Catholic School, Diocese Sued for $300M for “Sexually Abusive Actions” Against Students

Bishop England High School is where “voyerism” took place by a school employee. Photo: Prestige Homes

 

Bishop England Catholic High School located in Charleston, SC is being sued in a lawsuit for $300 million dollars for engaging in “dishonest, deceptive and sexually abusive actions against the children who are and have been since 1998 students at Bishop England High School.” The lawsuit was filed in the State Circuit Court in Moncks Corner on Wednesday by attorney Larry Richter of Charleston.

At times an emotional Richter said at a news conference on Thursday that the school failed to protect the students in the locker rooms as they were watched by school officials. The State newspaper reported Thursday that Bishop of the Charleston Diocese Robert Guglielmone is being sued in both his official and personal capacities.

Richter says his firm has handled abuse claims for many years against priests and other officials at the Diocese of Charleston. Richter said he is an active member of the Charleston Diocese and graduate of Bishop England High School.

Richter had already won a class action lawsuit against the Diocese with a $12 million settlement received in another case. He said that the abuse is a “far greater problem than persons not intimately related with it could ever know.” Bishop England High School, enrolls students in grades 9-12, Richter said the “students were required to use locker rooms to robe and disrobe appearing partially and totally nude.”

The viewing windows were installed when the school was built in 1998, and said Richter “intended as viewing portals to see children in locker rooms, showers…” The windows were 4 feet by 4 feet square with two windows that looked in on the male and one window that viewed the female student locker rooms.

At various times the students were either “partially or completely nude” said Richter. He continued that the “students have endured this intrusion upon their persons and privacy for the entire 21 year period the windows have been in place. ”

He said a video recording was found made by an employee of Bishop England High School showing students in the condition of “wholly or partly exposed.” Richter said the video had been downloaded onto a device owned by the high school.

The knowledge of the windows was discovered by a female student at the school when she was allowed to use the recording device owned by Bishop England. Richter said the student “immediately notified school authorities” of her finding in May of 2019. He further said that these particular videos were made by the “Sports Information Director.”

In May 2019, Jeffrey Alan Scofield, of North Charleston was charged with two counts of “voyeurism”. He had served as the Sports Information Director at Bishop England High School from 2014 until May 2019 and was fired following arrest. State law says that first time offenders of the “voyeurism” charge are fined or may serve up to three years in prison.

ABC4 News of Charleston reported that the Catholic Diocese of Charleston spokesperson Maria Aselage, emailed a response to the charge saying “We feel that the class action claims have absolutely no merit.”

In that email Aselage said that the purpose of the windows was to “allow coaches to monitor for fights, bullying, smoking or any type of inappropriate activity that might occur within the locker rooms.” She said the lawsuit was “ludocrous.”

Aselage claims that the windows overlooking the locker rooms have been covered with plywood since the May 2019 episode came up. She said that “Contrary to the claims in the lawsuit, the Catholic Diocese of Charleston takes protection of children very seriously.” She continued that it is mandatory that “every teacher, other employee, and volunteer who has regular access to children undergo a background screening, attend a child abuse prevention education program, and sign a code of conduct governing their interactions with minors.” She said that additionally, “Catholic school teachers and staff are required to attend boundary training.”

In September 2019 Scofield pled guilty and was convicted of voyerism. He served 18 months of a two year sentence and was required to have a mental evaluation and register as a sex offender.

 

Michael Reed is Editor and Publisher of The Standard newspaper and TheStandardSC YouTube channel where many video reports may be found. Please share freely and donate to The Standard on this page to assure the continued availability of news that is ignored too often by the dominant media.

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