Court Opinion

ID: 9956751
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-02 20:08:04.42666+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:17:50.568898
License: Public Domain

Arrington v State of New York
               2011 NY Slip Op 34347(U)
                     May 24, 2011
                    Court of Claims
           Docket Number: Claim No. 118554
                Judge: W. Brooks DeBow
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    ARRINGTON v. THE STATE OF NEW YORK,# 2011-038-531, Claim No. 118554, Motion No. M-78862

    Synopsis
    Claim for personal injury alleging negligence by charter school and entity that operated an after-school program
    dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. Court of Claims' jurisdiction is limited to claims against the State, and neither
    of these entities is one for which the State may bear liability.

    Case information
        UID:              2011-038-531
                          BRYANNA ARRINGTON, an infant by her Mother and Natural Guardian, VANESSA
        Claimant(s):
                          ARRINGTON, and VANESSA ARRINGTON, individually
        Claimant short
                             ARRINGTON
        name:
        Footnote (claimant
        name):
        Defendant(s):        THE STATE OF NEW YORK
        Footnote (defendant
        name):
        Third-party
        claimant( s):
        Third-party
        defendant(s):
        Claim number(s):     118554
        Motion number(s): M-78862
        Cross-motion
        number(s):
        Judge:               W. BROOKS DeBOW
        Claimant's attorney: H. BRUCE FISCHER, Esq.
        Defendant's          ERIC T. SCHNEIDERMAN, Attorney General of the State of New York
        attorney:            By: Gwendolyn Hatcher, Assistant Attorney General
        Third-party
        defendant's
        attorney:
        Signature date:      May 24, 2011
        City:                Albany
        Comments:
        Official citation:
        Appellate results:
        See also
        (multicaptioned
        case)

    Decision
    This claim alleges that the infant claimant was injured while attending an after school program operated by Oasis
    Children's Services, LLC at the Girls Prep Charter School in New York City. The claim alleges that the infant
    claimant was injured when a table with chairs upon it collapsed and claimant's head was struck by a falling chair,
    and that claimant's injuries were caused by the negligence of defendant, "its teachers, agents and/or employees"
    (Claim, ,i 6). Specifically, the claim alleges that defendant was negligent in its "ownership, operation,
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    management, maintenance control and supervision of the ... Girls Prep Charter School" and in failing to
    properly train, supervise and hire competent personnel, and to properly maintain and repair the table (id., ,r 7).
    Defendant moves to dismiss the claim for lack of jurisdiction. Claimant opposes the motion, contending that
    defendant has failed to submit sufficient evidence in support of its contentions.

    The jurisdiction of the Court of Claims is limited to claims against the State of New York, its employees, and
    other entities not relevant to this claim (see Court of Claims Act § 9). With respect to the State's alleged liability
    for the negligence of Girls Prep Charter School, Education Law § 2853 (1) (b) and ( c) provide that charter
    schools are independent and autonomous public schools operated as not-for-profit corporations, and they are not
    agencies or subdivisions of the State (see RobaY.O v State of New York and Our Neighborhood Charter School,
    UID #2007-028-537, Claim No. 113082, Motion No. M-72708, Sise, J. [Ct Cl Mar. 30, 2007]). Accordingly,
    claims for personal injuries that accrued at a charter school are not within the jurisdiction of the Court of Claims
    (see id.; Holmes v Promise AcademY. Charter School, Harlem Children's Zone, Inc.-Charter Schools Institute
    State UniversitY. of New York, UID #2008-016-064, Claim No. 115140, Motion No. M-75152, Marin, J. [Nov.
    18, 2008]; see also, Valerio v The Board of Trustees of the State UniversitY. of New York, UID # 2010-016-028,
    Claim No. None, Motion No. M-77776, Marin, J. [May 6, 2010]). Further, inasmuch as "the State is not
    responsible for either the [charter] school or maintenance of its premises" (Holmes, su12ra) as a matter of law,
    defendant does not bear the burden of supporting its motion to dismiss with admissible evidence demonstrating
    that it did not operate, manage, maintain or control the charter school, contrary to claimant's contention that the
    motion should be denied in the absence of such evidence (see Affirmation of H. Bruce Fischer). Moreover,
    because State law generally provides that a charter school is not an agency or subdivision of the State, claimant's
    proof that the State University of New York was the "authorizer" of the charter school is unavailing, as such
    proof does not demonstrate the State actually operated, managed, maintained or controlled Girls Prep Charter
    School.

    With regard to Oasis Children's Services, the claim itself identifies Oasis as an "LLC," or limited liability
    corporation, a status which is confim1ed by defendant's submission of a printout from the New York State
    Department of State (see Hatcher Affirmation, Exhibit C), the admissibility of which is not challenged by
    claimant. The Court of Claims does not have jurisdiction over claims that seek to impose liability on the State for
    the acts of the employees of private entities(~ Court of Claims Act§ 9; Maldonado v State of New York, UID
    # 2006- 030-517, Claim No. 111085, Motion No. M-70935, Scuccimarra, J. [Feb. 22, 2006]).

    Based on the forgoing, the claim fails to state a cause of action against the State of New York. Accordingly, it is

    ORDERED, that Motion Mo. M-78862 is GRANTED and Claim No. 118554 is DISMISSED in its entirety.

    May 24, 2011

    Albany, New York

    W. BROOKS D eBOW

    Judge of the Court of Claims

    Pa12ers Considered:

    (1) Claim No. 118554, filed June 21, 2010;

    (2) Verified Answer, filed July 21, 2010;

    (3) Notice of Motion, dated September 29, 2010;

    (4) Affirmation in Support of Gwendolyn Hatcher, AAG, dated September 29, 2010,

    with Exhibits A-C;

    (5) Affi1mation in Opposition of H. Bruce Fischer, Esq. dated October 12, 2010, with Exhibit A.

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