Advocates are calling on Saint John’s to address allegations of abuse

SHREWSBURY, Mass. – Lawyers are calling on Saint John’s High School to address allegations of sexual assault that allegedly took place in the 1960s.

Spectrum News 1 spoke to attorney Mitchell Garabedian and he said no legal action had been taken yet, but attorney Robert Hoatson said if they had to, they would.

Hoatson is a sexual assault survivor and former priest who founded the nonprofit Road to Recovery, a charity that supports victims of sexual abuse and their families. Hoatson says three brothers who attended Saint John’s in the 1960s claim they were sexually abused by a former lay teacher at the school.

The brothers allege that Richard Doyle, a former teacher at Saint John’s who died in 1976, sexually abused them multiple times when they were students. The brothers say they have dealt with severe trauma in recent years. Hoatson was alone outside Worcester City Hall, holding signs that read, “Xavierian Brothers: Stop Ignoring Victims of Abuse.”

“I came to City Hall because the people of Worcester and the Diocese of Worcester, the Catholic Diocese of Worcester, should be informed about what is happening at Saint John’s High School,” Hoatson said. “And I hope that some of the ladies and gentlemen who occupy these very fancy office buildings and are graduates of Saint John’s High School will take notice and put pressure on the Xaverian brothers to do the right thing.”

Spectrum News 1 I contacted Saint John’s on Tuesday. Principal Alex Zequiera said the school had no further comment.

Hoatson says he plans to post signs outside the school and throughout the area for as long as he feels it’s necessary.