Police Investigate Sexual Abuse Claims from New England Prep School Alumni

More than 40 former students of St. George’s School, a prestigious boarding school in Rhode Island, have come forward with claims of sexual abuse that occurred mostly during the 1970s and 1980s. After being contacted by school officials, police began an investigation in November. On Tuesday, a press conference was held by four of the alleged victims and their lawyers in which school officials were accused of covering up the abuse and imposing gag orders on students. “Officials were not reporting claims from students but instead, imposing gag orders on those victims,” Attorney Eric MacLeish told People. “There are prosecutable crimes that occurred here and I expect more victims will be coming forward.”

In December, the school released a report detailing its own investigation into the allegations, which stated it received 26 accounts “strongly suggesting that three former employees of the School engaged in sexual misconduct with regard to multiple students, and that there were twenty-three victims of sexual misconduct by these three employees.” According to CNN, the school did not report the incidents to authorities at the time. “To all victims, we are truly, deeply sorry for the harm done to you by former employees or former students of the School,” the report reads. “We are heartbroken for you and for the pain and suffering that you have endured.” The school has set up a fund for victims to receive therapy and other treatment.