Boarding school failed to protect 7-year-old from sexual abuse by coach’s son, suit says
.png "The Perkiomen School in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania is being sued after parents say their 7-year-old son was sexually abused on school grounds.")
The family of a 7-year-old boy is suing after they say he was sexually abused on the campus of a Pennsylvania boarding school.
The lawsuit filed against Perkiomen School and Head of School Mark A. Devey stems from allegations that the boy was abused at the Perkiomen School in Pennsburg.
The Perkiomen School is a boarding and day school for students in sixth through 12th grade, according to its website.
The 7-year-old boy lived on the school grounds because his father was employed there, according to the lawsuit. Faculty members’ families were encouraged by school staff to attend games and other school functions, according to the court document.
The boy’s father was a basketball coach for the school’s junior varsity team, the lawsuit said.
On Feb. 3, the boy went to watch his father coach a game at the school’s athletic center with his mother. During the game, the boy asked his mother if he could go get a drink of water and find his 12-year-old friend who was also at the game, the lawsuit said.
The 12-year-old was the son of the school’s boy’s basketball varsity team coach, the lawsuit said. The two boys would often play together, with the 12-year-old giving the younger boy Pokémon cards and nickels and dimes, the lawsuit said.
When the boy didn’t return after about 10 minutes, his mother went looking for him. She checked the gym where the boy said he was going and didn’t find him there, according to the lawsuit.
Then she checked the gym equipment room. When she looked inside, she found the 12-year-old pulling up her son’s pants, according to the lawsuit.
When she and her husband took the boy home, he told them that the 12-year-old had sexually abused him, the lawsuit said. He said the 12-year-old told him if he didn’t perform sex acts he couldn’t leave the closet and wouldn’t be allowed to ride on his scooter anymore, the court document said.
Later that evening, the boy told his parents that the abuse had been ongoing for some time and he detailed other incidents in which he was abused, according to the lawsuit.
The boy’s parents reported the abuse to authorities and had the boy treated at a hospital. They then informed the school, the court document said.
“At Perkiomen, we strive to create a school community that is not only enriching and joyful, but one rooted in respect and safety. This extends not only to our students, but to everyone who lives on, works at, and visits our campus,” Devey told McClatchy News in an email.
However, the boy’s parents didn’t hear from school officials about the matter for roughly two months after, the lawsuit said.
“Defendants abandoned John Doe and his parents to navigate the fear, anxiety, isolation, and trauma of the abuse,” the lawsuit said.
The 12-year-old’s father was permitted to continue coaching the boy’s basketball team, but the 12-year-old was not allowed on campus, the lawsuit said.
However, the lawsuit said the 12-year-old was able to “roam freely” nearby the school often playing “joyful and carefree” behind the housing where the 7-year-old lived.
The lawsuit said the school promised to provide safety and security for the Perkiomen School community, but failed to do so, the lawsuit said.
“Due to the sensitivity of the matters involved and our duty to protect the privacy of minors, it would be inappropriate to provide additional details or comment further at this time,” Devey told McClatchy News in an email. “The school will continue to act in the best interest of members of our entire community, with an eye toward safety, belonging and respect.”
The lawsuit is asking for more than $350,000 in damages.
Pennsburg is about a 50-mile drive northwest of Philadelphia.
This story was originally published December 17, 2024 at 1:17 PM with the headline "Boarding school failed to protect 7-year-old from sexual abuse by coach’s son, suit says."
