SHELTON, Conn. — The father of the Fairfield Prep student fatally stabbed after a party in Shelton last year has filed a lawsuit accusing the parents of hosting a party that involved underage drinking.
17-year-old James McGrath was fatally stabbed during a large fight after a party last spring. His father Kevin McGrath filed the suit accusing Paul and Susanna Leifer of negligence, host liability, and common law recklessness. The party occurred in their Lazy Brook Road home in Shelton.
The lawsuit was filed on Friday at the state Superior Court in Bridgeport.
The suit says that on May 14, 2022, a fight broke out during the party. Some of the teens present left and went to Laurel Glen Drive in Shelton and continued to fight. That was when James McGrath was fatally stabbed. Two other victims were also stabbed.
The 26-page lawsuit states that the parents held a social gathering on their premise, in which "substantial quantities" of alcohol were served to, brought, and consumed by people under 21 years of age, which is the legal drinking age. The attendees were also known to be underage by the Leifer's, the suit charges.
The lawsuit also said that the defendants should have known that the teenagers were prohibited from being served alcohol and that alcohol causes minors and adults to become intoxicated, impaired, and oftentimes violent and aggressive.
"Rather than intervening to stop or stopping the fighting or aggression, or reporting it, or keeping combatants from leaving the premises, or calling the police, or taking appropriate action, the defendants merely allowed the underage participants, who had been drinking alcohol with the defendant's knowledge, to leave the social gathering unsupervised and to continue the fight somewhere else," said the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also said McGrath faces injuries/damages for the death of James McGrath (Plaintiff Decendent), "extreme pain and suffering," and "extreme anxiety and emotional upset."
The two Shelton parents are also facing criminal charges for the fatal stabbing that happened after the party. 59-year-old Paul Leifer was arrested and charged with allowing minors to drink alcohol at the party. 51-year-old Susanna Leifer was charged similarly with the added charge of second-degree reckless endangerment.
A teen was charged with murder in connection with the death of McGrath. 16-year-old Raúl Valle has been charged with murder and three counts of first-degree assault.
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