A Brooklyn plaintiff filed suit against the New York City Department of Education under New York's Child Victims Act, alleging sexual abuse by a former public school music teacher and negligent supervision by the school system [1]. The Child Victims Act, enacted in 2019, created a revival window allowing survivors to bring claims that had previously been time-barred, and the case proceeded to trial in Kings County Supreme Court [1].
The jury returned an $18 million compensatory verdict in favor of the plaintiff on June 12, 2026 [1]. Testimony during trial included an account from an 89-year-old former Brooklyn resident who witnessed events relevant to the abuse claims [1]. The case drew attention as the first CVA claim against a New York City public school to reach a jury verdict, a distinction that separates it from the wave of CVA settlements and bench proceedings that have preceded it [1].
The $18 million award is entirely compensatory; the jury did not return a punitive damages component [1]. The New York City Department of Education, as a municipal agency, is subject to indemnification and judgment procedures under New York law, meaning the city would satisfy any judgment rather than the individual school or its former employee.
No immediate appeal posture or post-trial motion schedule is reported in the available sources. Given the precedential character of the verdict as the first CVA jury verdict against a city public school, post-trial motions challenging the damages award or liability findings are a procedural possibility, though no filing has been confirmed [1].