Ferraro v. North Babylon Union Free School District

**What Happened** This case involved a workplace injury at a school where an employee was hurt by a heavy, self-closing door. The injured worker (Ferraro) sued both the North Babylon School District and Western Suffolk BOCES (a regional education cooperative), claiming they failed to properly supervise a developmentally delayed child who was operating the door when the accident occurred. **What the Court Decided** The court reached different conclusions for each employer. It ruled that the school district was not responsible because it had contracted out its special education services to BOCES, meaning the district had no control over day-to-day supervision in that area. However, the court found that BOCES could be held liable, determining there was enough evidence to suggest BOCES may have been negligent in allowing an unsupervised child with severe developmental delays to operate a heavy door. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling shows that when employers contract out services, the contracting company (BOCES) may still be responsible for maintaining safe working conditions for all employees in the workplace. Workers should understand that even in complex employment arrangements involving multiple organizations, someone must still be held accountable for workplace safety.