Court Rejects Move to Throw Out Civil Case of Alleged Serial Sexual Abuser
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A civil suit brought by multiple petitioners under the Child Victims Act against the Village of Mount Kisco and the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester can move forward, the state Supreme Court recently ruled.
The court turned down a request for summary judgment and dismissal against the village and club that involves accusations against James Collins, 67, who is alleged to have engaged in serial sexual abuse of countless underage starting in the 1970s.
In 2021, there had been 17 defendants who brought the litigation against the village, the Boys & Girls Club and the Chappaqua School District, where Collins had been employed at various times.
In a 10-page opinion dated May 8, the court rejected arguments that the village and club had no reason to know of Collins’ propensity to engage in sexual misconduct with children before allegedly abusing the plaintiffs.
The court denied claims that some of Collins’ behavior did not fall within any crimes enumerated under the Child Victims Act.
The court also denied the Boys & Girls Club’s arguments that Collins’ alleged abuse did not occur on their property, which would have relieved them of liability for his actions.
Pending lawsuits contend that the alleged acts of sexual abuse by Collins were witnessed by adult employees of the village, club and school district who failed to take action to stop him or report his activity to police.
The court’s ruling on the matter referred to the testimony of a lifeguard who saw Collins reach inside a boy’s bathing suit in the village pool. The lifeguard reported it to her supervisor.
She further testified that about two days later she told her supervisor what she saw and was admonished and told to “mind (her) own business.”
Additionally, the lifeguard’s testimony described that Collins would regularly spend time with male children after camp or sports activity hours ended and allowed them inside his personal vehicle.
“I am grateful to the Court for allowing me and other victims of Jimmy Collins to continue our journey to justice,” Greg Ardanowski said in a statement, one of the petitioners in the civil suit. “Collins started abusing me when I was 13 years old and has been alleged to have sexually abused children for nearly five decades. He would never have met many of these children if the Village of Mount Kisco and the Boys & Girls Club had not employed him, given him access to kids and ignored many red flags. All of them will now be held accountable in court.”
In the past six or seven months, Collins, the former owner of Jimmy’s bar in Katonah, has been arrested twice for more recent alleged offenses.
Last Nov. 7, New Castle police arrested and charged Collins with one act of third-degree criminal sex act, a Class E felony, for having relations with a teenage boy.
In January, he was charged by the U.S. Department of Justice on one count of attempting to entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. If found guilty, Collins could face life in prison on that charge as well as up to 30 years if found guilty of another count, sexual exploitation of a minor.
He is currently incarcerated in a federal penitentiary.
One of the attorneys for the group of alleged victims said the case will move forward.
“A jury will now be allowed to hear the evidence and not only hold Collins accountable, but also his enablers, the Village of Mount Kisco and the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester,” said attorney Saul Wolf.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
