New Jersey Private School Settles Another Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
Sexual abuse victims who suffered at the hands of a predator will finally get some relief and closure. Patch.com reported January 27, 2020, that, according to attorneys, the Pingry School settled a sexual abuse lawsuit with 13 victims. The lawsuit stemmed from allegations that a teacher at Pingry, an exclusive private prep school, molested and sexually abused students during his tenure in the 1970s. The lawsuit alleged that the school was aware or should have been aware of the abuse, and hid it from the public, including parents. The predator, That “Ted” Alton, Jr. was arrested in 1979 and convicted of multiple acts of lewdness involving students.
These 13 men may have benefited from recent New Jersey legislation, which has extended the time during which survivors of child sexual abuse can file lawsuits. The law is similar to New York’s Child Victims Act. It lifts the statute of limitations, giving survivors two years to take legal action against their abusers and the organizations that protected them.
Pingry School Previously Settled Abuse Allegations With 21 Former Students
This most recent agreement is the second sexual abuse settlement involving Pingry. In April 2018, PIngry settled with 21 victims who also alleged Alton sexually abused them while they were students. The victims were all sexually abused as pre-teen boys between 1972 and sometime in the late 1970s. Alton, they claim, was the main perpetrator of the sexual abuse.
Alton had ample opportunity to abuse the boys during his time at Pingry. He worked at both the Basking Ridge and Short Hills campuses in New Jersey. Alton also served as assistant principal, coach, teacher, and guidance counselor. Also, according to the Patch, Alton was a scoutmaster for a boy scout troop consisting of many students from Pingry. Alton was also allegedly a counselor at Camp Waganaki in Maine, where many students and their families spent summers.
Pingry School Settles 13 Sexual Abuse Allegations for an Undisclosed Amount
In addition to an undisclosed amount of financial compensation, this most recent settlement includes a reaffirmation of Pingry’s “commitment to providing a safe environment.” Pingry’s Head of School stated that the school has plans to “institute a series of new protection policies and procedures, developed with input from our school’s survivors, all designed to ensure that the atrocities of the past cannot be repeated.”
In a move that showed its commitment, Pingry engaged an independent firm to investigate the sexual abuse that allegedly occurred during Alton’s employment. Since then, it has also created a student safety advisory committee. Pingry has also conducted an audit of its policies related to child protection and abuse reporting practices. The Pingry School has done much of the work with input and help from sexual abuse survivors and alumni.
Contact Alonso Krangle, LLP If You Are a Survivor of Childhood Sexual Abuse
We have lawyers who can help you if you were sexually abused as a child. Call our office at 800-403-6191 today to find out if you are eligible to file a claim against your abuser and the school or church that protected him. Our sexual abuse lawyers work hard to ensure you collect the maximum damages the laws allow, the damages you deserve.
