The Portsmouth Abbey Sexual Abuse Case: What Happened and What Rhode Island's 2026 Window Changes
Portsmouth Abbey School disclosed in 2017 that an outside investigation had found credible allegations of sexual abuse by two Benedictine monks between 1959 and the early 1980s. A separate federal lawsuit over different, more recent allegations, Doe v. Order of St. Benedict in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, ended in 2024 in two steps: in February 2024 the court ruled that the claim against the Order, which owns and runs the school, was filed too late under the law that applied at the time, and in July 2024 the rest of the case was dismissed by agreement "with prejudice." This page explains both threads, what the Attorney General's March 2026 report says about Portsmouth Abbey, and how Rhode Island's new July 2026 revival window may — and may not — change things for anyone considering a claim today.
Filing Deadline: June 30, 2028
Rhode Island's revival law, R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-51(a)(3), lets survivors bring previously time-barred claims against institutions through June 30, 2028. Whether that includes a new claim against Portsmouth Abbey or the Order of St. Benedict is untested law; we could not confirm any lawsuit against either since the window opened on July 1, 2026.
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What Happened at Portsmouth Abbey
In August 2017, Portsmouth Abbey School disclosed that an investigation — identified by Patch as having been conducted by the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton — had found credible allegations of sexual abuse by two Benedictine monks between 1959 and the early 1980s, according to the Associated Press. The school said one of the two monks had since died and the other was critically ill, and that the abbey would fund therapy for those abused. The investigation began after the school's chancellor resigned in 2016; the firm initially reported no findings that he did anything illegal, but responses to that inquiry surfaced the new allegations against the two monks, who the Associated Press reported had been accused before.
Separately, a federal lawsuit — Doe v. Order of St. Benedict in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, No. 1:20-cv-00500 (D.R.I.) — concerned different, more recent allegations: a former student who attended the school from September 2010 to May 2014 said a teacher sexually abused her while she was a student there, and that school administrators failed to report and prevent the abuse despite receiving warnings. That case, filed December 1, 2020, is not about the two monks from the 2017 disclosure. The claim against the Order itself ended with a February 2024 ruling that it had been filed too late — not a ruling on whether the underlying allegations were true — and a final judgment for the Order on March 13, 2024; the rest of the case was dismissed by agreement "with prejudice" on July 31, 2024.
Case Details
The provision at the center of both this history and the current 2026 filing wave is Rhode Island's revival window, R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-51(a)(3), signed by Governor Dan McKee on June 11, 2026, according to Rhode Island Current, and in effect from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, according to the Boston Globe. The 2020 federal lawsuit against the Order of St. Benedict was decided under an earlier version of Rhode Island law: a 2019 amendment to § 9-1-51 extended the filing deadline to 35 years and applied it to institutions as well, but for institutions only going forward: a claim against an institution that had already expired stayed expired, while expired claims against the person who committed the abuse were revived. The Rhode Island Supreme Court confirmed in Houllahan v. Gelineau, 296 A.3d 710, 720 (R.I. 2023), that the 2019 law did not revive institutional claims that were already time-barred. The 2026 window is what changes that going forward; it did not exist when the Portsmouth Abbey case was decided. This is general information about Rhode Island law, not advice about any particular case.
Where Things Stand
We could not confirm any lawsuit filed against Portsmouth Abbey School or the Order of St. Benedict in Portsmouth since Rhode Island's revival window opened on July 1, 2026. Some law firm websites advertise that people affected "may now have legal options," but that is attorney marketing, not evidence of a filed case. A search of the Rhode Island Judiciary's public court portal for filings against Portsmouth Abbey was blocked by the portal's CAPTCHA, so this remains an open question, not a finding that no lawsuit exists.
One point worth clarifying: a Catholic parish called St. Barnabas Church Corporation, also located in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, is named as a defendant among the current cases filed by attorneys Decof, Mega & Quinn since July 1, 2026, according to the Providence Journal. St. Barnabas is a parish of the Diocese of Providence — a separate entity from Portsmouth Abbey School and the Order of St. Benedict, which are not part of the diocese.
The Attorney General's March 2026 report on the Diocese of Providence does not include Portsmouth Abbey among the 72 clergy summarized in its main list, Appendix A, and does not list the Abbey among the Rhode Island schools where, according to the report, accused clergy served. The two monks from the 2017 disclosure instead appear in the report's Appendix C, a list of clergy "credibly accused by another diocese or religious order" — not the Attorney General's own determination. For each entry, the report adds a footnote: "The abuse reportedly occurred in Rhode Island at Portsmouth Abbey, but this Office was unable to independently verify the allegations." The report's introduction states more broadly that, as of publication, the Office had not received information supporting a finding that any of the religious-order clergy in Appendix C were credibly accused of abuse in Rhode Island specifically. Neither monk is named on this page, and Portsmouth Abbey does not appear on the Diocese of Providence's own credibly-accused list either.
Who Might Still Have a Claim
Rhode Island's 2026 revival window applies to claims against institutions generally — not just the Diocese of Providence, but any institution, including a school like Portsmouth Abbey or a religious order like the Order of St. Benedict — where negligent supervision, hiring, failure to report, or concealment of childhood sexual abuse is alleged, through June 30, 2028. Separately, the regular filing deadline for a childhood sexual abuse claim against any party is now 35 years from the survivor's 18th birthday, or 7 years from when the survivor discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, that an injury was caused by the abuse, whichever is later.
Whether either rule helps anyone abused at Portsmouth Abbey is untested. Two open questions we did not find any court ruling on:
- Cases a court has already decided: Rhode Island Current reported on June 1, 2026 that the Senate version of the bill, which both chambers then passed in identical form, "now preserves prior court judgments," unlike an earlier draft that would have let people whose lawsuits were dismissed because the filing deadline had expired bring their cases again. How that applies to any earlier case is a question for a licensed attorney; we found no court ruling on it.
- A new claim by anyone else: the 2026 window's text revives institutional claims that were previously time-barred — exactly the kind of claim the court rejected against the Order of St. Benedict in 2024, on the ground that the law then in effect did not revive already-expired claims against institutions. No court has yet ruled on how the 2026 law applies to a new claim against Portsmouth Abbey or the Order of St. Benedict specifically.
This is a legal question that depends on the facts of an individual case — something to discuss with a licensed attorney.
Compensation: What Exists and What Doesn't
We could not find any settlement, compensation fund, or claim form connected to Portsmouth Abbey or the Order of St. Benedict for claims filed since July 1, 2026. In 2017, the school said the abbey would fund therapy for those abused by the two monks named in that year's disclosure, according to the Associated Press — but that is not a settlement fund or a claim process, and we found no further detail about how it worked or who was eligible.
In the 2020 federal lawsuit, court records show settlement conferences before Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan in May and June 2024; the parties then filed a joint stipulation dismissing the remaining claim "with prejudice" on July 22, 2024, which the court entered on July 31, 2024. We could not confirm whether a settlement was reached or what, if anything, was paid. Any amount you hear quoted for a Portsmouth Abbey claim, before a lawyer has reviewed your situation, is a guess, not an appraisal.
Timeline
- 1
August 2017 — School discloses abuse findings
Portsmouth Abbey School said an investigation had found credible allegations of sexual abuse by two Benedictine monks between 1959 and the early 1980s, according to the Associated Press; Patch identified the investigating law firm as Debevoise & Plimpton. The school said the abbey would fund therapy for those abused.
- 2
December 1, 2020 — Federal lawsuit filed
Doe v. Order of St. Benedict in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, No. 1:20-cv-00500, was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, alleging the school failed to report and prevent abuse of a student by a teacher between 2010 and 2014 despite receiving warnings.
- 3
August 2021 — Motion to dismiss largely denied
District Judge William E. Smith rejected the Abbey's statute-of-limitations defense as a ground for dismissal, according to the Newport Daily News; the court granted the Order's motion only to the extent the negligence claim relied on a duty the Order allegedly owed the plaintiff after she graduated.
- 4
February 9, 2024 (published Feb. 16) — Summary judgment for the Order
The court granted summary judgment to the Order of St. Benedict, ruling the claim against the institution was time-barred: the three-year deadline that applied to institutions had run by October 2017, and a 2019 law extending deadlines to 35 years did not revive institutional claims, citing Houllahan v. Gelineau (R.I. 2023).
- 5
March 13, 2024 — Final judgment entered
The court entered final judgment for the Order of St. Benedict under Rule 54(b), on the parties' joint request, closing the claim against the institution while the case against the individual defendant continued toward a scheduled jury trial.
- 6
July 31, 2024 — Remaining claim dismissed
After settlement conferences before Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan in May and June 2024, the parties filed a joint stipulation on July 22, 2024 dismissing the remaining claim "with prejudice," and the court entered it on July 31, 2024, closing the case.
- 7
July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028 — Rhode Island's revival window
Rhode Island's new law reopens previously time-barred institutional claims for childhood sexual abuse through June 30, 2028 — the same type of claim the court rejected against the Order of St. Benedict in 2024, but under a law that did not yet exist. We could not confirm any lawsuit against Portsmouth Abbey or the Order under this window as of September 29, 2026.
What Can Mislead Survivors
Confusion around Portsmouth Abbey tends to come from advertising and from mixing up separate cases and entities — not from a single scam artist, but the effect on someone deciding whether to come forward can be the same.
"There's a Portsmouth Abbey settlement fund you can file a claim against"
We could not find any compensation fund or claim form tied to Portsmouth Abbey or the Order of St. Benedict. Law firm advertising stating that people affected "may now have legal options" is marketing for that firm's services, not evidence that a fund or program exists. A genuine claim here is a lawsuit filed by a licensed attorney in court, not a form filled out online.
"The 2024 ruling means the abuse never happened" — or that no one can sue at all
Neither is accurate. The court's 2024 ruling decided only that the claim against the Order of St. Benedict was filed too late under the law that applied at the time — it made no finding on whether the underlying allegations were true. Separately, Rhode Island's 2026 law changed the filing deadlines that applied in 2024 for institutions, though no court has yet ruled on how that change applies to a new Portsmouth Abbey claim.
Anyone asking for money upfront, or confusing Portsmouth Abbey with a different defendant
Be cautious of anyone who asks for payment or banking details before a licensed attorney has reviewed your situation. And if you see a defendant list from the current wave of lawsuits, check the name carefully — a Catholic parish called St. Barnabas Church, also located in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, has been named as a defendant in some 2026 filings; it is a separate parish, not Portsmouth Abbey School or the Order of St. Benedict.
Common Questions
What is the Portsmouth Abbey sexual abuse case?
It refers to two related but separate matters. In August 2017, Portsmouth Abbey School disclosed that an investigation had found credible allegations of sexual abuse by two Benedictine monks between 1959 and the early 1980s. Separately, a federal lawsuit, Doe v. Order of St. Benedict in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, No. 1:20-cv-00500, alleged the school failed to report and prevent abuse of a student by a teacher between 2010 and 2014; the claim against the Order that runs the school was rejected in February 2024 on statute-of-limitations grounds, not on the facts, and the rest of the case was dismissed by agreement "with prejudice" in July 2024.
What did the 2017 investigation into Portsmouth Abbey find?
According to the Associated Press, an investigation identified by Patch as conducted by the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton found credible allegations of sexual abuse by two Benedictine monks between 1959 and the early 1980s. The school said one monk had since died and the other was critically ill, and that the abbey would fund therapy for those abused.
Is Portsmouth Abbey on the Attorney General's list of credibly accused clergy?
Not on the main list. The Attorney General's March 2026 report on the Diocese of Providence summarizes 72 clergy in Appendix A, and Portsmouth Abbey does not appear there or among the Rhode Island schools the report names. The two monks from the 2017 disclosure instead appear in the report's Appendix C, a list of clergy credibly accused by other dioceses or religious orders; the report states for each that it "was unable to independently verify the allegations." Portsmouth Abbey and the Order of St. Benedict are not part of the Diocese of Providence.
What happened in Doe v. Order of St. Benedict in Portsmouth, Rhode Island?
Filed December 1, 2020, in U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, the lawsuit alleged the school failed to report and prevent a teacher's abuse of a student between 2010 and 2014. In February 2024, the court granted summary judgment to the Order because the institutional claim was filed too late. Final judgment for the Order followed on March 13, 2024, and the remaining claim was voluntarily dismissed "with prejudice" on July 31, 2024.
Why did the court dismiss the claim against the Order of St. Benedict?
On timing, not on the facts. The court ruled the claim was barred by the three-year deadline that applied to institutions before 2019, which had run by October 2017; the lawsuit wasn't filed until December 2020. A 2019 law extended the deadline to 35 years, but for institutions it applied only going forward; it did not revive claims against institutions that had already expired, as the Rhode Island Supreme Court confirmed in Houllahan v. Gelineau (2023). The plaintiff argued it was "more than coincidence" that a chain of referrals starting with the school led her to firms "associated with representing the Catholic Church in sexual abuse matters", but the court found "no factual basis" for that argument and called the underlying facts "clearly troubling" while still applying the deadline.
Does Rhode Island's 2026 revival window change anything for Portsmouth Abbey?
It changes the deadline problem going forward, but no court has ruled on how it applies here. The 2026 window, in effect from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, revives previously time-barred institutional claims — the same type of claim the court rejected against the Order of St. Benedict in 2024, under a law that did not exist yet. Rhode Island Current reported on June 1, 2026 that the final law "now preserves prior court judgments," unlike an earlier draft; how that applies to an earlier case, and whether a new claim against Portsmouth Abbey would succeed, are open legal questions.
Has anyone sued Portsmouth Abbey since the window opened on July 1, 2026?
We could not confirm one. Some law firm websites advertise that people abused at Portsmouth Abbey "may now have legal options," but that is attorney marketing, not a filed lawsuit. A search of the Rhode Island court portal for filings against Portsmouth Abbey was blocked by the portal's CAPTCHA, so this remains an open question rather than a confirmed answer either way.
Is Portsmouth Abbey the same as St. Barnabas Church in Portsmouth, Rhode Island?
No. St. Barnabas Church Corporation is a Catholic parish in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and a defendant named among cases filed by the law firm Decof, Mega & Quinn since July 1, 2026. It is part of the Diocese of Providence. Portsmouth Abbey School and the Order of St. Benedict, which runs the school, are separate from the diocese; we did not find them in the published list of those defendants, but we could not search the court records to confirm.
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