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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Attorney Mitchell Garabedian has filed a civil suit on behalf of three alleged sexual assault victims against the Archdiocese of Boston, with Cardinal Sean O'Malley, Bishop Robert Deeley, and Bishop Peter Uglietto named in the suit.
The three victims allege that Arlington Catholic High School's former vice principal Steven Biagioni sexually abused them while they were serving detention. According to the lawsuit, the alleged sexual abuse took place at the high school from around 2011 to 2016, when the victims were between 15 and 17 years old.
The suit claims Biagioni forced the victims to wrestle with him and with other boys at the school, and that Biagioni "engaged in explicit sexual behavior and lewd and lascivious conduct with Plaintiff John Doe I without Plaintiff John Doe I’s consent and against Plaintiff John Doe I’s will," the lawsuit reads.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Boston told WBZ NewsRadio that they generally do not comment on active litigation.
"That said, we understand that certain of the allegations in this lawsuit were brought to the attention of Arlington Catholic High School in 2016 and were reported to the appropriate law enforcement and child welfare authorities at that time as part of Arlington Catholic’s ongoing commitment to provide a safe environment for young people at the school. The administrator in question was subsequently removed from his position, and personnel from Arlington Catholic and the Archdiocese of Boston cooperated fully with the investigating authorities," the spokesperson said.
"Whatever the Archdiocese did was woefully inadequate," Garabedian told WBZ Wednesday. "I have represented two other individuals whose claims I have settled concerning Steven Biagioni and Arlington Catholic. It’s indicative of the fact that not much has changed within in the Archdiocese of Boston with regarding the prevention of sexual abuse of children by adults."
Garabedian, who has a history of representing clergy sexual abuse victims, directed further criticism towards Cardinal O'Malley, President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
"Cardinal O’Malley should be protecting children not only in Boston, but worldwide. But he’s failing, and the commission is failing," Garabedian said.
Garabedian added that although Biagioni is not named in the suit, he plans to depose the former vice principal.
WBZ's Nichole Davis (@NicholeDWBZ) reports.
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