Private School Sexual Abuse Lawsuits

Seek Justice for Child Sexual Abuse Against Teachers and Private Schools

At Injury Lawyer Team, we represent children and adult survivors in private school sexual abuse lawsuits, helping them seek justice and financial compensation for the profound harm they have endured. We know how devastating it can be when a trusted educational institution, whether a religious school, a boarding school, or an elite private academy, allows sexual abuse to occur under its roof.

Our firm has built a national reputation for holding private schools and their administrators accountable for failing to protect students, and we are ready to fight for your family. Our experienced school sexual abuse lawyer team works tirelessly to hold educational institutions accountable for failing to protect students from sexual abuse.

Sexual Abuse Allegations Involving Private Schools

We see firsthand how devastating it is when private schools, boarding schools, and religious schools fail to protect their students. Below, we’ve outlined key cases and trends across the country to show how widespread these sexual abuse allegations are and how we help victims seek justice.

California Private Schools

Numerous California private school sexual abuse claims gained prominence after a combination of state law changes and heightened awareness exposed a long history of misconduct at elite private academies. 

For example, at The Thacher School in Ojai and Cate School in Carpinteria, independent investigations and lawsuits revealed decades of inappropriate touching, grooming, and even assaults by faculty and staff. These reports confirm what many of our clients already know: when a school employee abuses a child, the school must be held accountable.

We are currently tracking litigation involving La Sierra Academy sexual abuse cases in Riverside County, where a private school counselor secretly filmed boys’ restrooms and amassed child sexual abuse material. 

He pleaded guilty in 2024 and was sentenced to 30 years in 2025. We represent survivors in abuse lawsuits arising from this conduct, alleging that the abuse occurred on campus and that school administrators ignored clear warning signs.

Several private and parochial schools have faced lawsuits over staff misconduct, including St. Ignatius College Preparatory. San Francisco clergy abuse allegations range from inappropriate touching to retaliation against staff who cooperated with investigators. 

These San Francisco private school sexual abuse cases illustrate how school administrators can try to minimize or conceal sexual misconduct, but civil litigation and public records eventually bring the truth to light.

Georgia Private Schools

Our firm has been closely involved in landmark Georgia sexual abuse lawsuits. One of the most notable cases is sexual abuse lawsuits against Darlington Middle School, in which more than 20 men alleged abuse in the 1970s and 1980s by dorm supervisor Roger Stifflemire. 

In April 2024, a Floyd County judge entered a $345 million judgment ordering multiple insurers to pay survivors, one of the largest of its kind. This followed an earlier $6 million settlement with the school.

Illinois Private Schools

Illinois’s elimination of the statute of limitations for child abuse has opened the door for survivors to file claims that were previously time-barred. We represented victims in numerous Illinois school sexual abuse lawsuits, many of whom suffered in silence for years. Our litigation has documented sexual misconduct by teachers, priests, and staff at a range of institutions.

We can help you file sexual abuse lawsuits against private schools in Illinois, such as Maryville Academy in Des Plaines, which has been named in numerous complaints. 

Survivors allege decades of grooming, inappropriate behavior, and cover-ups. Because private institutions are not subject to most public records laws, our legal team uses subpoenas and discovery to break through signed confidentiality agreements and expose the facts.

Maryland Private Schools

Maryland school sexual abuse lawsuits started pouring into courts after the Child Victims Act eliminated civil time limits for child abuse, opening the doors to hundreds of survivors. Many sexual abuse lawsuits against Baltimore private schools were filed against institutions such as Calvert Hall College High School and McDonogh School.

Massachusetts Private Schools

Miss Hall’s School has been the subject of lawsuits and independent investigations after allegations that a teacher sexually abused multiple students from the 1990s through the 2010s. Our team is ready to represent survivors in sexual abuse lawsuits in Massachusetts, seeking damages for the lifelong trauma caused by this betrayal of trust.

New Jersey Private Schools

This state’s 2019 lookback window unleashed a wave of New Jersey school sexual abuse lawsuits against private and parochial schools.

One example is Saint Thomas Aquinas High School, where a Spanish teacher and coach was arrested in May 2025 on charges including manufacturing child sexual abuse material. Survivors are pursuing civil litigation to hold the school and administrators accountable for their failures.

New York Private Schools

Among New York school sexual abuse lawsuits, there are many cases against elite institutions like Horace Mann School and Ethical Culture Fieldston School, both accused of failing to protect students from sexual misconduct by staff. 

Our firm also represents clients in college sexual abuse lawsuits, including cases involving medical professionals at university health centers, showing that Title IX protections are only as strong as their enforcement.

Pennsylvania Private Schools

Pennsylvania school sexual abuse lawsuits are moving toward after a two-year window was opened for survivors to file claims, and our team can prepare civil cases on behalf of clients at both private high schools and colleges. Villanova University has faced allegations of on-campus assaults and negligence, underscoring the need for strong legal representation for sexually abused students.

Rhode Island Private Schools (St. George’s School)

We are also representing survivors from St. George’s School in Middletown, Rhode Island, one of the nation’s most notorious boarding school sex abuse scandals. Independent reports have identified at least 61 victims of employee misconduct and peer-on-peer incidents. 

In 2016, the school reached an undisclosed settlement framework with up to 30 alumni, but additional claims continue to emerge. Rhode Island sexual abuse lawsuits‘ history shows how vital it is for survivors to have a lawyer who understands the complexities of suing a prestigious private school.

South Carolina Private Schools

Our attorneys are ready to represent survivors from Cathedral Hall Academy, where two Jane Does allege grooming and sexual assault by South Carolina clergy tied to affiliated ministries. We are also pursuing claims against Whetstone Academy, a therapeutic boarding school accused in federal lawsuits of failing to protect residents from sexual misconduct.

As more former teachers and school administrators are named in abuse cases, our firm fights to uncover the truth, challenge secrecy clauses, and pursue damages in civil litigation. We understand how public school boards are regulated by open meetings laws while private schools are not, and we use every legal tool available to ensure accountability.

What Laws Govern Private School Sexual Abuse Cases?

Our sexual abuse lawyers apply a mix of federal and state laws to hold schools accountable.

Title IX (20 U.S.C. § 1681) covers private schools that receive federal funds, requiring them to prevent and address sexual harassment and assault. When these duties are ignored, survivors can pursue federal complaints and civil litigation.

We also rely on state tort laws regarding negligent hiring, negligent supervision, and failure to report to target private schools that allowed or concealed abuse. Unlike public school boards, private schools have far fewer immunity protections.

Finally, child protection and education laws impose mandatory reporting duties on teachers, coaches, and administrators. When staff ignore or suppress abuse, those violations strengthen a survivor’s case.

By combining these laws, our team maximizes accountability and helps survivors recover the damages they deserve.

What Damages Can Sexually Abused Victims Recover in Civil Lawsuits?

When we take on sexual abuse lawsuits, our goal is to help survivors recover the full measure of legal consequences and damages allowed by law. Every case is different, but the following categories are common in the claims we file.

Economic Damages

These cover the measurable financial losses caused by sexual abuse:

• Medical and mental health treatment — therapy, psychiatric care, hospitalization, and long-term counseling
• Lost wages or loss of earning capacity — for adult victims or parents who miss work caring for traumatized children
• Educational costs — tutoring, transfer fees, or tuition for a safer school environment

Non-Economic Damages

Because the harm from sexual abuse is deeply personal, non-economic damages often represent the largest share of a verdict or settlement:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress and PTSD
• Loss of enjoyment of life and disruption of schooling, friendships, and normal development

Punitive Damages

In some states, juries can award punitive damages to punish and publicly discipline reckless or intentional conduct by a school employee or administration. We pursue these when evidence shows school staff ignored obvious danger signs or covered up abuse allegations.

Sexual Assault Settlements Recovered by Our Law Firm

Our firm has handled cases with settlements and verdicts in the six- and seven-figure range. Here are some examples of how factors such as age, duration of abuse, and institutional cover-ups can affect value:

• $15,000,000 settlement on behalf of several boys groomed and abused by a private school coach, demonstrating how multiple victims and a clear institutional cover-up can greatly increase case value.
• $1,101,000 settlement for a woman sexually assaulted by a janitor at a Catholic school as a child, reflecting both the trauma of inappropriate touching and the school’s negligence in supervising staff.
• $1,000,000 recovery for a man who was abused at an after-school program, showing that even nontraditional school settings can lead to liability when school employees fail to protect children.

How Long Do Victims Have to Take Legal Action Against Private and Boarding Schools?

One of the first things we explain to survivors of sex abuse in private school is that statutes of limitations set hard deadlines for filing. Missing these deadlines can permanently bar your claim, even when the abuse is well documented. That’s why we always start with a careful analysis of each client’s state law.

Differences by State

Every state sets its own time limits for sex abuse claims. Some states, like California and New York, have eliminated or suspended civil time limits for childhood sexual abuse, allowing older claims to move forward. Others still maintain traditional deadlines or short “revival” windows.

Because private schools aren’t protected by government immunity statutes the way public school boards are, you can sometimes bring broader civil litigation against them, but only if you act within the applicable timeframe.

Child vs. Adult Victims

Most states “toll” (pause) the statute of limitations for minors until they reach 18, and some extend it for several years afterward or until the survivor discovers the connection between the abuse and later harm.

Adult survivors generally have shorter or more rigid deadlines, though many states have created discovery rules or special windows to file claims based on delayed awareness of trauma.

These differences can be decisive: a child abused at a school in one state may have decades to file, while an adult in another state could have only a few years.

How Injury Lawyer Team Can Help

At Injury Lawyer Team, we focus on sexual abuse lawsuits, including private education sex abuse lawsuits. We know these cases are deeply personal, and we work to make the legal process as safe and effective as possible.

What we offer:

• Free and confidential consultation to review your case and explain your rights
• Investigate and gather evidence from witnesses, community members, records, and school files
• File lawsuits against other students, schools, coaches, administrators, and staff
• Negotiate or litigate for maximum compensation, including therapy costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering
• Protect your privacy with sealed filings and pseudonyms where possible

FAQs

What are the signs of sexual abuse in children?

Signs of sexual abuse in children include sudden behavior changes, sexual knowledge beyond age level, withdrawal, nightmares, or physical signs of harm. 

Who can be held liable for sexual abuse at a private school?

The school itself, administrators who ignored red flags, individual staff or coaches who committed abuse, former students, and, if applicable, the religious or corporate entity overseeing the school.

What steps should be taken if a child is abused at a private school?

Ensure the child’s safety and medical care, document what happened, report to authorities, preserve evidence, and contact an experienced sexual abuse lawyer.

Book a Free and Confidential Consultation

If you or your child experienced sexual misconduct at a boarding or private school, we are here to help. We offer a free and confidential consultation to explain your rights, outline your legal options, and start building a case for justice and compensation. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win your case.

Contact us today to speak with an attorney who understands how to fight and win sexual abuse lawsuits against private institutions.

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.