NEW YORK
New York Daily News
BY MICHAEL O’KEEFFE / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2013
An attorney for St. Francis Prep says it is inappropriate for a former student who claims she was sexually harassed by a Spanish teacher to sue the school under a fictitious name, according to papers filed in Brooklyn federal court this week.
But “Jane Doe” says she has to pursue the civil suit she filed in June anonymously because the harassment and bullying from Brother Ben O’Reilly contributed to the mental illness that caused her to abuse alcohol and attempt suicide.
If U.S. District Judge Sterling Johnson rules she can’t remain anonymous, Doe said, future employers and school admissions officers would learn the most intimate details of her life simply by searching Google for her name.
“It is extremely important for me to remain anonymous because the case contains a lot of details about my medical history,” Doe said. “I was sexually abused as a child, I’ve battled with substance abuse, I’ve had suicide attempts. I’m in my early 20s. If I were to go public, this would follow me for the rest of my life.”
The suit filed in June on behalf of Doe and another former student, as well as an ex-St. Francis Prep teacher, claims the Queens school ignored sexual and physical abuse by longtime assistant football coach Robert Stenger. St. Francis Prep, the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn — the order that operates the school — and longtime principal Brother Leonard Conway are listed as defendants in the suit.
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