N.Y. Educ. Law § 3808

§ 3808. Forfeiture of amount of penalty where suit is neglected.\nWhere any penalty for the benefit of a school district, or of the\nschools of any school district, town, supervisory district or county,\nshall be incurred, and the officer, whose duty it is by law to sue for\nthe same, shall wilfully and unreasonably refuse or neglect to sue for\nthe same, such officer shall forfeit the amount of such penalty to the\nsame use, and it shall be the duty of his successor in office to sue for\nthe same.\n