Fearing v. Bucher

This case arises out of allegations by plaintiff that, as a minor, he was sexually abused by his priest in the early 1970s. The case presents two issues. The first concerns whether the doctrine of respondeat superior, pursuant to which an employer can be held vicariously liable for the acts of its employee, can be applied to a case involving an employee’s sexual abuse of a child. The second concerns the applicability of an extended statute of limitations for actions “based on conduct that constitutes child abuse” to an employer, where liability is based on respondeat superior.

Defendant…