Opinion ID: 1857261
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Claims Against Sacred Heart Church and Catholic Social Services.

Text: Plaintiff's claims against Sacred Heart Church and Catholic Social Services are based on (1) respondeat superior involving the acts of Kottas, Darr, and Taylor; and (2) the alleged failures of these entities as the employers of Kottas, Darr, and Taylor to (a) establish procedures for reporting child abuse, and (b) properly train their employees in the detection of child abuse. The respondeat superior claims against these two defendants fail for the same reasons that the claims against Kottas, Darr, and Taylor failed. With respect to the claims alleging failure to provide adequate training to Kottas, Darr, and Taylor and failure to provide adequate procedures for the reporting of child abuse, we must consider both the statutory and common-law bases for such claims. With respect to a statutory basis, all entities that employ mandatory reporters must provide those employees with two hours of training in child abuse detection and reporting within six months of initial employment and an additional two hours of training every five years. Iowa Code § 232.69(3). The record reflects that Darr and Taylor had received that training. Father Kottas was not a mandatory reporter and thus his employer would not be subject to this statute. Plaintiff's common-law contentions are embraced by the Restatement principle stated below: A person conducting an activity through servants or other agents is subject to liability from harm resulting from his conduct if he is negligent or reckless: (a) in giving improper or ambiguous orders or in failing to make proper regulations; or (b) in the employment of improper persons or instrumentalities in work involving risk of harm to others; or (c) in the supervision of the activity; or (d) in permitting, or failing to prevent, negligent or tortious conduct by persons, whether or not they are servants or agents, upon premises or within instrumentalities under his control. Restatement (Second) of Agency § 213 (1958). This Restatement rule is accompanied by the following comment: Liability results under the rules stated in this Section not because of the relation of the parties, but because the employer antecedently had reason to believe that an undue risk of harm would exist because of the employment. The employer is subject to liability only for such harm as is within the risk. If, therefore, the risk exists because of the quality of the employee, there is liability only to the extent that the harm is caused by the quality of the employee which the employer had reason to suppose would be likely to cause harm. Id. cmt. d. We adopt this as a proper standard for civil claims based on a failure to train employees. When Father Kottas, Kimary Darr, and Ellen Taylor were selected by their respective employers, they were each college trained and professionally licensed in their respective fields. There is nothing in the record, as limited by discovery, that would permit a finding that defendants antecedently had reason to believe that these individuals were not properly trained in the requirements of their professional undertakings or, in particular, that there was any risk associated with the manner in which they would perceive situations involving child abuse. There is thus no liability on defendants' part for a failure to train these persons or to adopt special procedures dealing with the unperceived risk. We have considered all issues presented and conclude that the judgment of the district court should be affirmed. AFFIRMED.