Recreation Program Supervision Expert Witnesses

Dr. John F. Doherty is an experienced Public and Private School Educator who has focused his work on improving schools through effective hiring practices, supervision and training of staff, and building a school culture of sustainability. In his current role, he serves as a School Liability Expert Witness.

Dr. Doherty has over 35 years of experience as a superintendent, assistant superintendent, principal, assistant principal, department chair, coach, and teacher. He is the co-chair of the Massachusetts Department of Education Safe and Supportive Schools Commission and chair of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Professional Development Committee.

Litigation Support - Dr. Doherty provides consultation and expert witness services to plaintiff and defendant attorneys throughout the US and Canada. As a court-qualified education administration and supervision expert, he applies his experience, education, and training to the review and analysis of cases to determine the professional standard of care from case inception to resolution, including expert reports, deposition, and trial testimony.

Ideal Client Engagement - Attorneys litigating matters involving the question of liability for school or youth-serving agencies (daycare, camps, aftercare, church childcare) regarding the standard of care, student-supervision, staff training, in any type of injury or incident involving the school/agency, such as wrongful death, personal injury, sexual harassment/abuse, Title IX, Section 1983, in daycare through college/university and more.

Areas of Expertise:

Carolyn M. Kossack, Ed.D, is an Educational Consultant and School Evaluation Specialist / Expert Witness. Dr. Kossack has more than 32 years of experience in public education, including approximately 24 years in educational leadership and administrative roles, such as Superintendent, Principal, and Assistant Principal.

Ideal Client Engagement - Parents and their attorneys requiring an expert for school placement during custody disputes, including school comparisons/review and academic programming, and school administrators requiring an expert to review policies and procedures for compliance. 

Consultation Services - Dr. Kossack is available for confidential, non-testifying consultation to attorneys, including:

• Case evaluation and educational issue identification
• Review of school policies, procedures, and administrative practices
• Educational record and document review
• Assistance with case development
• Discovery and deposition preparation
• Policy and procedure review
• Evaluation of educational claims

Expert Witness Services - Dr. Kossack draws on her many years of experience in education to assist with Child Custody school reviews and placements, comparing public, private, charter, therapeutic, and special education schools based on the child’s educational needs, school climate, student support services, safety, programming, and educational considerations.

Areas of Expertise: 

Kevin Gordon, JD, is a Summer Camp Operations and Safety expert with 40+ years of experience in camp ownership, direction, supervision, staffing, training, aquatics, risk management, emergency response, abuse prevention, and camp policies.

He provides expert witness and consulting services to plaintiff and defense counsel in camp-related injury, supervision, safety, and operational matters involving summer camps, overnight or day camps, and youth recreation programs