Ferguson v. City of New York
The plaintiff, a school social worker, alleged personal injuries sustained from a collision with kindergarten students in a school hallway. She sued the New York City Department of Education and the City of New York for negligent supervision. The Supreme Court granted summary judgment to the defendants, ruling that a school district is not liable for negligent supervision in the absence of a special duty to the injured party. The appellate court affirmed this decision, reiterating that the special duty doctrine primarily applies to students, not adult school personnel, and that the defendants owed no such duty to the plaintiff in this instance.