By Dan Murphy
The Yonkers City Council, at their Nov. 28 meeting, approved the bonding of a total of $12 Million to pay for settlements related to the NY Child Survivors Act, and from a fatal car crash in 2015 that included a YPD pursuit.
One bond was for $10 Million to pay for “various settled claims,” the largest is for a high speed chase through downtown Yonkers on Nov. 23, 2015. A car driven by Charlene Stinson was struck by another vehicle, which was stolen and driving erratically. The Yonkers Police were in pursuit of the stolen vehicle when the stolen vehicle hit Stinson causing her death.
Despite the fact that the YPD was not directly involved in Stinson’s death, they can be brought into the civil case.
One of the settlements approved by the council was for $1.5 Million to the Estate of Charlene Stinson. And there may be more settlements coming arising from this accident.
A $2 Million Bond was also approved by the council to pay for “settled claims pursuant to the NY Child Victims Act.” Both the City of Yonkers and the Yonkers School District were named defendants in the following suits:
• John-Jane Doe-a $450,000 settlement for abuse at Emerson Middle School in the 1970’s
• Jose Quinones-$450,000 for abuse as a student at School 23 in 1980.
• Robert Nowak-$500,000 for abuse as a student at Emerson Middle School in the 1970’s
• John-Jane Doe-$600,000 for abuse as a student at Emerson Middle School in the 1970’s
November 29, 2023: The New York Adult Survivors Act window to file older sex abuse lawsuits has now closed. The law ed to a significant influx of over 3,700 lawsuits, as survivors of sexual abuse seized the opportunity to file civil claims, irrespective of when the abuse occurred.
The New York Adult Survivors Act (ASA) became law in Nov. 2022. The ASA eliminated the statute of limitations on all sex abuse civil lawsuits involving adult victims for one year. That window closed on Nov. 29, 2023.
Sex abuse can range from groping to forcible rape and must include both physical touching, and lack of consent. All of the acts involved teachers at Emerson Middle School and School 23, but teachers names were not provided.
City Councilwoman Corazon Pineda-Isaac explained, “while the public is not privy to executive session, our attorneys made it clear that this was the best decision and outcome for the city.”
Councilman John Rubbo said, “We heard some of the details of these cases, and the outcome could have been 10 times this number. Be assured that this body has done its due diligence.”
