California family wins $8 million after neighbour calls autistic boy a ‘public nuisance’ over noises

A Northern California family has been awarded $8 million after a prolonged legal battle with their next-door neighbour, who sued them over the backyard noises made by their autistic son, describing him as a ‘public nuisance’.

The case, which was heard in Santa Clara County, involved Ezequiel Arvayo, his mother Serena Arvayo and a neighbour who alleged that the child's vocal outbursts disrupted her daily life, affected her work and caused emotional distress.According to reports by NBC Bay Area and KRON4, the dispute began when the neighbour filed a lawsuit against the family and their landlord in December 2023.

However, the family challenged the allegations through a countersuit, and a jury eventually awarded them $8 million for intentional infliction of emotional distress.Why did the neighbour sue the family over their autistic son's backyard noises?Ezequiel, his mother and his grandfather were living in a rented house on Boynton Avenue in San Jose, California, when their neighbour initiated legal proceedings against them.