Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Steve Badt, who now works at a Washington soup kitchen, the latest alleged victim to come forward.
Steve Badt said he recently had a conversation with his 8-year-old son about what had happened to him as a teenager. On Tuesday, standing on the grounds of the Morris County Courthouse, Badt, 44, a former Parsippany resident and Delbarton School graduate, spoke of the sexual abuse that took place at the hands of a monk at the Morris Township Catholic school between 1979 when he was in the seventh grade, and 1985, when he was in the 12th grade. Badt, and another former Delbarton student who remained unnamed, joined an existing lawsuit against St. Mary’s Abbey, which operates Delbarton. The original suit was filed in March by Phillipsburg attorney Gregory G. Gianforcaro on behalf of twin brothers William Crane Jr., and Thomas Crane, formerly…
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Also, Travers leaves St. Mary's Abbey
- POLICE & FIRE
-
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
An attorney says the ex-Delbarton School headmaster and monk facing allegations of sexual misconduct took and passed two lie detector tests, according to a report on NJ.com. The statement comes just days after the same former headmaster, the Rev. Luke Travers, severed ties with St. Mary's Abbey, which directs the school. "He is no longer the responsibility of the abbey," Abbey spokesman Anthony Cicatiello told NJ.com. The site reported that attorney Gerard Hanlon of Morristown said Travers took the lie detector tests because he's adamant he's done nothing wrong, and wanted to demonstrate it. Allegations of misconduct mounted over the past year. The school first acknowledged publically in January Travers was being investigated for what it …
Monday, March 19, 2012
Press conference scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday outside the Morris County Courthouse, in Morristown.
The attorney for several men alleging sexual abuse by former Delbarton School headmaster Luke Travers, and another St. Mary's Abbey monk, is scheduled to hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday in front of the Morris County Courthouse, where he will formally announce that his clients have filed a lawsuit against Delbarton and St. Mary's Abbey, which runs the Morris Township-based Catholic school. According to a press release issued by Phillipsburg attorney Gregory Gianforcaro on Monday, the suit refers to "abuse by Rev. Luke Travers, OSB, former headmaster at Delbarton School and Rev. Justin Capato, OSB, current parochial vicar at Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish," in Cedar Knolls. The press release notes that "at least three …
Monday, February 20, 2012
Governor asked to appoint a special prosecutor to probe allegations of sexual misconduct by Delbarton's former headmaster
An activist who has publicized accusations of sexual misconduct at Delbarton School says he's called on Gov. Chris Christie for help addressing the allegations, but gotten no reply. On Jan. 23, Patrick Marker wrote a notarized letter to Christie, himself a parent of Delbarton students, requesting the governor take action regarding Delbarton and its sponsor, St. Mary's Abbey. He said the governor should appoint a special prosecutor to “conduct interviews and review abbey personnel files, Abbey Review Board notes, and Delbarton School files for any indication of conspiracy, deception, corruption and intimidation.” It's been a month, and Marker said he's gotten no response. Calls to Christie's office this week by Patch went unanswered as well…
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Abbey says investigations continue, no word yet on any charges.
A victims advocate says at least five people are now accusing a former Delbarton School headmaster of making sexual advances toward them. The latest is a former Morris County resident who now lives in North Carolina. In a notarized statement released by advocate Patrick J. Marker, the alleged victim says the Rev. Luke Travers "kissed my neck and then put his cheek on my cheek" during an intimate confessional session. "Only recently have I begun to understand the effect that Father Luke’s actions had in my life. I do not wish similar pain or confusion on any person," the alleged victim says in the letter. In January, Marker said that alleged victim had not filed charges with any agency. It was not clear if that remained the case. Marker—…
Friday, January 13, 2012
Victims' advocate describes alleged sexual misconduct
- POLICE & FIRE
-
Friday, January 13, 2012
Note: This story was last updated at approximately 4 p.m. Friday to include further comment from a firm representing St. Mary's Abbey and Delbarton School, as well as comment from victims advocate Patrick J. Marker. A monk who served as the headmaster of Delbarton School in Morris Township is being investigated for what the school called a "minor boundary violation with an adult," in a letter to its community. But victims advocate Patrick J. Marker says the Rev. Luke Travers, who was Delbarton's headmaster from 1999 through 2007, violated sacred trusts in coming on to a student and trying to get the student to run away with him. "Although the matter has been reported in the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, the conduct is not criminal and…
Dennis Stawarski
12:45 am on Sunday, October 7, 2012
I am shocked and surprised with Benedict Worry. I went to St. Rose of Lima school with him in the 1950's-60's, we had graduated same class. I intend to follow the story and I sincerely hope justice will be served. Clergy of any kind are not above the law, and should be properly held accountable for crimes. more ›