Four new lawsuits accuse a New Jersey monk of Catholic church sexual abuse of children decades ago, two of whom were enrolled at Delbarton School at the time.

The monk in question is Timothy Brennan, who died in December at the age of 79 while at a center in Missouri known for treating troubled priests. Brennan has now been accused in more than a dozen lawsuits of sexually abusing children in his care over his years of teaching.

Two of these four new lawsuits, filed against the Order of St. Benedict for allowing the monk to abuse children, allege that Brennan abused two children while working at Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey, from 1984 to 1985. At the time, the children were 14 and 14 to 15 years old, respectively.

The other two new lawsuits allege that Brennan sexually abused children at St. Elizabeth’s of Hungary School in Linden, New Jersey. These lawsuits were filed against the Order of St. Benedict, St. Elizabeth’s, and the Archdiocese of Newark. One plaintiff alleged the abuse against them occurred in 1975, at age 14 or 15, and the other alleged the abuse against them occurred between 1974 and 1977, between the ages of 11 and 14.

These lawsuits allege that the defendants (the named schools, the archdiocese, and the Catholic order) knew or should have known that Brennan was likely to sexually abuse children in his care, yet failed to protect them by preventing this abuse or doing anything about it.

A spokesperson for the diocese, Maria Margiotta, said that she could not comment on pending litigation, but noted that the archdiocese will “continue to work with victims, their legal representatives and law enforcement authorities in an ongoing effort to resolve allegations and bring closure to victims.”

A spokesperson for the Order of St. Benedict, Anthony S. Cicatiello, also said that he could not comment on the litigation. However, Cicatiello has previously said that the school condemns any abuse and encourages survivors to bring their allegations to local authorities.

At this point, Brennan has been accused of abuse in 16 lawsuits, including these recent four lawsuits and three filed earlier this month, which also named other monks and even the former headmaster of Delbarton School.

One man who had filed a lawsuit over abuse by Brennan alleged that he was abused on more than 100 occasions by the monk, including abuses like groping and masturbating in front of him. He ended up settling his claim with both the Order of St. Benedict and St. Elizabeth’s school in 2019.

While Brennan died in December 2019, before some of these lawsuits were even filed, he didn’t die before facing some level of criminal penalties. In 1987, Brennan pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal sexual contact. He was subsequently given one year probation.

Delbarton School Has Been the Subject of Abuse Litigation Previously

This is also not the first time that Delbarton School has been the subject of sexual abuse litigation. In 2018, school officials even publicly acknowledged that at that point, 30 individuals had come forward with allegations of abuse by 13 past or current clergy members at the school, as well as one retired lay faculty member, across the preceding three decades.

This acknowledgement, shared in a public letter, was not enough for many survivors, reports NJ.com. Victims want acknowledgment of their abuse, an actual apology, compensation for their pain, and a plan in place to prevent this kind of abuse from happening in the future.

“We simply want the truth to come out and that those who are responsible are held to account. It sounds so easy, doesn’t it?” said Kieran Kole, one of the plaintiffs and a former initiate monk. “And that survivors should be treated with some empathy because without it you can’t heal.”

If you are a survivor of childhood sex abuse by a Catholic priest, monk, or other Catholic leader—even if the abuse occurred years or even decades ago—you may be eligible to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. Of course, filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and trauma caused by this kind of abuse, but it can at least help to provide monetary compensation, as well as hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

A recent New Jersey law, enacted in December 2019, has created a two-year lookback window for child sex-abuse allegations that were previously barred by the former state statute of limitations.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.