.
"What I did was completely wrong. I admit that," Dority said. "I'm very sorry for the trouble I caused, the harm I caused."
Durso said he doesn't think Dority has the money to pay the judgments, but such cases aren't about money for most victims.
"They want someone to place a value on their life and what they've lost," he said.


October 20, 2011

Summary Judgment Granted to Au Pair Agency in Sex Abuse Case

Federal Court judge Denise Casper has entered summary judgment for Defendant Cultural Care in a case brought by plaintiff, on behalf of herself and her son, alleging gross negligence, fraud, fraudulent and deceptive business practices in violation of Massachusetts and Illinois law and intentional infliction of emotional distress after an au pair provided by the defendants allegedly sexually abused her son.

Casper ruled that with respect to the allegation of inadequate screening, [plaintiff Jane] Doe presents no evidence that Defendants did not properly screen [au pair Julian] Reyes or that through [defendant] Cultural Care's screening process, there was any indication that Reyes had any propensity for or had ever engaged in any abusive behavior.

"Doe also alleges Cultural Care failed to conduct a criminal background search. The record shows that this allegation is not true; Cultural Care conducted a background check which revealed that Reyes had no criminal record. ...

"... The failure to provide Doe with the other host family's information or failing to inform Doe that Reyes had been discharged by two prior host families simply does not demonstrate the requisite indifference or 'the want of even scant care' ... required to establish gross negligence. ...The same is true as to the Defendants' alleged failure to inform Doe that Reyes was a smoker or drinker prior to hiring him.

... Nor could a jury conclude that it was reasonably foreseeable -- i.e., that Defendants knew or should have known -- that John Doe would be abused as a result of Defendants' conduct and that Defendants were therefore grossly negligent in placing Reyes in, and not removing him earlier, from Doe's residence. ...

"... The amended complaint alleges that Defendants violated ch. 93A by 'engaging in a pattern and practice of inadequate screening, concealing problems with au pairs and making knowing or willful misrepresentations concerning the circumstances surrounding the separation of au pairs from prior host families,' ... but as explained above, Doe has failed to show that Defendants' conduct including the alleged misrepresentations or omissions caused the harm allegedly suffered by John Doe. Summary judgment is therefore granted in Defendants' favor as to Count V."

The case is Doe v. Cultural Care, Inc., et al. (Lawyers Weekly No. 02-294-11) (21 pages) (Casper, J.) (USDC) (Civil Action No. 10-11426-DJC) (Oct. 7, 2011).