By Michael P. Mayko Updated 12:34 pm EST, Friday, January 25, 2019
Fairfield University and four affiliated religious and charitable organizations today settled a series of lawsuits alleging sexual abuse in a school for homeless boys founded and operated by Douglas Perlitz with the help of several Catholic charitable organizations.
Today’s action is the second global settlement of civil suits brought on behalf of young Haitian boys by Mitchell Garabedian, a Boston-based lawyer who has built a reputation for bringing sexual abuse suits against Catholic priests and employees throughout the United States. In 2013 he settled 23 similar lawsuits for $12 million on behalf of 24 boys.
“A significant proportion of the funds to be used in the University’s contribution to the settlement will come through a University Insurance carrier,” Fairfield University said in a statement regarding today’s action.
“The University has been planning for this litigation, and any difference has been allocated for and will not have material impact on the financial integrity of the University or its day-to-day operations in serving our students, faculty and the broader Fairfield Community. We will continue to make investments to enhance our facilities and our faculty to ensure that we provide a world-class education to our students.”
The lawsuit - and several other earlier ones - arise out of a three-phase program to feed, clothe, shelter and education street boys in Haiti. The program was designed by Douglas Perlitz, a 1992 Fairfield University graduate who the school chose as its 2002 commencement speaker.
Seven years later, Perlitz was arrested on charges of sexually abusing dozens of boys he was supposed to be helping. A joint investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Bureau, Haitian National Police and the United Nations led to his arrest, conviction and incarceration. He is due to be released in 2026 from his 19-year, 7-month federal prison sentence.
The lawsuit was filed in 2013 by Mitchell Garabedian, a Boston lawyer on behalf of boys who claim Perlitz sexually abused them while they were participants in his Project Pierre Toussaint program in Cap-Haitien, Haiti's second largest city.
Garabedian and Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC said the class action settlement, subject to court approval, has been reached for the minor victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by , Father Paul E. Carrier, S.J., or anyone else affiliated with the school and programs commonly known as “Project Pierre Toussaint” or “PPT” of Haiti. The proposed class action settlement is embodied in a settlement agreement that provides for creation of a Settlement Fund in the amount of $60,000,000 and a separate Settlement Administration Fund in the amount of $1,200,000.
“What we learned in these cases is that impoverished Haitian children were sexually abused and then left in pain, agony and without hope.” said Garabedian, co-lead counsel in these cases with Paul J. Hanly, Jr. of Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC.
The supervisors of Douglas Perlitz alleged to be negligent in their supervision of Douglas Perlitz were Father Paul E. Carrier, S.J., Hope E. Carter, Fairfield University, The Society of Jesus of New England, the Order of Malta, and Haiti Fund, Inc. The supervisors of Father Paul E. Carrier, S.J., alleged to be negligent in their supervision of Father Paul E. Carrier, S.J., were Fairfield University, The Society of Jesus of New England, and Haiti Fund, Inc.
In 2013, the same defendants paid $12 million to settle similar claims brought by 24 other young men for Perlitz’s sexual abuse of them when they were minors.
In 2013, Garabedian settled 23 similar lawsuits for $12 million filed on behalf of 24 boys who accused Perlitz of abusing them.
Lawyers said the $12 million from that settlement came primarily from insurance policies held by the other defendants. The defendants include the Rev. Paul E. Carrier, the former chaplain of Fairfield University and a former officer of the Haiti Fund Inc., which served as Project Pierre Toussaint's nonprofit fundraising arm. Also named in the lawsuit are: the Haiti Fund Inc.; Fairfield University; the Society of Jesus of New England; Carrier's religious order; the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, American Association, U.S.A. -- which provided the start-up grant and additional money to Perlitz's programs -- and for which Carrier served as a magistral chaplain. Hope Carter, a New Canaan philanthropist, Malta member and former member of the Haiti Fund's board of directors, and seven unidentified people, are also named.
In 2011, nearly $49,000 was seized from his accounts and distributed to the 16 victims identified in the criminal case built against him by the Haitian National Police, Assistant U.S. Attorney Krishna Patel and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Custom Enforcement Division.
https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/60M-deal-settles-sex-abuse-claims-against-13561016.php
