The Washington County Sheriff’s Office has opened a criminal investigation of sexual and physical abuse allegations against staffers at Catlin Gabel School over the past three decades.
The criminal investigation comes after the school released a 16-page summary of its report on an internal investigation in November. The summary accused six former faculty members of groping, fondling and sexual intercourse with several students.
Officials at the school provided their report to the sheriff’s office back in November and have been sharing information since then.
Reaction to the Internal Report
Many former students were shocked by the report and did not suspect the abuse alleged in the report. However, at a recent townhall meeting, other former students claimed officials at the school were more focused on covering up physical abuse than protecting students.
Several former students were angry the school’s internal report did not detail physical abuse that allegedly occurred in some classrooms. They said they told school investigators about how they or their classmates were kicked, tackled, shaken violently or thrown to the ground.
According to school officials, allegations of physical abuse have been referred to the appropriate local law enforcement officials as well as the Oregon Department of Human Services.
Oregon Law on Sexual Abuse Allegations
In Oregon, all school employees are classified as mandatory reporters and as such, are required to report any reasonable suspicions of abuse to state officials and law enforcement.
Any individual who suffered sexual abuse as a child may be eligible to file a civil lawsuit until the age of 40. Even plaintiffs who are now older than 40 may be able to sue if they present a strong argument to the court establishing that they have only recently come to understand the long-term impact sexual abuse has had on them.
Contact an Experienced Attorney for Help Today
Have you or someone in your family suffered physical or sexual abuse?
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