In 2024, the Washington Post published an article detailing the results of an investigation conducted by the Post into the sexual abuse of Native American children at boarding schools across the United States, many of which were operated under the purview of the Catholic Church. This report documented more than 1,000 instances of sexual abuse committed by more than 100 different clergy members over the course of several decades, and particularly in the 1950s and 1960s.
Tragically, abuse still occurs in schools like this today, all over the country, and if you experienced sexual abuse at a religious boarding school, you know all too well how damaging that experience can be to every part of your life. However, you should also know that you may have grounds to seek civil restitution for the harm you unjustly sustained, and that you have help available from the seasoned sexual abuse lawyers at Phillips Law Group to enforce your right to recovery.
Regardless of what organization operates them or who specifically is entrusted with working there, boarding schools have a legal obligation to ensure the safety and well-being of all their students. Among the specific requirements imposed by that obligation is a duty to investigate allegations and/or suspicions of sexual misconduct by staff members or students against students, and then to take appropriate measures to prevent further abuse as well as ensure abusers are reported to law enforcement for further legal action.
In the past, religious boarding schools flagrantly and often knowingly failed to protect students in this way, many of whom—as detailed in the aforementioned Washington Post investigation—were already separated from their families and in uniquely vulnerable positions to begin with. Today, many boarding schools operated by religious institutions are still unconscionably lax about preventing and reporting sexual misconduct among their teachers and staff members, and both administrators of those schools and high-ranking members of religious organizations may hold civil liability for sexual abuse in their facilities in addition to individual abusers.
Typically, there is a “statute of limitations” applicable to personal injury lawsuits, including those built around injuries and losses caused by sexual abuse. These statutes set hard deadlines for when lawsuits must begin after a “cause of action” first arises, ostensibly to streamline the court system as a whole and protect the rights of both plaintiffs and defendants.
Importantly, though, many states have significantly expanded the statute of limitations for sexual abuse lawsuits in particular, and some have even abolished filing deadlines altogether for lawsuits over sexual abuse experienced in childhood. This means you may still be able to file suit over sexual abuse you experienced in a religious boarding school even if decades have passed since that abuse occurred.
Over the past several decades, the Catholic Church and other religious institutions across the world have come under intense, long-overdue fire for failing to combat or even acknowledge systemic sexual abuse within their ranks. More recent reporting has revealed that this abuse also occurred in remote locations at boarding schools operated without sufficient oversight and intended to house extremely vulnerable children.
If you were one of those children who experienced sexual abuse in a religious boarding school many years ago or very recently, Phillips Law Group can help you explore and make effective use of your right to seek civil restitution. Call today for a confidential consultation.
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