Maine’s highest court on Tuesday upheld an emotional distress claim against a St. John Valley man accused of unwanted sexual behavior with his then-teenaged cousin.
The decision by Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court also vacated two counts of negligence against the man, Jason D. Nadeau, in a case brought by his cousin, Danielle Nadeau.
The case stems from a 2011 incident in Fort Kent in which Jason Nadeau, then 37, subjected 16-year-old Danielle Nadeau to unwanted sexual touching, exposed himself to her, then threatened her family members if she told anyone, according to court records.
Jason Nadeau’s father suffered a heart attack while snowmobiling in January 2011, court records state. He was flown to a Bangor hospital, and the Nadeau cousins drove from Fort Kent to the facility.
Danielle Nadeau claimed that on the drive, Jason touched her sexually through her clothes, asked her sexual questions and blocked the vehicle’s door lock. While in a relative’s home, he exposed himself to her and said he would “slit her family members’ throats” if she told anyone,” according to court records.
She filed a complaint against Jason Nadeau 13 years later, in January 2024, charging negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
At a bench trial in May 2025 at Penobscot County Superior Court, the court found for Danielle Nadeau and awarded her $1 million in damages.
Jason Nadeau appealed in December 2025, court records state. The appeal asked the court to reverse its negligence judgments, claiming she failed to prove physical injury arising from negligence and that her case was negated by a six-year statute of limitations.
In Bangor on Tuesday, the high court agreed that Danielle Nadeau did not prove negligence, and vacated those two claims, its decision states.
However, justices upheld the intentional infliction judgment, ruling that evidence supports her claims of emotional distress, and also said the case was not barred under the statute of limitations.
