FORESTBURGH – State Supreme Court Justice Hon. Megan Galligan awarded $30 million in damages to Jeff Pringle, who says he was sexually abused by a man posing as a doctor at the Forestburgh Scout Reservation in 1985. 

This verdict is believed to be the first Child Victims Act (CVA) verdict in Sullivan County since the law’s passage five years ago.

The CVA opened a historic one-year one-time window for victims and survivors of childhood sexual assault in the State of New York to pursue lapsed claims. Prior to the passage of the CVA, claims were time barred the day the plaintiff turned 22 years old.

The incident occurred when Pringle was working as a staff member at the Boy Scout camp during the summer of 1985 when he was 16 years old. According to court documents, Paul Caillaud presented himself as a doctor to the camp, and many knew him as “Doctor Paul.” 

During that summer, Pringle had an ear infection and went to the infirmary, according to court documents, where he was later held by Caillaud when Caillaud “put probes on him”, “injected him with a needle and gave him red and white pills,” and sexually abused him. 

This incident occurred again the following night. After that, Pringle told his mother about Caillaud’s medical treatment, but did not tell her about the sexual abuse. 

His mother, who was a nurse, knew that “something was not right” and began questioning Caillaud and investigated his medical licensure. 

According to court documents, the “offenses against [Caillaud] were not isolated” and there is “credible proof… for conduct against four individuals, including [Pringle] at the camp.” 

In 1985, Caillaud was arrested and was later convicted of four counts of Unauthorized Practice of Medicine, for which he was sentenced to concurrent terms of five years of probation supervision together with a $100 surcharge.

“This verdict is a major victory for Mr. Pringle and for survivors across New York,” said attorney Benjamin Watson from Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala PLLC, the law firm representing Pringle, in a statement. “It sends a clear message to any individual or institution that believes they can get away with the sexual abuse of children: the law will hold you accountable.”

According to the law firm, Pringle’s legal battle is not over. He is also pursuing claims in the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding, seeking accountability for the BSA’s role in enabling Caillaud’s access to young campers.