Peacock vs. SCCC

This story is pretty funny because it's pretty much my boss, Alexander Rinaldi, versus my school, SCCC. (Be sure to read the last line of the story - typical of lawyers).

"SCCC named in sex suit; Student files civil lawsuit against former professor"

Posted Monday, February 4, 2002 by Webmaster

By John Brand, Herald Staff Writer

NEWTON — A civil lawsuit filed against Sussex County Community College and a former adjunct professor Friday alleges the professor sexually assaulted a student — as well as distributed medication and changed her grades — over a two-week period in 2001.

Biology professor Paul Slifer is accused of inappropriately touching and assaulting — verbally and sexually — Christine Peacock of Andover Township in front of her classmates between Jan. 18-31 of 2001.

Slifer sporadically taught classes at the college between the 1999 fall term and spring of 2001, said college president Bradley M. Gottfried. Gottfried said Slifer made $4,000 during the spring term.

The Sussex County Community College and former Dean of Student Services Dr. Andrew M. McKenzie also are listed as defendants.

Gottfried would not say if Peacock was still a student at the college.

According to the suit, Peacock has suffered severe emotional distress for which she will have to expend large sums of money to cure herself.

The lawsuit demands retribution for compensatory damages, punitive damages, cost of attorney’s fees plus interest and the cost of the lawsuit.

The 10-count lawsuit also accuses the college of negligently allowing one of its professors to assault a student.

“Defendants (SCCC) owed to the plaintiff the duty to use reasonable care, to maintain their (employees) in a professional manner, including . . . having their employees refrain from negligently inflicting undue emotional distress, physically, verbally and/or sexually assaulting, embarrassing or otherwise harassing the plaintiff . . . and/or altering any student’s grades and/or distributing any medications to students.”

Gottfried would not comment on the content of the lawsuit and said he hadn’t received official notice as of Friday afternoon. Gottfried said, however, that the lawsuit did not come as a surprise and added that Silfer was not a full-time employee of the college.

One count of the lawsuit accuses the Dean of Student Affairs, which at that time was McKenzie, who has since retired, of acting negligently in altering Peacock’s grades. It also adds that McKenzie should have known the grades were altered.

Peacock could not be reached for comment. Peacock’s attorney Alexander Rinaldi did not return calls.