health
New Orleans’ Jesuit high school agrees to pay seven figures to settle child molestation claim
Settlement over alleged child molestation by school janitors is latest in troubling string of allegations spanning decades
TL;DR
- Jesuit High School in New Orleans agreed to a seven-figure settlement to settle a child molestation lawsuit.
- The lawsuit alleged child sexual abuse by janitors in the 1970s.
- The settlement comes ahead of a scheduled trial.
- Testimony from former school presidents indicated multiple colleagues were credibly accused of child sexual assault.
- The school had previously paid at least seven out-of-court settlements related to a janitor named Peter Modica, who had a history of molesting boys.
- Current and former school presidents acknowledged past issues and hiring practices, including the failure to conduct background checks on Modica.
- The school's current president, Rev. John Brown, stated he would not reveal confessions to law enforcement, citing religious confidentiality.
- A previous president, Rev. Christopher Fronk, is alleged to have deleted emails relevant to potential litigation.
- The lawsuit is part of a larger pattern of abuse allegations linked to Catholic institutions in New Orleans.
- Louisiana law changes in 2021 and a subsequent court ruling have allowed for civil claims of childhood sexual abuse regardless of when the alleged molestation occurred.