Court rejects decision to dismiss civil case involving alleged serial sex offender

A civil action brought by several petitioners under the Child Victims Act against the Village of Mount Kisco and the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester can move forward, the state Supreme Court recently ruled.

The court denied a request for summary judgment and dismissal against the village and club that involves charges against James Collins, 67, who allegedly committed serial sexual abuse of countless minors beginning in the 1970s.

In 2021, 17 defendants filed a lawsuit against the village, the Boys & Girls Club and the Chappaqua School District, where Collins had worked at various times.

In a 10-page opinion dated May 8, the court rejected arguments that the village and club had no reason to know of Collins' propensity to engage in sexual misconduct with children before allegedly abused the plaintiffs.

The court denied claims that some of Collins' behaviors did not fall under any of the crimes listed in the Child Victims Act.

The court also rejected the Boys & Girls Club's arguments that Collins' alleged abuse did not take place on their property, which would have absolved them of liability for his actions.

The current lawsuits allege that Collins' alleged acts of sexual abuse were witnessed by adult employees of the village, club and school district who failed to take action to stop him or report his activity to the police.

The court's ruling on the issue referenced testimony from a lifeguard who saw Collins rummaging through a boy's swimsuit at the village swimming pool. The lifeguard reported it to her supervisor.

She further testified that approximately two days later, she told her supervisor what she had seen and was told to “mind her own business.”

Additionally, the rescuer's testimony described that Collins regularly spent time with male children after camp hours or sports activities ended and let them ride in his personal vehicle.

“I am grateful to the Court for allowing us and the other victims of Jimmy Collins to continue our path to justice,” Greg Ardanowski, one of the plaintiffs in the civil suit, said in a statement. “Collins began abusing me when I was 13 and allegedly sexually abused children for almost five decades. He would never have met many of these children if the village of Mount Kisco and the Boys and Girls Club had not employed him, given him access to the children, and ignored many red flags. All will now be held accountable in court.

In the past six or seven months, Collins, the former owner of Jimmy's Bar in Katonah, has been arrested twice for more recent alleged offenses.

Last November 7, New Castle police arrested and charged Collins with third-degree criminal sexual act, a class E felony, for having sex with a juvenile.

In January, he was indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for attempting to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. If convicted, Collins faces life in prison on that charge, as well as up to 30 years if convicted on another charge, sexual exploitation of a minor.

He is currently incarcerated in a federal penitentiary.

One of the lawyers for the group of alleged victims said the case would move forward.

“A jury will now be allowed to hear the evidence and hold not only Collins accountable, but also his enablers, the Village of Mount Kisco and the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester,” attorney Saul Wolf said.