In New Jersey, a former Catholic high school teacher and volleyball coach has been arrested on charges of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a minor, joining multiple other allegations of sexual abuse and trauma in Catholic high schools in New Jersey and the rest of the country.

Two victims filed claims in Denville municipal court, saying that they were abused by Carlos Franco-Leon. The two victims say that they were students at Morris Catholic High School, where Carlos was a teacher and a volleyball coach. Allegedly, the teacher entered into relationships with both girls over the course of multiple years, engaged in sexual activity with one, and sent sexually explicit gifts and messages to the other student.

According to NorthJersey.com, Carlos had a relationship with one student from around March 2015 to May 2019 and with the other student from September 2015 through January 2017. The students claim that in the case of one student, he sent nude photos and a sex toy to her, and tried to meet up with her in a hotel. In the case of the other student, he allegedly engaged in sexual activity just short of intercourse in a classroom.

Carlos admitted that he had had a relationship with one student, but argued that it had happened after he had left their school. Carlos said that he had left the school because he had developed an emotional connection with one of the students. North Jersey reports that after his time at Morris Catholic High School, Carlos began coaching varsity girls volleyball at another Catholic high school, Roselle Catholic High School.

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Newark noted that Carlos had been suspended from this position at Roselle after he had been arrested. 

In total, Carlos faces six first-degree counts of aggravated sexual assault, two counts of second-degree sexual assault, as well as two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor, explains the article in North Jersey.

Are These the Only Claims of Abuse in New Jersey?

These are not the only claims of sexual abuse and trauma by a teacher in New Jersey Catholic high schools. The Roman Catholic sexual abuse scandal has lead to thousands of lawsuits alleging that the church actively covered up years of abuse by officials across the country.

New Jersey is among a number of states whose lawmakers have taken steps to better protect victims of childhood sexual abuse and trauma. New Jersey recently passed a law that increases the statute of limitations for sexual assault claims, and gives victims a two-year “look back” window in which they can file sexual assault claims, even if the statute of limitations has already normally passed.

Now, victims can file civil claims of sexual assault until they turn 55, or up to seven years after they discover that they had been abused, whichever is later. The new law went into effect on Dec. 1, 2019, explains NJ.com.

USA Today reported that 110 abuse lawsuits were filed in New Jersey in the first two months after the law took effect. Reportedly, most of these lawsuits were filed by victims who would have been prevented from seeking justice by New Jersey’s old laws. 

Other states, including New York and California, extended their statutes of limitations and implemented “look-back” windows to provide victims with more opportunities to seek justice against their abusers.

USA Today goes on to note that many of the lawsuits are time consuming and costly, as they involve digging up decades-old evidence, and others involve parties that have passed away, or are no longer employed by an institution at issue. Despite these challenges, filing a sexual assault lawsuit can be a path towards justice and recovery for some victims of childhood sexual abuse.

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