Opinion
2013-06-14
In the Matter of Eric FECHTER, Petitioner, v. NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES and Niagara County Department of Social Services, Respondents.
Proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78 (transferred to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the Fourth Judicial Department by order of the Supreme Court, Niagara County [Ralph A. Boniello, III, J.], entered August 13, 2012) to review a determination of respondent New York State Office of Children and Family Services. The determination denied petitioner's request that an indicated report of maltreatment be amended to unfounded. Hogan & Willig, PLLC, Amherst (Kevin S. Mahoney of Counsel), for Petitioner. Eric T. Schneiderman, Attorney General, Albany (Jonathan D. Hitsous of Counsel), for Respondent New York State Office of Children and Family Services.
Proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78 (transferred to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the Fourth Judicial Department by order of the Supreme Court, Niagara County [Ralph A. Boniello, III, J.], entered August 13, 2012) to review a determination of respondent New York State Office of Children and Family Services. The determination denied petitioner's request that an indicated report of maltreatment be amended to unfounded.
Hogan & Willig, PLLC, Amherst (Kevin S. Mahoney of Counsel), for Petitioner. Eric T. Schneiderman, Attorney General, Albany (Jonathan D. Hitsous of Counsel), for Respondent New York State Office of Children and Family Services.
MEMORANDUM:
Petitioner commenced this CPLR article 78 proceeding to review a determination, made after a fair hearing, denying his request to amend an indicated report of maltreatment with respect to his daughter to an unfounded report, and to seal it ( seeSocial Services Law § 422[8][a] [v]; [c][ii] ). “Our review ... is limited to whether the determination was supported by substantial evidence in the record on the petitioner['s] application for expungement” (Matter of Mangus v. Niagara County Dept. of Social Servs., 68 A.D.3d 1774, 1774, 893 N.Y.S.2d 410,lv. denied15 N.Y.3d 705, 908 N.Y.S.2d 158, 934 N.E.2d 892 [internal quotation marks omitted] ). Upon conducting such a review, we conclude that the agency's determination is supported by substantial evidence ( see generally Matter of Draman v. New York State Off. of Children & Family Servs., 78 A.D.3d 1603, 1603–1604, 910 N.Y.S.2d 708;Mangus, 68 A.D.3d at 1775, 893 N.Y.S.2d 410;Matter of Theresa G. v. Johnson, 26 A.D.3d 726, 726–727, 807 N.Y.S.2d 892).
It is hereby ORDERED that the determination is unanimously confirmed without costs and the petition is dismissed.