ENEWSLETTER: February 2016

The Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington

Civil Rights and Personal Injury and General Practice Law Firm, Dedicated to Social Justice

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The Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington is a well-respected litigation firm with an office in Hempstead, Long Island. Our focus is primarily in the area of civil rights, voting rights, employment discrimination, police misconduct, personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death and criminal law. However, the Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington is a full- service law firm handling matters in numerous areas of law and providing a wide range of services from contract formation to litigation and trial practice.

RECENT VERDICTS AND SETTLEMENTS
$7.75 million- Civil Rights and wrongful death action brought by the family of deceased

$4.7 million- Repeated verbal and physical assaults on Yemeni-American employee, while supervisor failed to protect employee and discipline the assailant

$1.277 million- Race based attack and serious injury by violent acts against Plaintiffs, who were lured to an isolated warehouse

$2.8 million- Wrongful death, products liability case involving a tow motor accident at a sewage treatment plant



Parents of African-American High School Student Files Federal Lawsuit Against School, Citing Failure to Protect Their Child From Bullying and Harassment

The family of a teenager has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Valley Stream Central High School District, also naming other parties involved, claiming that high school officials failed to prevent the brutal attack by a Caucasian student, which they believe was racially motivated. The action is pursuing compensatory damages, punitive damages, and monetary relief.

On January 16, 2014, Zion Guzman-Milton, a fourteen-year-old African-American student at Valley Stream South High School, went to get a book out of his locker when an older, unfamiliar Caucasian student approached him and allegedly taunted him with racial epithets like "Afrojack." As Mr. Guzman-Milton walked into the stairwell to get away, the student allegedly punched Mr. Guzman-Milton in the head, rendering him unconscious. According to Mr. Guzman-Milton, the last thing he remembered was waking up in the nurse’s office.

According to Chris Milton, Mr. Guzman-Milton's father, and his wife, they were originally told that his son had been found in a bathroom and school officials were not sure what had happened. Despite the fact that their son was in obvious severe pain, the school did not call for medical help or report the incident to the authorities per school policy, so upon their arrival, Mr. Guzman-Milton's parents requested an ambulance. According to Mr. Milton, when two Nassau County police officers arrived with the ambulance, the principal was furious with him for calling for emergency help. In retaliation for seeking medical help for their son, the complaint alleges the principal would no longer speak with Mr. Milton and his wife.

Mr. Guzman-Milton was hospitalized for four days with hemorrhaging and a skull fracture. It took 32 stitches to close up his head after doctors performed emergency surgery to ease swelling on his brain.

The Complaint goes on to allege that the school and the parents of the Caucasian student-aggressor were aware of his violent propensity and past history of bullying, taunting, and harassing behavior. The case also asserts that defendants did not use reasonable care, despite the known violent history and propensity of the Caucasian student, in disciplining and preventing further aggression. Additionally, the court will address the implication that school security policies and procedures were violated because there were no security guards, hall monitors, or other employees present throughout the areas where the attack occurred.

Despite the brutality of the attack, the student-aggressor was back at school within weeks. He later pled guilty to a misdemeanor and his record was sealed. Frederick K. Brewington and Gregory Calliste, Jr. who are working on the case for Mr. Guzman-Milton and his family, said that once Mr. Guzman-Milton returned to school after the incident, he was threatened and harassed by the attacker’s friends and, in response, school officials have done little to deal with these ongoing safety issues. The matter is currently in the middle of discovery and is expected to be ready for trial in the middle of this year.


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