Caroline L. Zacholl’s practice focuses on the defense of school districts and municipalities throughout the State of New York. She has extensive experience litigating civil rights claims, employment discrimination claims, special education matters, negligence claims, and tort claims from inception to trial. She has successfully defended her clients against claims of equal protection and due process violations, wrongful termination, retaliation, and employment discrimination based on race, age, gender, religion, disability, and pregnancy, as well as claims of deliberate indifference to harassment and/or bullying of students, negligent supervision of students, and negligent hiring, training, and/or retention of personnel. She has also succeeded in defending municipalities and personnel against claims of claims of illegal search and seizure, false arrest, malicious prosecution, excessive force, and abuse of process. Caroline also has significant experience litigating premises liability and general negligence cases.Caroline handles all phases of litigation, including discovery, depositions, dispositive motion practice, mediation, trial preparation, trial, and appellate practice. She also frequently defends clients in proceedings before the New York State Division of Human Rights and United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and has represented clients in full administrative hearings. Caroline also argues appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the New York State Appellate Division, Second Department.

Caroline graduated from Colgate University in 2000 with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology and a Minor in Psychology. She graduated cum laude from New York Law School in 2005. Caroline has been admitted to practice law in the State of New York since 2006. She is also admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern District of New York and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She frequently volunteers on projects through New York Cares.

Bar Admission

• New York, 2006
• Southern District of New York, 2009
• Eastern District of New York, 2009
• Second Circuit Court of Appeals, 2011
• Northern District of New York, 2021

Recent Decisions

• Greene v. Brentwood Union Free Sch. Dist., 966 F.Supp.2d 131 (E.D.N.Y. 2013), aff’d, 576 Fed. Appx. 39 (2d Cir. Aug. 21, 2014)
• Donus v. Garden City Union Free Sch. Dist., 987 F.Supp.2d 218 (E.D.N.Y. 2013), aff’d in part and vacated in part, 2014 WL 6778397 (2d Cir. Dec. 3, 2014)
• Guity v. Uniondale Union Free School Dist., 2014 WL 1330636 (E.D.N.Y. Mar. 31, 2014)Chambers v. North Rockland Cent. Sch. Dist., 815 F.Supp.2d 753 (S.D.N.Y. 2011)

Articles/Presentations

• “Social Media And Litigation,” CLE Presentation, September 11, 2013
  

Education

• B.A., Colgate University, 2000
  
• J.D., cum laude, New York Law School, 2005
  

Community Service

• New York Cares