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	Almost a Jury in Reardon Case By Edmund H. Mahony The Hartford Courant March 11, 2011 http://www.courant.com/community/waterbury/hc-reardon-jurors-0312-20110311,0,6283395.story Six jurors and an alternate have been selected for the first lawsuit to proceed to trial against St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center by victims who say they were sexually abused by Dr. George Reardon. About 90 adults have lawsuits pending in which they claim that, as children, Reardon photographed and abused them under the guise of long-term study of growth patterns among children and adolescents. Reardon, of West Hartford, died in 1998. He was the chief of endocrinology at St. Francis from 1963, when he joined the hospital, until 1993, when abuse allegations had became public and he retired in an effort to stop a state investigation. A six-person jury will hear the first case. Superior Court Judge Dan Shaban has instructed lawyers to seat four alternates, meaning three more must be chosen. Jury selection continues next week. The first trial is scheduled to begin April 5. Shaban has not established a schedule for subsequent trials. About 60 suits have been excluded from trial because the abuse they allege falls outside the statute of limitations. The suits assert that St. Francis funded Reardon's research and agreed to ensure that it was conducted under recognized standards. The victims claim the hospital was negligent by failing to supervise Reardon and protect his subjects Hospital lawyers decline to discuss their defense. In the past, the hospital has said that Reardon was uncannily successful in keeping whatever he did secret, that the hospital never got a complaint from a child or a parent, and that Reardon resigned when credible complaints became known. Reardon is suspected of having abused as many of 500 children after persuading their parents to enroll them in his growth study. Thousands of pornographic, photographic images were found hidden in his home after his death. The case against him is believed to be one of the largest of its kind. Contact: emahony@courant.com
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