Herman Law is proud to announce a landmark victory in Suffolk County, New York, handed down on November 1, 2024, where a jury awarded $25 million to our client, a former Bay Shore Union Free School District student. Our client, identified as P.L., alleged sexual abuse by his third-grade teacher, Thomas Bernagozzi, while he was a third-grader at Bay Shore Union Free School District.
During the trial, evidence revealed that Bay Shore Union Free School District officials received multiple complaints about Bernagozzi’s inappropriate and abusive behavior from both parents and students for years before P.L. was placed in Bernagozzi’s class and sexually abused. The jury also heard Plaintiff P.L.’s testimony regarding the lasting emotional toll of Bernagozzi’s sexual abuse, describing how it has negatively impacted his mental health, personal relationships, and daily life.
This record-setting verdict is the largest amount awarded under New York’s Child Victims Act against a school district to date.
Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes.