On June 28, 2025, Horowitz Law filed a civil lawsuit against The Peddie School, a prestigious New Jersey college prep boarding school located in Hightstown, for its alleged failure to prevent, detect, or act upon years of sexual abuse perpetrated by a faculty member on a student.
The complaint, filed in Mercer County Superior Court, outlines not only the harrowing abuse the victim endured as a teenager but also a broader pattern of institutional inaction. The lawsuit shines a light on how trusted institutions can fail the very people they are meant to protect, and how the legal system—when supported by changes in statute—can provide a path forward for survivors.
The lawsuit was filed after a complaint was made by a woman, now living in Texas, alleging she was sexually assaulted as underage student by a male faculty member while attending The Peddie School in New Jersey. The Plaintiff in the lawsuit is represented by sexual abuse attorneys Adam Horowitz and Alexandra Slater of Horowitz Law, and by Jeffrey P. Fritz of Soloff & Zervanos.
Allegations in the Complaint
The Plaintiff was enrolled as a freshman at The Peddie School in the fall of 1999, at the age of 14. She lived on campus full-time for all four years and was under the day-to-day care of faculty and staff. It was during this vulnerable transition into adolescence that she met Frank Schermerhorn, an athletic coach, dormitory supervisor, and student advisor.
The Plaintiff joined the school's Junior Varsity basketball team in her freshman year, coached by Schermerhorn. He was also the assistant coach on the varsity team.
According to the lawsuit, Schermerhorn used his role as coach and advisor to gain the Plaintiff's trust, isolate her from her family, and eventually exploit her for his own sexual gratification. Over the course of several years, the abuse allegedly occurred both on and off campus, in school facilities, cars, and even during off-site trips to sporting events. Schermerhorn used AOL Instant Messenger, physical affection, and promises of athletic promotion to slowly gain psychological control over the Plaintiff. He reportedly encouraged her to lie about their interactions and framed their relationship as a secret love affair.
Grooming Process
What began as a seemingly supportive mentor relationship evolved into a calculated grooming process. After a few months, Frank Schermerhorn began behaving inappropriately toward Plaintiff. Schermerhorn began his grooming tactics by messaging Plaintiff on AOL Messenger around December 1999. At first, he used seemingly innocuous messages to earn Plaintiff’s trust, discover her vulnerabilities, and foster a close relationship, which soon progressed to sending inappropriate, sexually suggestive messages. Schermerhorn would openly engage in flirtatious behavior during school hours. Schermerhorn gave Plaintiff special attention at school and frequently touched and hugged Plaintiff, which he did not do with other girls on the team.
Schermerhorn then used his position as the Plaintiff’s basketball coach to manipulate her, using promises of a role on the varsity basketball team to leverage his authority and influence over her. By the end of the JV basketball season of her freshman year, Schermerhorn placed Plaintiff on the varsity basketball team. By the spring of 2000, Schermerhorn frequently took Plaintiff off the school campus for meals, took her to the mall and bought her gifts, and purchased tickets to take her to professional sporting events, such as New York Yankee games and events at Madison Square Garden.
Around April 2000, Schermerhorn directed Plaintiff to meet him at his on-campus apartment at the Longstreet Hall building, where he sexually abused and raped her on numerous occasions. Schermerhorn also took Plaintiff off campus to nearby parks during school hours, where he sexually abused her in his car, which continued frequently over the next several years.
Schermerhorn convinced the Plaintiff to join his advisee group, and he became her advisor and mentor at Peddie School. As her advisor, Schermerhorn was the primary point of contact for the Plaintiff’s parents, allowing him to further leverage the relationship by gaining their trust. Schermerhorn eventually manipulated Plaintiff’s relationship with her family, causing her to turn against her parents and trust only him.
Schermerhorn coached Plaintiff to lie if anyone asked her about their relationship and told her that no one would understand the relationship and that he would go to jail for loving her.
Warning Signs
As disturbing as the alleged acts of abuse are, what may be more alarming is that warning signs were present for years—and repeatedly ignored. In fact, during the Plaintiff’s junior year, her dormitory supervisor confronted her about the excessive time she spent alone with Schermerhorn. The Plaintiff’s softball coach had suspicions about Schermerhorn’s inappropriate conduct with the Plaintiff and reported her suspicions to school administrators.
Faculty members also observed the Plaintiff in Schermerhorn's office for extended periods, in his car on campus, and in the weight room before school hours. Additionally, there were rampant rumors of prior sexual misconduct by Schermerhorn at the school where he worked before switching to Peddie.
The abuse didn't stop after graduation. Schermerhorn used his contacts at the Plaintiff's college in Texas, where she played soccer, to manipulate and control her and continue his pattern of sexual abuse.
In October 2023, Plaintiff became aware that Schermerhorn was coaching middle school field hockey in another school district. The plaintiff reached out to the administrators of that district to advise them of Schermerhorn’s abuse of young girls and her experience with him. In response, the district placed Schermerhorn on immediate leave and ultimately dismissed him.
Negligence & Liability
Peddie School owed a duty to the Plaintiff to use reasonable care to ensure her safety, care, and well-being while she was enrolled and lived on campus.
- Peddie School's duties include using reasonable care and supervision to protect students placed in its care and to ensure their safety, well-being, care, and health.
- Peddie School had a duty to properly supervise and act reasonably in the best interests of the Plaintiff, who was entrusted to its care and custody.
- Peddie School breached its duty to use reasonable care in its supervision of its students and thereby failed to provide a safe environment for Plaintiff where she would be free of sexual assault.
- Peddie School’s duties included ensuring that employees and administrators are properly vetted and hired. Defendant failed to conduct an adequate background check of Schermerhorn, and then ultimately hired and retained Schermerhorn without any limitations on his employment, failed to provide additional supervision or training of Schermerhorn, ignored red-flag behavior by Schermerhorn, and took no action to protect or warn Plaintiff.
- Defendant is vicariously liable for Schermerhorn’s misconduct under the principles outlined in the Restatement (Second) of Agency § 219, as adopted in New Jersey.
Attorney Adam Horowitz stated, "We stand firmly with our client as she bravely seeks justice for the unimaginable trauma she endured. Our commitment to supporting survivors of abuse is unwavering, and we believe that this case will not only bring accountability to those responsible but also empower others to come forward."
At Horowitz Law, we are committed to advocating for the rights of survivors and ensuring that their voices are heard. Together, we can work towards a future where all students feel safe, supported, and empowered to seek justice. If you or someone you know has experienced abuse, we encourage you to reach out for support. Your voice matters, and we are here to help.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse in schools and other educational settings. If you or a loved one was sexually abused, raped, or sexually molested by a principal, teacher, or another school employee, contact our law firm at 888-283-9922 or e-mail sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz, at adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com for a free consultation.