Wednesday 22 June 2022 12:38 AM Mother of autistic boy who froze when his father made him sleep in garage can ... trends now
The mother of an autistic boy who froze to death when his NYPD father made him sleep on a garage floor has been given the go-ahead to sue child protective services and school officials for $200million, a judge has ruled.
Justyna Zubko-Valva claims she had warned child protective services and administrators at her son's school that the eight-year-old Thomas was being abused by his father.
Her fears came true on January 17, 2020, when Thomas froze to death after his father, Michael Valva, locked him in a freezing garage as a form of punishment. Valva's girlfriend, Angela Pollina, allegedly participated in the abuse.
Last week, an Eastern District of New York court advanced Zubko-Valva's lawsuit against numerous CPS officials for deliberate indifference, school officials from the East Moriches Union Free School District for wrongful death claims, and several attorneys for malpractice.
Valva and Pollina were charged with second degree murder in the death, and are currently awaiting trial. The case saw extensive delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Michael Valva (left) and Angela Pollina (right), were charged with second degree murder after Valva's son Thomas froze to death after being locking in his garage
Justyna Zubko-Valva holds up a picture of her son, Thomas, 8. She is suing Child Protection Services and Thomas' school for his death
'Forcing Tommy and Anthony [his brother] to sleep in subfreezing temperatures on a cold, cement slab in the garage was so common in Mr. Valva and Ms. Pollina's household that they referred to the garage as the 'kid's room,'' wrote U.S. District Judge
