NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - An anonymous Florida resident has filed suit against New York City-based youth development nonprofit Police Athletic Lead for alleged sexual assault when the plaintiff was a child, according to court documents filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York.
The Feb. 8 suit states that the plaintiff was a victim of sexual battery by PAL martial arts instructor Ronald Schwartz, who operated a martial arts program in the Canarsie Brooklyn neighborhood.
The plaintiff was a participant in the PAL martial arts program facilitated by Schwartz from 1975-76, at the ages of 16 and 17 years old. The suit alleges that Schwartz, who had unlimited and unsupervised access to children during his martial arts programs, would give the plaintiff "injury massages" in which Schwartz would touch the plaintiff's genitals with his hand.
Allegedly, he would also appear naked in front of the plaintiff and would masturbate in front of the plaintiff.
The suit also states that the plaintiff was assaulted by Schwartz again when he performed oral sex on the plaintiff when he or she was unconscious. It says that, despite "clear indications of danger," PAL took no action to investigate Schwartz or his suitability to work with children.
Schwartz's superior at the time, Fred Gilstein, was convicted of sexual abuse of a child under the age of 13.
The anonymous plaintiff is suing PAL for one count of negligence and one count of negligent hiring, retention and supervision; the damages sought exceed the jurisdictional limits of lower courts.
The suit was filed by Noaker Law Firm, LLC, of St. Louis Park, MN.