Schools can face suits over sex abuse claims, NJ Supreme Court rules

The court found a 2019 law stripped schools' civil immunity from lawsuits over sexual abuses committed by their teachers.

By: Nikita Biryukov

Outlets: New Jersey Monitor

Published: March 11, 2026

Words: 719

Last Updated: 4 months, 3 weeks ago

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New Jersey schools can face legal repercussions for sexual abuses committed by their workers even if the sexual misconduct took place off school grounds and outside of school-related events, New Jersey’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

The 6-1 decision creates a new standard for examining whether schools have what’s known as vicarious liability and can face lawsuits for their role in allowing or failing to stop abuses. To be vulnerable, a school must …

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