Charlotte Robinson, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Frank Vivirito, Frankie Keller, Buena Regional School District Board of…

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey held that a school principal owes no duty of care to a passer‑by who uses school grounds after hours and is injured by a stray dog that the school does not own or control. The Court reversed the Appellate Division’s decision and reinstated the trial court’s summary‑judgment ruling in favor of the school defendants. The decision rests on the lack of ownership, control, and authority over the dog, and on public‑policy limits to the principal’s temporal and physical responsibilities. The Court also affirmed that the Tort Claims Act does not impose liability in these circumstances.