New Torts Case re protecting students from sexual assault, November 2021

Below is a free sample of a new case summary from the newly published issue of my publication California Case Summaries Monthly™, with summaries of the 32 new California civil and family law cases published in November of 2021.

California Courts of Appeal

Torts

Doe v. Lawndale Elementary School Dist. (2021) _ Cal.App.5th _ , 2021 WL 5578329: The Court of Appeal reversed in part, and affirmed in part, the trial court’s order granting defendants’ motion for summary judgment in an action for sexual assault of a minor student by a music teacher. The Court of Appeal concluded that school administrators have a duty to protect students from sexual abuse by school employees, even if the school does not have actual knowledge of a particular employee’s history of committing, or propensity to commit, such abuse. Therefore, it reversed the trial court’s order granting summary adjudication on plaintiff’s negligence causes of action. Plaintiff also sued for breach of the mandatory duty to report suspected abuse under the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA; Penal Code, section 11164 et seq.). As a matter of first impression, the Court of Appeal held that a plaintiff bringing a cause of action for breach of the mandatory duty to report suspected abuse under CANRA must prove it was objectively reasonable for a mandated reporter to suspect abuse based on the facts the reporter actually knew, not based on facts the reporter reasonably should have discovered. Because plaintiff did not create a triable issue of material fact regarding whether any of defendant school district’s employees knew of facts from which a reasonable person in a like position could suspect abuse, it affirmed the trial court’s order granting summary adjudication as to the CANRA cause of action. (C.A. 2nd, November 30, 2021.) 

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I help attorneys and their clients by serving as a mediator, arbitrator and referee with ADR Services, Inc. Keeping up with the new civil case law in California helps me serve well. I offer Zoom services throughout California and also in-person services. I've been a California civil trial lawyer since 1980, a member of ABOTA since 1995. Over the years I've represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of cases including business, commercial, employment, insurance bad faith, land use, medical malpractice, personal injury, real property and wrongful death actions. If you'd like to work with me, please contact my case manager at ADR services, Haward Cho,  [email protected], (619) 233-1323.  

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California Case Summaries™

I offer monthly, quarterly and annual (including annual practice area) California civil case summary subscriptions to help California Lawyers look smart, save time and money, get better results, and grow their law practices. Here are the subscription options:

California Case Summaries Monthly™:  short summaries (one paragraph), organized by legal topic, of every new civil and family law case published each month by California courts for only $50 per attorney per month. To subscribe, click here.

California Case Summaries Quarterly™: short, organized summaries of every new civil and family law case published each quarter, with the official case citations, for only $200 per attorney per quarter. To subscribe, click here.

California Case Summaries Annual™: In January 2022 we will publish California Case Summaries Annual 2021™ with our short, organized summaries of every new civil and family law case published in 2021 for only $900 per attorney per year. To subscribe, click here.

Annual Practice Area Case Summaries. In January 2022, we will also publish our Annual Practice Area case summaries for the practice area of Employment, Family Law, Real Property and Torts. They cost only $350 per year per attorney. To subscribe select the area below:
-Employment: to subscribe, click here.
-Family Law: to subscribe, click here.
-Real Property: to subscribe, click here.
-Torts: to subscribe, click here.

Monty A. McIntyre, Esq.
Mediator, Arbitrator & Referee
Lawyer Master Mentoring™
California Case Summaries™
CA Civil Trial Attorney Since 1980
ABOTA Member Since 1995
Past President San Diego County Bar Assn., SD ABOTA Chapter
Phone: (619) 990-4312. Email: [email protected]