Inmates’ Sexual Assault Claims Against Suffolk County Revived

Suffolk County, N.Y., must face civil rights claims by female former inmates alleging sexual abuse by one of the sheriffs at its Riverhead correctional facility, the Second Circuit said Tuesday.

The lower court improperly granted the county summary judgment because it incorrectly analyzed the evidence of county-sanctioned policy or custom, the appellate opinion by Judge Joseph F. Bianco said.

When viewed appropriately, the evidence showed Sheriff Joseph Foti’s sexual exploitation of the female inmates was persistent and widespread, and “was executed in manner that would have been difficult to conceal from supervisory personnel,” the court said.

There were complaints about ...