Corporate and Institutional Liability for Sexual Assaults and Sexual Abuse

In November 2018, law enforcement officials arrested the boys’ soccer coach at Somerset Academy’s Pembroke Pines School. They charged the 38-year-old coach, who previously provided private lessons at other schools, with sending messages of a “sexual” and “inappropriate” nature to a minor. The coach also sent nude photos to the female student. She informed another coach who notified police. The coach was charged with solicitation, transmission of harmful material to a minor, unlawful use of a computer, and promoting sexual performance of a child.

This incident, reported by several media sources, demonstrates the crucial need for stiff penalties against institutions that fail to take reasonable steps to provide a safe environment, fail to properly screen and supervise employees, and that turn the other way when someone makes allegations.

Schools, day care centers, recreation centers, places of worship, camps, and other institutions charged with care of children are supposed to be safe, nurturing places where parents trust they can leave their children without worry. When allegations are made, negligent entities are as guilty as the pedophiles and abusers.

Information from the American Psychological Association shows that an estimated 60 percent of child sexual abuse perpetrators are known to the child but are not family members. They are babysitters, teachers or other educators, coaches, recreation facility employees, trusted members of the church, or neighbors.

The only effective way to stop this abuse is through strong disincentives for complacency and through the deterrent effect and economic consequences of the civil justice system. Attorney John Leighton, founding partner of Leighton Panoff Law, has a long history of representing victims of sexual abuse and sexual assault. The civil system helps bring these cases to light and provides opportunity to implement deterrence to stop what has become multi-generational institutional abuse.

Instances of corporate and institutional negligent security potentially contribute to sexual assaults, robberies, attacks and other serious crimes. Mr. Leighton has considerable expertise in the field of negligent security. Recognized as one of the best negligent security lawyers in Florida, his peers often hire him to help with their cases.

These types of cases demand highly skilled and sensitive attorneys like Mr. Leighton, who has won numerous verdicts and settlements including a $49.3 million judgment against a geometry teacher who sent lewd texts and had sex with a minor student. Mr. Leighton has successfully represented victims in numerous negligent security and violent crimes cases, with many verdicts and settlements reaching into the millions of dollars.