Germantown Academy wants to publicly name a student who’s suing the prestigious college-prep school for pervasive same-sex abuse.
School officials claim the young man doesn’t have a legal right to litigate under a pseudonym. But his attorneys say a pseudonym is needed to protect their client and his family.
“John Doe” filed suit against the school in February, claiming school officials facilitated pervasive same-sex abuse from participants in a swim program. The school is located in Whitemarsh Township, Montgomery County.
The alleged abuse of Doe includes being urinated on, being kneed in the genital area, being degraded “in any way possible” and threatened with anal rape, the suit states. The student no longer participates in the swim program. He wishes to remain anonymous, in order to avoid further embarrassment, humiliation and harassment, according to his attorneys.
In court papers, school officials note that Doe is an adult. They say it’s unfair for Doe to remain anonymous while his attorneys publicly criticize the school. They also raised the possibility of publicly naming Doe in future pleadings.
Attorneys for Doe called the school’s desire to publicly identify their client “outrageous.”
“This attempt to force [Doe] to disclose his identity in public pleadings is nothing more than an additional attempt to intimidate [Doe],” according to Doe’s attorneys.
School officials recently reiterated their position that Doe should be publicly named.
“While [Doe] hides his identity, he readily identifies members of Germantown Academy who are not parties to the instant action or accused of misconduct, and who deserve the same kind of privacy [Doe] seeks,” the school’s filing states.
The school’s filing also notes that Doe would have a “tactical advantage” during potential settlement talks if he’s permitted to remain anonymous.
“[Doe] is not really concerned about public stigma, given his continual efforts to bring as much media attention to this matter as his counsel can garner,” the filing adds. “[Doe] wants the freedom to remain anonymous but is happy to give this case as much publicity as he can.”
According to court records, Doe was prescribed several antidepressants to help him cope with the alleged mistreatment.
Doe’s counts against the school include negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent failure to rescue, failure to report suspected child abuse, false light and defamation.
The case remains pending in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court. Doe is seeking in excess of $50,000 in compensatory and punitive damages and has requested a jury trial.