The mother of an 8-year-old boy whose ex-NYPD cop dad murdered him by forcing him to freeze to dying in a storage, reached a settlement in her $200 million lawsuit in opposition to Suffolk County, courtroom data present.
Justyna Zubko-Valva reached an settlement in her 2020 federal civil case, claiming Suffolk County courts, faculty district and baby protecting companies failed to avoid wasting her autistic son, Thomas, regardless of her repeated complaints in opposition to dad Michael Valva and his fiancée Angela Pollina.
The phrases of the “world settlement” weren’t disclosed and the settlement hasn’t been signed off on but by a choose — who ordered either side Wednesday to file a mediation report by Oct. 8, in keeping with courtroom data.
The Suffolk County legislature should additionally approve the deal earlier than it’s finalized.
The settlement comes after mediation periods had been held between legal professionals for the county and Zubko-Valva all year long.
Whereas the settlement determine hasn’t been disclosed but, Zubko-Valva rejected a proposal of $3 million in 2023, upon discovering the determine was being supplied to shut out the case in opposition to all of the defendants — together with Valva and Pollina, who are each serving 25-years to life in jail for Thomas’ homicide.
Her lawyer, Thomas Bosworth, advised a choose earlier this yr that the mother was keen to accept $10 million, in keeping with a report by Newsday.
In her go well with, Zubko-Valva — who had been embroiled in a bitter divorce from Valva on the time of her son’s dying — claimed that she repeatedly complained concerning the abuse and torture that her three youngsters had been struggling by the hands of Valva, 46, and Pollina, 48, who had custody of the children.
A scathing report launched by the Suffolk County District Lawyer’s workplace final yr, corroborated that 11 separate studies had been filed with the Little one Protecting Companies which marked the claims “unfounded” and personal, preserving them below wraps till after the homicide convictions.
“All of these 11 studies had been made previous to the dying of that baby,” DA Ray Tierney stated on the time. “Nobody this could come to some other conclusion aside from CPS failed these boys, failed these boys miserably, and in consequence, Thomas died.”
Thomas succumbed to hypothermia after being locked in a freezing storage for so long as 16 hours when temps had dipped as little as 19 levels. Thomas’ 10-year-old brother, miraculously survived the horrific remedy.
Valva — a 15-year veteran cop — as soon as texted Pollina of Thomas and Anthony that he would “beat them till they bleed … It’s the solely factor that works.”
Tierney advocated for altering the legal guidelines surrounding the disclosure of Little one Protecting Companies data, together with to permit suspected abuse instances to be unsealed for grand juries and regulation enforcement.
Corporations Liakas Regulation and Bosworth DeAngelo, who signify Zubko-Valva, stated, they will’t disclose the settlement determine but because the Suffolk County legislature must first approve it. They added that the litigation has been extraordinarily emotional for his or her shopper.
“This decision underscores the significance of working along with legislators to convey significant reforms to guard our youngsters,” the workforce stated. “And sadly the tragedy that occurred, whereas we will’t convey him again, will hopefully be a step in the fitting course to guard different youngsters.”
“It’s a traumatic ordeal for [Zubko-Valva’s] household and herself coping with her former partner serving a possible life sentence, and dropping a baby and having her different youngsters going by means of this ordeal,” the authorized workforce stated.
A lawyer for Suffolk County declined to remark Thursday.
