Boston Sexual Abuse Lawyer Blog

Boy Scouts Ordered to Produce Confidential Files Dealing With History of Sex Abuse

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 15:59:10 -0500

A judge overseeing a lawsuit brought by the family of a California boy molested by his troop leader in 2007 has ordered the Boy Scouts of America to hand over confidential files detailing allegations of sexual abuse by Scout leaders around the nation.

The Associated Press reports on an LA TImes story that the Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge ruled that the Scouts must turn over the last 20 years' worth of records by Feb. 24, with victims' names removed. The files will not be made public.

Known as "ineligible volunteer files," the documents have been maintained since the 1920s and are intended to keep suspected molesters and others accused of misconduct out of Scouting. Scouts officials have resisted releasing them and won't discuss their contents, citing the privacy rights of victims and the fact that many files are based on unproven allegations. Other lawyers in other cases have occasionally succeeded in persuading court to order the Scouts to produce the files. I have personally been involved in litigation against the Scouts where the "ineligible volunteer files" were a contentious issue, and we were able to obtain some Massachusetts-related files from a confidential source.

Scouts officials generally deny that the files have been used to conceal sexual abuse.
"These files exist solely to keep out individuals whose actions are inconsistent with the standards of Scouting, and Scouts are safer because of them," Deron Smith, public relations director of Boy Scouts of America, told the Los Angeles Times.

The Santa Barbara case is considered significant because it seeks to unlock files that have never been turned over by the Scouts, including all since 2005. It also alleges wrongdoing that took place relatively recently, even as the Scouts have stepped up protective efforts.

The trial is scheduled for April, nearly five years after the boy, then 13, was molested by volunteer troop leader Al Stein at a Boy Scouts Christmas tree sale in Goleta. Stein pleaded no contest to felony child endangerment in 2009. He was sentenced to two years in prison but was paroled early and is living in a Salinas motel with other sex offenders, his attorney Steven Balash told the newspaper.

The victim's name has not been released. His mother claims that David Tate, then the Los Padres Council Scout executive, asked her not to call police after she reported her son's claim of abuse.
"He said that wasn't necessary, because the Scouts do their own internal investigation," said the woman, whose name the LA Times withheld to protect her son's identity. "I thought that was really weird... I thought it was really important to call the sheriff right away."

The lawsuit contends the Scouts knew or should have known that Stein had put the boy at risk and cites Tate's reluctance to call police as evidence of an effort to conceal widespread sexual abuse.

Tate, now a top Scouts official in New York, declined to comment to the LA Times.

The boy's lawyers contend the files will expose the Scouts' "culture of hidden sexual abuse" and its failure to warn boys, their parents and others about pedophiles in the ranks of one of the nation's oldest youth organizations. "They have created these ticking time bombs who are walking through society, and nobody knows their identities except the Scouts," said Timothy Hale.

Some of the estimated 5,000 files have surfaced in recent years as a result of lawsuits by former Scouts accusing the organization of failing to exclude known pedophiles, detect abuses and report offenders to police, and allowing predators to remain at large.

Judge rejects Oliva's motion to dismiss suit

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:46:50 -0500

A Queens, NY judge has rejected Bob Oliva's motion to dismiss the $20 million lawsuit filed by a man who was sexually abused by the former Christ the King Regional High School basketball coach.

The decision by Queens Supreme Court Judge Roger N. Rosengarten means the case will go to trial later this year unless Oliva's attorney, Henry Weil, files an appeal or Oliva reaches a settlement with the plaintiff, Jimmy Carlino.

"The trial will continue to expose Bob Oliva for the sexual predator that he is," Carlino's Boston-based attorney, Mitchell Garabedian, told the New York Daily News.

The Daily News reported that Oliva admitted in a Boston courtroom last year that he had sexually abused Carlino during a trip to Massachusetts in 1976, when Carlino was 14. Oliva was sentenced to probation for five years and required to register as a sex offender.

Weil had argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed because it was barred by the statute of limitations and Oliva had not been charged or convicted of abusing Carlino in New York.

Rosengarten wrote in his decision that under New York law, the clock on the statute of limitation is reset after a defendant is convicted of a crime -- and that it doesn't matter where the crime occurred or where the defendant was charged.

The lawsuit, filed on April 1, 2011, three days before Oliva pleaded guilty to two sex-abuse charges, says the disgraced former coach abused Carlino more than 100 times between 1974 and 1978. Most of the abuse took place in New York, the suit says, but Oliva also molested Carlino during out-of-state trips.

Another man told the Boston grand jury that indicted Oliva that the legendary coach had sexually abused him also.

Massachusetts priest denies child abuse allegation

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:49:58 -0500

The lawyer for a Plymouth (MA) priest placed on leave by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston pending an investigation into allegations of child sexual abuse dating to the early 1980s says his client has been wrongly accused.

The Rev. James Braley, pastor of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha parish, was placed on leave earlier in February. William Sullivan, the lawyer who represents Braley, told the Patriot Ledger that the charge is "unsupported, inaccurate and untruthful.''

Sullivan says Braley was shocked to learn of the allegation and wants to clear his name.

While on leave, the 62-year-old Braley is not allowed to present himself as a priest or perform any of the duties of a priest. He is also not allowed to live at the rectory.

Niece accuses Waltham man of rape

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:37:36 -0500

The Boston Globe reports that a Burlington woman has filed a civil lawsuit against her uncle, alleging that he raped her repeatedly as a child and subjected her to sexual abuse from 10 other men, before her family coerced her into signing an agreement absolving him from responsibility.

Rosanne Sliney, 48, filed a civil complaint in Middlesex Superior Court accusing Domenic A. Previte Jr., 70, of Waltham, of abuse and stating that he confessed to it years later in a signed letter to his niece. The Globe (and this blog) does not identify alleged victims of sexual abuse but the Globe used Sliney's name because she has chosen to go public with her allegations and she included her own name in the complaint.

"You were like a flower in springtime,'' Previte wrote in the letter, according to a copy included in Sliney's complaint. "I admired and respected you and loved you as my own daughter. . . . Somehow things got twisted. . . . I had confused my love for you with sex.''

The abuse at the hands of Previte occurred at locations including his home in Waltham, his car wash business in Cambridge, and a movie theater in Woburn, the complaint states.

Sliney contends the abuse began when she was 5 and lasted until she was about 14. Her family pressured her to sign an agreement in 1991 releasing Previte from any responsibility in exchange for a payment from him of $26,500, according to the complaint.

She alleges in the complaint that she did not understand the nature of the agreement that she signed in her late 20s, because of her damaged mental state after the abuse.

Though Sliney was told that Previte would take care of her for the rest of her life, the complaint states, her uncle has refused to pay thousands of dollars in medical bills related to mental health problems stemming from the abuse.

Sliney also asserts that she has begun during the last year to recall Previte forcing her to engage in sex acts with 10 other men, who are listed as codefendants in the lawsuit, but who are not identified by name.

The state corporations database lists Previte as the president of Previte Real Estate and Investments Inc. in Waltham, a business specializing in car wash purchases and sales.

Children's Hospital Seeks Dismissal of Levine Sex Case

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:42:10 -0500

A Suffolk Superior Court judge will decide whether to dismiss a lawsuit against Children's Hospital Boston, after hearing arguments this week on the suit filed on behalf of 11 people who say they were abused by pediatrician Melvin Levine, when he worked in North Carolina.

Levine, who has been accused of sexually abusing dozens of children during medical treatments, had been an esteemed doctor at Children's and later became a professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina Medical School in Chapel Hill. He committed suicide last February. A class action suit had been filed against him at the time, but Levine had never faced criminal charges stemming from the allegations.

The Boston lawsuit contends that Children's Hospital could have prevented the abuses alleged in North Carolina if it had reported earlier complaints made about the doctor.

The Boston Globe reports that attorneys for Children's Hospital argued in Court that the hospital had no duty to report complaints to institutions that employed Levine after he left Boston.

"There is simply no duty under Massachusetts law between Children's Hospital and these North Carolina plaintiffs," said Gail Ryan, an attorney for the hospital.

The lawsuit, she continued, could set a bad precedent.

"We're talking about fundamental notions of the meaning of negligence," the Globe quoted Ryan as saying. "[The lawsuit] would open up this court to any out-of-state litigant who wanted to come back in here and file a suit against any former employer for potential acts of their former employees years down the road."

But Mark Itzkowitz, an attorney for the North Carolina plaintiffs, told the Globe that the hospital had received complaints about the doctor as early as 1967, and should have suspected that potential abuses could occur at other hospitals.

"The public is reliant on the medical community to police its own physicians," Itzkowitz said.

Judge Merita Hopkins did not specify when she will make a decision on whether the suit can go forward.

Mass. inmate indicted in killing of fellow inmate

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:44:57 -0500

A Massachusetts grand jury has indicted a convicted murderer in the beating death of another inmate who was nearing the end of his sentence on a sexual abuse conviction.

Christopher Fletcher was indicted last week by a Norfolk County grand jury in the Dec. 12 death of Richard Silva at the state prison in Norfolk. The 64-year-old Silva was convicted in 2003 of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. He was scheduled to be released in March.

The 50-year-old Fletcher is currently serving a life sentence for the 1995 rape and murder of Elizabeth Salsbury of Lunenburg. Last month, Fletcher was indicted in the 1986 killing of Peggy Sue Calvillo, a mother of two from Sterling.

N.E. Conservatory Say They Have No Complaints About Peter Benjamin

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:12:09 -0500

The Boston Globe reports that New England Conservatory officials said they have received no complaints from students or alumni about a convicted sex offender hired by renowned conductor Benjamin Zander to make videos over the past decade.

Karen Schwartzman, a spokeswoman for the conservatory, would not confirm that Zander had been fired, but she said in a phone interview that his departure was warranted.
Zander believed Peter Benjamin was remorseful and determined to turn his life around.

Zander was one of numerous faculty members who used the services of Peter E. Benjamin, 68, but he was the only one to admit knowledge of the videographer's crimes. Zander has said he was fired after refusing to resign.

"His decision showed poor judgment,'' Schwartzman said. "The conservatory had no choice but to take the action it took.''

Benjamin spent five years in prison during the 1990s after pleading guilty to charges of rape and sex abuse. His case included allegations that he secretly videotaped himself having sex with three teenage boys.

Zander, 72, the revered conductor of the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and faculty member for the past 45 years, left a deep imprint on the thousands of students he inspired with rousing talks and exacting standards over more than four decades at the New England Conservatory, leaving many dismayed that he left on such a discordant note.

Schwartzman acknowledged during the weekend that the institution did not follow its own policies to protect children. She said that in November 2010 the school began screening its vendors for criminal backgrounds, not just staff and volunteers, which they had previously done to comply with state law. They did not check Benjamin's background, however.

Last week, school officials sent e-mails to some 6,500 current and former students and their families, explaining that they learned in mid-December that a videographer on campus was a convicted sex offender.

During the weekend, Zander sent a letter to his youth orchestra telling them he preferred to stay in a job he adored. He told them he knew Benjamin's crimes were of a "sexual nature,'' but he said he did not know details.

New England Conservatory officials yesterday said they have received no complaints from students or alumni about a convicted sex offender hired by renowned conductor Benjamin Zander to make videos over the past decade, and they defended the decision to cut ties with him last week.

Karen Schwartzman, a spokeswoman for the conservatory, would not confirm that Zander had been fired, but she said in a phone interview that his departure was warranted.
Zander believed Peter Benjamin (above) was profoundly remorseful and determined to turn his life around.

WBZTV

Zander believed Peter Benjamin (above) was profoundly remorseful and determined to turn his life around.

"There might be some who think that certain people in an organization can be held to a different standard, because of their prominence or because of the number of years they have been affiliated or because of their role or because of the degree to which they are revered,'' Schwartzman said. "But when an institution is presented with information that a senior faculty member has made a decision without consulting anyone else about bringing a sex offender on a campus that serves children, the organization has no choice but to take strong disciplinary measures.''

"His decision showed poor judgment,'' Schwartzman said. "The conservatory had no choice but to take the action it took.''

But in interviews on and off campus yesterday, students and their parents had mixed feelings about Zander's departure.

"Sometimes he does things that annoy people, but like a lot of students, I think [Zander] is a very, very, very great person,'' said Rafael Horowitz Friedman, 19, a freshman oboist. "I can see why the administration thought he used poor judgment. But is this the way to treat someone who had such a huge impact for so many years?''

While dropping his son off at the school, Bill McShane said he thought the administration responded in a "knee-jerk fashion.''

"You get the sense that the administration was reacting to national concerns,'' he said. "At the very least, I think Zander had the responsibility to inform the conservatory that he was employing a sex offender. But I still don't think I would have fired someone who has been there for so long and done so much good.''

"It seems unfair to me,'' said his son, Billy McShane, 19, a sophomore.

Others said the school, which could be held legally accountable for any crimes committed on campus, had no choice.

"Zander has been really great for the conservatory, and I think he's a fantastic musician,'' said Vani Jagannathan of Southborough, who has a son and daughter in the conservatory's youth program. "As a parent, my first obligation is to my child. If the university administration thinks they made the right decision, I support them.''

He also told students he thought his removal had been influenced by other events, including previous disagreements with conservatory president Tony Woodcock.

"I felt it was the right thing at the time to give this man a chance,'' Zander wrote. "I deeply regret the upset I have brought to you all inadvertently as a result of the way this has all played out.''

NY Man Arraigned on Sex Assault Charges

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:19:50 -0500

A Rochester, New York man was arraigned in Berkshire Superior Court on a sexual assault charge, as 29 year old BENJAMIN C. WILLSEA appeared before Judge Daniel Ford

WILLSEA had a not guilty plea entered on his behalf on one (1) count RAPE. Judge Ford released him on personal recognizance on the condition WILLSEA have no contact with the alleged victim.

It is alleged that WILLSEA sexually assaulted an 18 year old woman, in Stockbridge, on July 24, 2011. The investigation was conducted by members of the Stockbridge Police Department.

Worcester diocese requests priest defrocking

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:24:30 -0500

The Diocese of Worcester has asked the Vatican to defrock the Rev. Lowe B. Dongor, the Roman Catholic priest charged in September with possessing child pornography and stealing from his parish in Fitchburg, reports the Telegram and Gazette.

Church and law enforcement officials believe Rev. Dongor has fled the country and may have returned to his native homeland of the Philippines. A default warrant was issued for Rev. Dongor after the clergyman failed to show up for an Oct. 25, 2011 court hearing.

Chancery officials said they are seeking to oust Rev. Dongor in the wake of a "clarification" last spring by church officials in Rome that possession of child pornography is grounds for removal from the priesthood.

In May, the Vatican's Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith declared that "the acquisition, possession, and distribution of child pornography is a canonical delict that pertains to the sexual abuse of a minor."

State police have charged that one of Rev. Dongor's laptops contained images of girls around the ages of 10 and 11 in various states of undress. The priest also allegedly admitted to investigators that, on a number of occasions, he stole "$40 or $50" from St. Joseph Parish to send to his family in the Philippines, reports the Telegram and Gazette

Rev. Dongor is on administrative leave of absence and was relieved, in July, of his duties as associate pastor at St. Joseph's by Bishop Robert J. McManus.

Raymond L. Delisle, a spokesman for the diocese, said that Bishop McManus has asked Pope Benedict XVI to defrock Rev. Dongor in light of the pornography allegations.

Bishop McManus had written the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines warning that the priest may have returned home to the Southeast Asian islands nation.

In a letter to the Filipino prelates, the bishop said that Rev. Dongor left a note saying that he would be returning "home."

In November, the Philippine-based abs-cbnNEWS.com reported that the priest returned to his hometown of Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo, in October.

The website said that relatives, including Rev. Dongor's brother, Joey, were surprised by the visit.

Family members said they hadn't seen the priest in years and said they were shocked by the charges.

Timothy Connolly, a spokesman for District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr., said local authorities would move to extradite Rev. Dongor back to Massachusetts, if he is located, reports the Telegram and Gazette.

At this point, he said the DA's office has no solid information on Rev. Dongor's whereabouts.

"Once he's found, the wheels will be put in motion to bring him back," Mr. Connolly said.

Rev. Dongor, 35, was summoned to Fitchburg District Court on Sept. 9 on charges of larceny of property worth more than $250, larceny from a building and possession of child pornography.

He was released on personal recognizance.

Sex Abuse Allegations Surface in Waltham Schools

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:50:18 -0500

A former Waltham Public Schools student has filed a lawsuit alleging that a former Waltham High School principal failed to act on prior reports of sexual abuse by a teacher that could have prevented the teacher from abusing him.

Patch.com reports that former student and alleged victim, Michael Phillips Jr., in the lawsuit filed in Middlesex Superior Court on Dec. 16, claims that former Waltham High School Principal and School Committee member-elect John Graceffa failed to act on prior reports of sexual abuse against students by Robert Dacey a former drama teacher at John W. McDevitt Middle School, who died in 2007 while he was awaiting trial on sexual abuse charges.

Graceffa currently works as the dean of students at Arlington Catholic High School in Arlington, according to the Boston Globe.

Specifically, Phillips' attorney, Carmen Durso said that Graceffa had been informed three times in 2002 about prior acts of abuse by Dacey, but failed to take action about them.

Dacey allegedly abused Phillips, now 20, in 2005, while a student at McDevitt Middle School. Phillips, after being abused three times, reported it to police in August 2006, according to Durso.

Reached by Waltham Patch yesterday, Graceffa said he had "no idea" about the lawsuit and was shocked to learn about it from a reporter. When asked whether he planned to take his seat on the School Committee early next year, he said, "yes."

Specifically, the lawsuit claims Graceffa violated the state's law that mandates school officials report such incidents to police. The suit also claims the City of Waltham, also named as a defendant, violated Title IX, a federal law requiring schools to have procedures about notice, education and training for reporting sexual abuse.

"Waltham very likely has such procedures but they certainly were not followed in this case. If they had been, Michael ... probably would not have been abused," Durso said.

Dacey died in June 2007, reportedly from a heart attack, while awaiting trial on 17 felony charges of sexual intercourse with a child, assault with intent to rape, indecent assault and battery on child under the age of fourteen, indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14, indecent assault and battery on a child over the age of 14, enticement of a child and statutory rape of a child, according to the lawsuit. The charges stem from alleged abuse against three separate boys.

Dorchester school abuse fears not reported

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:55:50 -0500

The Boston Globe reports that the principal of the King K-8 School in Dorchester never alerted state authorities that a teacher's aide may have had inappropriate contact with a student last spring.

Massachusetts law requires school employees to report suspicions of child abuse to the state Department of Children and Families, but that law may provide some leeway. According to an informational pamphlet produced by the agency, professionals should immediately report cases when they "have reasonable cause to believe that a child under the age of 18 years is suffering from abuse and/or neglect.''

Whether this case rises to that "reasonable cause'' standard is the point of a review ordered by School Superintendent Carol R. Johnson. She has asked her staff to determine whether the King principal followed proper protocols in investigating the concern and in deciding not to file a report to the state.

"The principal investigated, and met with parents and staff members and concluded there was not sufficient information for action to be taken,'' the Globe reports quoted Johnson, who expects to have the review completed this week.

The teacher's aide, LaShawn Hill, subsequently transferred to Harbor Pilot Middle School, where he now stands accused of inappropriate conduct with a second student, who is autistic and unable to speak.

Johnson cautioned against hasty judgment against the King school principal. "I know the school leader cares about children and their well-being,'' she said. "We want to make sure when we speak about this we are accurate.''

In the allegations that surfaced Monday at the Harbor School, Johnson emphasized that the School Department took swift action, filing reports with both the police and the state. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Children and Families confirmed that it received a report about the Harbor incident and is investigating.

Hill's involvement with children extends beyond his job in the Boston schools, where he makes roughly $23,000 a year. A state-licensed family day-care center, Because the lil' Ones Count Too, operates out of his Dorchester home, according to the state Department of Early Education and Care.

In response to the allegations against Hill, the department, which licenses day-care programs, said it was opening an investigation into the center.

Hill, 33, who has been placed on administrative leave from the Harbor School and is facing termination, is expected to appear in court today after police issued a summons on a charge of lewd and lascivious conduct. Yesterday, he pleaded not guilty to five counts of larceny, accused of stealing laptop computers from the Harbor School.

Accused Brookline rabbi backs off plea deal, seeks jury trial

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:23:55 -0500

The Boston Globe reported today that a plea deal to resolve sexual abuse charges stemming from the alleged molestations of three former students of Brookline's Maimonides School collapsed at the last minute when Rabbi Stanley Z. Levitt decided that he would not plead guilty to the charges and would instead take his case to a jury.

With Levitt's alleged victims prepared to read victim impact statements concerning allegations dating to the mid-1970s, Levitt's attorney declared that although an agreement for a guilty plea had been reached, Levitt had changed his mind, the Globe reported.

The turnabout prompted harsh criticism of Levitt and his attorney, Scott Curtis, from Suffolk Superior Court Judge Carol S. Ball, who pointed out that two of the alleged victims had traveled a considerable distance to Boston in anticipation of witnessing an admission of guilt by Levitt. "I would have hoped you or your client would have had the courtesy to let these people know before traveling to Boston,'' Ball said, speaking to Curtis. "It's like adding insult to injury.''

At another point during the hearing, Ball added that it was "the height of discourtesy'' for Curtis not to inform prosecutors of Levitt's change of heart in time to allow the alleged victims and family members to change their travel plans.

Levitt, asked outside the courtroom if he had been discourteous to his alleged victims with his last-minute change of heart, said, "The only victim here is me.''

Michael Brecher, one of the three former sixth-graders who has accused Levitt of abuse, said prosecutors told him that Levitt backed out of the plea agreement at the last minute after refusing to admit his guilt in open court.

"He couldn't do what I have wanted him to do all along, which is to take responsibility for his actions,'' Brecher said.

With a trial date set for May 14, Curtis said Levitt's defense will be based on the fact that the allegations lodged against him are more than 35 years old.

BU's Trivino Faces Charges, Gets Kicked Off of Team

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:42:01 -0500

Boston University leading hockey scorer Corey Trivino, who was drafted by the New York Islanders in 2008, was arrested Sunday night and faces multiple charges stemming from an incident with a female student, the student newspaper BU Today reported Tuesday.

Men's hockey coach Jack Parker dismissed Trivino, a senior forward, from the team.

"He is no longer associated with the BU hockey team," Parker said, according to the newspaper.

Trivino was charged with three counts of indecent assault and battery, two counts of breaking and entering in the nighttime and one count of assault with attempt to rape for allegedly entering a woman's room and attempting to kiss and fondle her against her will.

Trivino, from Toronto, was arraigned Monday and pleaded not guilty. He either could pay $25,000 bail or surrender his Canadian passport, the newspaper reported. He was ordered to leave his BU dormitory.

Dean of students Kenneth Elmore told BU Today that Trivino can attend classes until he is suspended or expelled.

"We appreciate that the judge in this case takes the matter seriously," Elmore said, according to the newspaper. "He used his process and we will use ours as fast and as thoughtfully as we can to carefully listen to all the charges and make sure that no one is harmed."

Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Cameron Merrill told the court that witnesses claim that an intoxicated Trivino pushed his way into the woman's room and started kissing and fondling her against her will.

The woman told him to leave and he did, according to the newspaper. She then called BU police, who arrived a short time later and put Trivino under arrest.

Trivino leads Hockey East with 13 goals this season and is tied for eighth with 17 points.

Mass. child rape suspect arrested in New York City

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:36:56 -0500

Boston.com reports that a man wanted in Haverhill on a warrant accusing him of child rape has been arrested in New York City.

State police said 29-year-old Jose Alberto Gonzalez-Bonilla, also known as Jose B. Gonzalez, was traced to an address in Queens where New York City police found him hiding in a closet early Monday morning.

Haverhill police said he is accused of repeatedly raping an 11-year-old girl beginning in 2009.
State police said the Essex, Mass., district attorney's office will coordinate his return with New York authorities.

Former Red Sox Clubhouse Manager Accused of Assault Again

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:28:57 -0500

A former Boston Red Sox clubhouse manager, Donald Fitzpatrick, now deceased, is again the subject of Massachusetts sex crimes allegations, this time involving two former Boston Red Sox clubhouse attendants, who claim they were sexually assaulted by him in the early 1990's.

One of the victims alleges he was sexually assaulted in 1991 in the Boston Red Sox clubhouse restroom; the other victim alleges he was assaulted by Fitzpatrick when he was employed by the team as a clubhouse attendant.

Although Fitzpatrick passed away in 2005, the victims are still seeking compensation from the Boston Red Sox organization because he was employed by the team and the alleged assaults occurred on the team's property.

It has also been reported that 8 former clubhouse attendants had previously accused Fitzpatrick of sexual abuse. The Red Sox settled a lawsuit in 2003 with 7 men who alleged that they were molested during spring training sessions in the 1970's. In that case, the Boston Red Sox settled for $3.15 million. Additionally, in 2002, Fitzpatrick reportedly pled guilty to Sex Crimes Charges.