Attorneys Adam Horowitz and Jessica Arbour of Horowitz Law announce the filing of a new lawsuit against St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Connecticut, on behalf of a former student who alleges he was sexually abused as a child by the school’s chaplain and counselor, Fr. Edward McGrath.
The lawsuit, filed in Connecticut Superior Court in New London, says that the Plaintiff attended St. Thomas More as a boarding student during the 1992-1993 school year. According to the Complaint, Fr. Edward McGrath, an ordained Roman Catholic priest who lived on campus and served as the school’s chaplain and counselor, regularly invited the Plaintiff to his private living quarters, where McGrath then sexually abused him on multiple occasions.
The Complaint further alleges that the Plaintiff reported the abuse to St. Thomas More’s headmaster, Mr. Hanrahan, in the spring of 1993. According to the Plaintiff’s allegations, the school failed to investigate the allegation, report it to law enforcement, or inform the Plaintiff’s mother about what he had disclosed. Instead, the lawsuit alleges, St. Thomas More continued to give McGrath access to children even after Plaintiff left the school.
According to its marketing materials, St. Thomas More is a private Christian boarding high school serving students in grades eight through twelve. The lawsuit alleges that, during the period of abuse, students like the Plaintiff lived under the school’s care, custody, and control and that the school held itself out to families as providing a safe, faith-based environment for children. It further alleges that St. Thomas More knew or should have known of the danger McGrath posed to students and failed to take reasonable steps to protect them.
These allegations are not the first accusations made against Fr. Edward McGrath. According to public reports, in 2000, a former St. Thomas More student reported to school administrators that McGrath had sexually abused students. St. Thomas More subsequently conducted an investigation and reportedly concluded after a five-month investigation that the allegations had merit. Another accuser subsequently came forward, and in 2003, a former student filed a lawsuit alleging that McGrath sexually abused him while he attended St. Thomas More in the 1970s. In 2004, the Connecticut chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) publicly announced that another person alleging abuse by McGrath had sought the organization’s assistance and called for additional information about McGrath to be released. McGrath, who died in 1998, was later included on the Diocese of Norwich’s list of clergy with allegations of substance of sexual abuse of a minor.
Horowitz Law attorney Jessica Arbour says, “Coming forward to reveal your childhood sexual abuse - particularly by someone who occupied a position of religious authority and trust like Fr. McGrath - takes extraordinary courage. Our client deserves tremendous credit for speaking up and seeking accountability. We hope that anyone else who experienced sexual abuse at St. Thomas More, or who has information about what happened there, will come forward as well. Breaking the silence is one of the most important things we can do to expose abuse, hold institutions accountable, and keep children safe.”
John Doe v. St. Thomas More School (d/b/a Saint Thomas More School, Inc.) is now pending in New London Superior Court.
Contact Horowitz Law for a free and confidential consultation. Speaking with our attorneys does not obligate you to file a lawsuit or make a public accusation. We can listen to what happened, answer your questions and explain your legal options. We are among the nation's most experienced law firms for people sexually abused in schools.
Call (954) 641-2100 or contact Horowitz Law through our website for a free, confidential consultation with a Miami sexual abuse attorney.