Sexual Abuse at Phillips Exeter Academy Boarding School? Tell Us About Your Claim; You Deserve Justice!
Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire has faced decades of sexual misconduct allegations involving former faculty and staff, prompting an independent investigation into reports dating back to the 1950s. The investigation examined alleged abuse as well as how the boarding school responded to reported misconduct. Former students who experienced alleged sexual abuse may have legal options to pursue a civil claim.
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Phillips Exeter Academy Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire has faced decades of sexual misconduct allegations involving former faculty and staff, prompting an independent investigation into reports dating back to the 1950s. The investigation examined alleged abuse as well as how the boarding school responded to reported misconduct. Former students who experienced alleged sexual abuse may have legal options to pursue a civil claim.
Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, has faced allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct involving former faculty and staff members dating back to the 1950s. An independent investigation examined dozens of reports involving alleged sexual misconduct and some former students have pursued legal action related to alleged abuse at the private boarding school.
Former students who experienced alleged sexual abuse at Phillips Exeter Academy may have legal options. Depending on when the alleged abuse occurred, who was responsible, and other circumstances, a survivor may be able to pursue a civil claim against the alleged perpetrator or other responsible parties, possibly including the boarding school.
Background of Sexual Abuse Allegations at Phillips Exeter Academy
Allegations of sexual misconduct involving former employees at Phillips Exeter Academy span several decades, with reported incidents dating from the 1950s through the 2010s. The sex abuse allegations drew significant attention in 2016, when it became public that a former Phillips Exeter teacher had quietly resigned years earlier after admitting to sexual misconduct involving students dating back to the 1970s. Additional reports of sexual abuse at the boarding school followed.
In 2016, Phillips Exeter retained the law firm Holland & Knight LLP to independently investigate allegations involving current and former employees of the boarding school. The initial investigation into claims of sexual assault examined 28 matters. Of those, 26 involved reports of alleged sexual misconduct by a faculty or staff member toward a student. The allegations covered a period spanning from the 1950s into the 2010s, and investigators conducted approximately 294 interviews with more than 170 people as part of the review.
Former Phillips Exeter Faculty and Staff Accused of Sexual Misconduct
The Phillips Exeter Academy sex abuse investigation examined both the alleged actions of individual employees and the boarding school’s response when concerns about sexual misconduct were reported. Allegations involved multiple former Phillips Exeter employees and covered different periods in the school’s history, with reported conduct including inappropriate sexual contact, boundary violations, sexual relationships involving students, and other forms of alleged misconduct.
Among the former employees identified in the investigation were:
- Donald Foster: Foster taught history and anthropology at Phillips Exeter from 1973 until his retirement in 2011. Investigators reviewed allegations involving three former students, including allegations that Foster pinned them against a wall and forcibly kissed them. Phillips Exeter later stripped Foster of his emeritus status and barred him from campus.
- Steve Lewis: Lewis worked in Phillips Exeter’s art department from 1983 until his employment was terminated in 2016. The investigation examined allegations that Lewis had a sexual relationship with a student during the 1980s and conducted sexualized photo shoots involving female students over a period extending from the early 1990s to approximately 2016. According to the report, Lewis admitted to Exeter police that he had kissed the student multiple times while she was enrolled and had a sexual encounter with her shortly after graduation.
- George Mangan: The investigation examined allegations involving former English teacher George Mangan and two female students in the 1980s. School records reviewed by investigators indicated that administrators had received information concerning alleged sexual misconduct involving Mangan. Despite those concerns, investigators found no indication that Phillips Exeter reported the alleged conduct to law enforcement at the time or conducted a broader investigation into whether other students may have been affected.
- Richard Schubart: Schubart joined Phillips Exeter’s history department in 1973 and remained at the school until his forced resignation in 2011. According to the investigation, Schubart admitted to school administrators that he had a sexual relationship with a student during the 1970s. He was permitted to retain emeritus status and attend certain alumni events following his resignation. Phillips Exeter later stripped him of that status and formally severed ties after another allegation involving a former student was reported.
Former Phillips Exeter Teacher Szczesny Jerzy Kaminski Convicted of Sexually Assaulting Student
One of the most serious legal proceedings involving a former Phillips Exeter employee concerns longtime math teacher Szczesny Jerzy Kaminski. Kaminski taught at Phillips Exeter for nearly 30 years, and in 2023, was sentenced to at least 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a female student from 2014 to 2016. The student had enrolled at Phillips Exeter in 2013 at age 13, and Kaminski tutored her and was her math teacher for her freshman and sophomore years.
“At the time, I hadn’t registered at all that I was being abused,” the former student said. “Here was a man that was kind, smart, and trustworthy. I just couldn’t believe that someone like him could do something so awful,” she said. Kaminski’s criminal prosecution was separate from the broader historical investigation into sex abuse allegations involving other Phillips Exeter faculty and staff members.
Did Phillips Exeter Know About Alleged Sexual Misconduct?
Whether an institution knew or reasonably should have known about alleged misconduct can become an important question when examining sexual abuse at a school. The law firm’s independent review considered how Phillips Exeter historically received, documented, and responded to allegations involving employees.
Reports concerning school employees can raise questions about whether administrators recognized warning signs, investigated complaints, restricted an employee’s access to students, reported suspected abuse when required, or provided accurate information when an employee left for another institution.
The independent investigation identified systemic problems in the school’s handling of reported misconduct. Investigators found a pattern of Phillips Exeter failing to adequately respond to and investigate some reports, share information internally, and, in certain circumstances, report alleged misconduct to the appropriate authorities. The review also found that sensitive information about alleged misconduct was sometimes kept in separate confidential files rather than an employee’s regular personnel file, potentially limiting what Human Resources and future employers knew about the allegations.
For a civil sex abuse lawsuit against a boarding school, an attorney may investigate school records, personnel files, previous complaints, witness statements, correspondence, employment histories, and other evidence to determine what the school allegedly knew and how it responded.
Can Phillips Exeter Sexual Abuse Survivors File a Lawsuit?
Former Phillips Exeter students who experienced alleged sexual abuse may be able to pursue a civil lawsuit, but the availability of a claim depends on the individual circumstances. Potential claims may involve the person accused of committing the abuse. Depending on the evidence and applicable law, allegations may also concern the actions or failures of an institution or other parties.
For example, an institutional abuse claim could potentially involve allegations that the boarding school failed to:
- Properly investigate reports of suspected abuse
- Respond appropriately to known warning signs
- Adequately supervise an employee
- Restrict an employee’s access to students after concerns were reported
- Follow mandatory reporting requirements
- Maintain or disclose relevant information about alleged misconduct
- Take reasonable measures to protect students
The existence of allegations against a school does not automatically establish liability. An attorney must examine the facts surrounding the individual survivor’s experience and determine what legal claims, if any, are available.
What Compensation May Be Available in a Phillips Exeter Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?
A civil sexual abuse lawsuit may seek compensation for the harm a survivor allegedly experienced as a result of the abuse. Depending on the circumstances, recoverable damages may include compensation for:
- Emotional and psychological harm
- Counseling and mental health treatment
- Future treatment expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Lost income or diminished earning capacity
- Effects on education or employment
- Loss of enjoyment of life
The compensation available varies from one claim to another. Factors may include the nature and duration of the alleged abuse, its effects on the survivor, treatment needs, financial losses, and which parties may legally be held responsible.
How Long Do Phillips Exeter Sexual Abuse Survivors Have to File a Lawsuit?
New Hampshire eliminated the statute of limitations for certain civil claims based on sexual assault in 2020. Under current law, a person alleging that they were subjected to certain sexual assault or incest offenses may bring a personal action at any time. However, the New Hampshire Supreme Court has ruled that the 2020 change does not revive claims that were already barred by the statute of limitations before the new law took effect.
Because many of the sexual misconduct allegations involving Phillips Exeter date back decades, determining whether a former student’s claim can still be filed requires an individual review of when the alleged abuse occurred, when the previous filing deadline expired, the claims being pursued, and the potentially liable parties.
Who May Be Held Responsible for Sexual Abuse at a Boarding School?
Sexual abuse allegations at boarding schools can involve unique concerns because students live on campus and may spend much of their time under the supervision of school employees. Depending on the circumstances, potential defendants in a civil sex abuse lawsuit could include an alleged perpetrator as well as an institution whose own alleged conduct contributed to the harm.
Claims involving a school may examine hiring practices, employee supervision, previous complaints, reporting procedures, disciplinary decisions, and how administrators responded when concerns were raised. Liability is not automatic simply because alleged abuse occurred on school property or involved an employee. Evidence must support the legal claims brought against each defendant.
What Should Former Phillips Exeter Students Know About Their Legal Rights?
It is not unusual for allegations of childhood sexual abuse to be reported years after the alleged conduct occurred. The Phillips Exeter investigation itself examined reports spanning multiple generations of students. A former student does not need to determine on their own whether a claim is legally valid before speaking with an attorney. An attorney experienced in institutional sexual abuse litigation can review the allegations, investigate available evidence, determine which parties may potentially be responsible, and evaluate whether the applicable filing requirements have been met.
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What should you do? If you were the victim of sexual abuse by faculty, staff, or any other person at Phillips Exeter Academy, you should contact a lawyer as soon as possible to discuss filing a sex abuse lawsuit.
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If you or a loved one experienced alleged sexual abuse while attending Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, you may have legal options. An experienced sexual abuse attorney can review what happened, investigate whether there is evidence supporting a civil claim, and explain how New Hampshire law applies to your specific circumstances.
Even when the alleged sexual abuse occurred many years ago, it may be worth obtaining an individual assessment rather than assuming that a lawsuit can or cannot be filed. Contact our consumer advocates today or complete the form on this page to learn more about your legal options.
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