Parents Sue St. Paul's School For Sexual Assault
Parents of students of an elite prep school filed a sexual assault case against St. Paul's School. The school reportedly fostered and condoned a practice known as Senior Salute, a game of sexual contest that involved upperclassmen keeping score on the number of younger students they had sex with.
The complaint was filed Wednesday by Steven J. Kelly, who served as lead counsel for the parents of the girls. The lawsuit claimed that the school showed negligence in its most basic obligation of providing protection to the children entrusted to its care. The most recent victim was a 15-year old freshman.
The older student Owen Labrie from Tunbridge, Vermont was charged with misdemeanor, sexual assault and felony after using a computer to convince an underaged girl to have sex with him. He was, hoever, cleared of rape. He was sentenced with a one year prison term but is currently out on bail pending appeal.
According to Kelly, the school is aware of Senior Salute yet did nothing to stop it. Aside from negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress, the lawsuit also accuses St. Paul's of failing to support the girl. The case alleged that the victim was shunned, ignored, and mocked by the school community. It seeks unspecified damages from the school.
St. Paul's, a private Episcopal coed school for Grade 9 – 12 students denied the accusations. In a statement, the school said the case has no merit and that it plans to defend itself. They stated that the safety of their students has always been and will remain to be their highest priority.
20-year old Owen Labrie was 18 years old when the incident happened. He was a scholar and the captain of the school's soccer team. During the trial, he denied that he had sexual intercourse with the girl. Their sexual encounter happened in the attic mechanical room of the school's math and science building. In August 2014, he was acquitted of rape but was given the guilty verdict on three misdemeanor counts of statutory rape and a felony charge for his use of a computer to lure a minor for sex.
In October of that year, he was sentenced to a one-year imprisonment, five years of probation, and lifetime registry as sex offender. His legal team is headed by the ex-president of the New Hampshire Bar Association.
Owen Labrie was set to take divinity classes in Harvard University. His arrest, however, put those plans on hold.