Catholic boarding school sued in alleged sex abuse
- Lawsuit says instructor committed crime in '83, '84
A federal lawsuit filed Monday claims a then-15 year-old was sexually abused
in 1983 and 1984 by an instructor at a Catholic boarding school for boys in
Bay St. Louis and school officials concealed it.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Gulfport against Saint Stanislaus
College/Saint Stanislaus High School, seeks an unspecified amount of damages.
The school principal and school president both are away this week attending
a retreat, said Assistant Principal Susan Estrade. "I would not
be knowledgeable enough to talk to you about the lawsuit," Estrade said.
Estrade said she would try to reach the president or principal by cell phone
and have either call The Clarion-Ledger. No one had called by late Monday
afternoon.
The more than 1S0-year-old Saint Stanislaus school, for grades six to 12, is
independent of the Catholic Diocese. It=s operated by the Brothers of
Sacred Heart, which operates 10 schools in the United States and one in Great
Britain.
"Our investigation indicates that this case falls into the same sad pattern
of child abuse followed by a cover-up of which we are all too familiar," said
attorney Jim Reeves of Biloxi, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the former
student. AThese defendants must be held accountable for their actions
and the damage caused this family."
According to the lawsuit, during the 1983-1984 school year, the plaintiff in
the lawsuit was subjected to the supervision of an instructor referred to as
Brother William, whom the suit describes as a pedophile.
The Clarion-Ledger does not name those alleging sexual assault.
On multiple occasions during the school year, the student was summoned by Brother
William to his office and sexually and mentally abused, the lawsuit says.
"As a result of the foregoing, (the plaintiff) suffered extreme physical
and mental pain and suffering,@ according to the lawsuit, which presents only
one side of a legal argument.
The lawsuit says the plaintiff, who is now a Wyoming resident, turned to mind-altering
drugs to deal with the abuse and developed a repressed memory. His addiction
and unsoundness of mind continued until the late summer or early fall of 2006,
and he continues to deal with occasional drug relapses, according to the lawsuit.
His repressed memory of the alleged sexual and mental abuse was revived through
counseling in November 2006, the lawsuit said.
"Based upon information and belief, the defendants obtained actual knowledge
of the crimes committed as outlined herein," the lawsuit said. "However,
rather than report these to the minor's parents or appropriate law enforcement
authorities, the defendants actively concealed the crimes."
Nationally, the Catholic church has been engulfed in controversy over allegations
that officials often didn't remove priests accused of abuse and transferred
them instead.
In March 2006, the Catholic Diocese of Jackson agreed to pay more than $5.1
million to settle six lawsuits involving 19 individuals who were sexually abused
as children by priests or had loved ones who were abused.
The lawsuits involved accusations of sexual abuse by priests from the early
1960s through the early 1980s.
Source: The Clarion- Ledger
