Legal news information for Connecticut personal injury attorney’s. Gunnery School student claims the dean of students sexually abused him.
Connecticut personal injury attorney alert-The Gunnery School dean of students sued over sexual abuse allegations.
Torrington, CT—The family of a student who claims he was sexually abused at The Gunnery School in Washington, Connecticut filed a lawsuit on Monday, August 10, 2009. The lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court in New London, as reported by the Courant.
The alleged sexually assaulted victim, John Doe, claims he was assaulted on numerous occasions during his freshman year at The Gunnery School, from September 2007 to June 2008. Doe says he suffered from emotional distress and has a fear of attending school. The personal injury lawsuit names the former dean of students, Robert Reinhardt, 44; the head of school, Susan Graham; and a teacher, Dana Jackson. Reinhardt apparently was also the crew coach, a teacher, and a “dorm parent”, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit further alleges Reinhardt had an on-campus apartment, where he frequently had minors over at his residence late at night, overnight, and early in the morning. In addition, the lawsuit says the boarding school was aware, or should have been aware of the inappropriate activities surrounding Reinhardt and the alleged victim. The school is also accused of neglecting to quickly respond to the sexual abuse allegations.
The Gunnery School released a statement saying, “We reported this information to the Connecticut state child welfare authorities immediately. The faculty member in question had left the school’s employment.” On August 5, 2009, Reinhardt surrendered to state police and was charged with second-degree sexual assault. He was also charged with two counts of risk of injury to a minor, and his bail was set at $750,000. Reinhardt’s next court date is scheduled for September 1st at the Superior Court in Litchfield.
According to Wikipedia http://www.wikipedia.org “The Gunnery School is a coeducational boarding and day Prep school for 295 students in grades nine through twelve. The Gunnery was founded in 1850 by Frederick W. Gunn, a teacher, abolitionist, and father of recreational camping in America. The basic mission of The Gunnery is to promote the four cornerstones on which character is built: scholarship, integrity, respect and responsibility.”
Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news information for Connecticut personal injury lawyers.
