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26 ¦ NOVEMBER 23, 2020 VERDICTS & SETTLEMENTS

Arguing Deliberate Indifference
In Case Against University

By Robert Storace

Central Connecticut State University. Photo: Sage Ross
Plaintiffs attorney Maria Garcia-Quintner was sity was allegedly lax in tackling sex harassment and
able to settle a claim of sexual harassment for assault claims against its faculty.
$225,000 against Central Connecticut State One of the major factors in Emigh’s lawsuit against
University and former theater professor Thomas the university and her former professor was that the
Delventhal in using Freedom of Information Com- university did nothing or next to nothing to stop the
mission records of past sexual harassment and alleged harassment.
assault claims against the university. “One of my main strategies was to request,
Garcia-Quintner, a Westport solo practitioner, through FOIA, records related to CCSU’s knowledge
knew the New Britain-based university had claims of sexual assault and/or harassment by members of
of misconduct leveled against it from several other the theater department and other departments go-
students dating back years. ing back a pretty long time,” Garcia-Quintner said
So, Garcia-Quintner—who represented former Monday.
theater major Brooke Emigh—knew she might have Garcia-Quintner continued: “Even before the case
an edge in negotiating on behalf of her client, if she was filed, we were pursuing FOIA requests. I got a lot
solicited the FOIC complaints to show the univer- of documentation [through the requests] about the

CONNECTICUT
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