A man suing Nassau County for civil rights violations after he was allegedly bitten on the penis by a rat while in the county jail could not sway a federal jury, which threw out his case last week. After a four-day trial, the Eastern District jurors, sitting in Central Islip, found in favor of the county in the suit brought by Peter Solomon. Mr. Solomon claimed a rat “or similar rodent” bit his penis in February 2007, while he was jailed at Nassau County Correctional Center in East Meadow. He was treated at the jail’s medical clinic and given a rabies shot at a nearby hospital, though he had no significant bleeding and did not need stitches. A year later, Mr. Solomon filed suit in Solomon v. Nassau County, 08-cv-703, arguing due process violations and negligence under state law. He sought $2.5 million in damages.
Judge Arthur D. Spatt overruled the county’s summary judgment motion earlier this year, referring to inmate reports of rodent infestation at the jail (NYLJ, Jan. 13).
