St. George's School Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
St. George's School in Middletown, Rhode Island, was the subject of an independent investigation that a survivors' attorney called "the most comprehensive accounting to date of sexual abuse at an American boarding school": a 390-page report released in September 2016, a month after the school reached a financial settlement with 29 alumni. That was ten years before Rhode Island opened a new window letting survivors bring childhood sexual abuse claims that would otherwise be too old to file. This page sets out what the 2016 investigation actually found, what the school settled and did not disclose, and what the 2026 law changes for anyone connected to the school whose claim was previously time-barred.
The deadline is June 30, 2028
Rhode Island's revived statute of limitations lets survivors of childhood sexual abuse at institutions — including private schools like St. George's — file claims that would otherwise be time-barred, through June 30, 2028. The window opened July 1, 2026.
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$176,400 — $327,600
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the 2016 Investigation Found
In January 2016, St. George's School and the survivors' group SGS for Healing jointly appointed attorney Martin F. Murphy of the Boston firm Foley Hoag to investigate decades of alleged sexual abuse at the school. The resulting 390-page report, released September 1, 2016, was built on accounts from 61 alumni, according to the Boston Globe. Of those 61, 51 said the people who abused them were faculty or staff, and an additional 10 reported abuse by classmates. The school acknowledged failure in blunt terms: the Boston Globe quoted Leslie Heaney, head of the school's board of trustees, stating that "it is now quite clear that the school repeatedly failed to respond appropriately when reports of sexual abuse were brought to the attention of administrators and teachers." No one named in the report as an alleged abuser is identified on this page; the report itself is a privately commissioned investigation, not a criminal or regulatory finding of guilt against any individual.
Case Details
This page relies on Boston Globe and CNN reporting on the school's 2016 Foley Hoag investigation and settlement, and on the text of Rhode Island's revived statute of limitations, R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-51, as amended by H 7200 Sub A / S 2616 Sub A (signed June 11, 2026; the official online code had not yet been updated as of September 28, 2026). It is general information, not advice about any particular case.
What Was Settled in 2016, and What the 2026 Window Adds
In August 2016, before the Foley Hoag report was even released, St. George's reached a financial settlement described by CNN as covering "up to 30" former students. The Boston Globe's more precise, later account put the number at 29 alumni. Neither outlet reported the amount: CNN wrote plainly that "the terms and sum of the settlement were not made public." No figure for that 2016 settlement has been confirmed by any source we reviewed, and a figure of "$30 million" that you may see cited for that settlement does not appear in either the Boston Globe's or CNN's reporting — we could not confirm it and do not repeat it as fact.
The report drew on accounts from 61 alumni; the settlement covered 29. Neither the Boston Globe nor CNN reported how those two groups overlap, so it is not publicly known how many of the people who spoke to investigators were part of the settlement. Rhode Island's ordinary statute of limitations for institutional defendants was extended in 2019 to 35 years from a survivor's 18th birthday, and the 2026 law goes further: § 9-1-51(a)(3) revives time-barred claims — aimed mainly at institutions — with no age cutoff on the underlying conduct in the statute's text, through June 30, 2028. It does not reopen cases a court has already decided: Rhode Island Current reported that the final version of the law "preserves prior court judgments."
We could not confirm any lawsuit filed against St. George's School specifically since the window opened on July 1, 2026. That is different from saying no such claim exists: a search of the state's public court records for parties named "St. George's School" was attempted and could not be completed due to a search-tool limitation, so this remains an open question rather than a confirmed negative. The wave of lawsuits reported since July 2026 has concentrated on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence and related church defendants (see our coverage of those cases); St. George's is an Episcopal school, unconnected to the diocese, and is not among the defendants named in that reporting.
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Who This Applies To
The 2026 window is broad enough to reach several different situations connected to the school:
- Anyone who reported abuse to the Foley Hoag investigation and was not part of the August 2016 settlement.
- Anyone who has not previously come forward at all, whether the alleged abuser was a faculty or staff member (51 of the 61 accounts) or a classmate (10 of the 61).
- Claims that were time-barred under the law in effect before 2019 or before 2026, which the current window may revive regardless of how long ago the conduct occurred, unless a court has already decided them.
- Family members asking on behalf of someone who has since died — whether such a claim can be brought is a case-specific question for a lawyer.
Because St. George's is a private institution, none of the special rules that apply to suing the State of Rhode Island or DCYF (see our page on those claims) apply here. Under § 9-1-51(h), if a verdict or decision awards damages in a window case against a defendant other than the state or a political subdivision, the court clerk adds 12% annual interest from written notice of the claim or the filing of suit, whichever comes first, and the statute's text does not cap damages against a private school.
What Compensation Has Actually Looked Like
The only documented outcome connected to St. George's abuse claims is the August 2016 settlement covering 29 alumni (per the Boston Globe) or "up to 30" (per CNN). The amount was not made public, according to CNN, and neither CNN nor the Boston Globe reported it, and no reliable source we reviewed confirms a total figure. Any specific number you see quoted for that settlement — including "$30 million" — is not something we could verify against Boston Globe or CNN reporting, and this page does not repeat it as fact.
There is no reported settlement or verdict from a claim against St. George's under the 2026 revival window specifically. What determines an individual outcome under § 9-1-51 generally — evidence the school knew or should have known, the severity and duration of the abuse, and whether a case settles or is tried — is the same regardless of which institution is named. No figure on this page should be read as a prediction for any specific claim.
How This Case Developed
- 1
1970s–1980s — the period the report focused on
The Boston Globe reported that the Foley Hoag report described the school in the 1970s and '80s as "a cauldron of sexual exploitation of students."
- 2
Late 2015 — survivors go public
Alumni began publicly describing abuse at the school, including through the survivor group SGS for Healing; in January 2016, the school and that group jointly appointed an independent investigator.
- 3
August 2016 — the school settles with alumni before the report is released
St. George's reached a financial settlement covering 29 alumni (CNN: "up to 30"). The terms and total amount were not made public by the school and have not been confirmed by any source we reviewed.
- 4
September 1, 2016 — the Foley Hoag report is released
The 390-page report, based on accounts from 61 alumni (51 alleging abuse by faculty or staff, 10 by classmates), is made public. The school's leadership acknowledges it "repeatedly failed to respond appropriately" to reports.
- 5
2019 — Rhode Island extends the ordinary deadline for institutional claims
The statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims against institutions is extended to 35 years from a survivor's 18th birthday, though claims already time-barred before this change generally remained barred.
- 6
July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028 — the revival window is open
Claims against St. George's or any Rhode Island institution that were time-barred under earlier versions of the law can now be filed through June 30, 2028; the statute's text sets no cut-off for how long ago the conduct occurred, but the window does not reopen cases a court has already decided.
What Not to Believe
Coverage of this case has circulated for a decade, and some of what gets repeated about it does not hold up against the original reporting. Three things to watch for:
"The 2016 settlement was for $30 million"
Neither the Boston Globe nor CNN reported a dollar figure for the August 2016 settlement. CNN stated directly that "the terms and sum of the settlement were not made public." A specific number circulating for this settlement is not something we could confirm, and we do not repeat it as fact.
"The 2016 settlement resolved every claim connected to the school"
The settlement covered 29 alumni (CNN: "up to 30"); the report released a month later drew on accounts from 61, and it has not been reported how the two groups overlap. If you were not part of that settlement, it does not by itself resolve your situation.
Anyone asking for a fee or your bank details to "file your claim"
Be cautious of anyone who asks for payment or banking information before a licensed attorney has actually reviewed your situation, and ask any lawyer to explain their fee arrangement in writing before you sign.
Common Questions
How many people reported abuse at St. George's School?
The 2016 Foley Hoag investigation gathered first-hand accounts from 61 alumni, according to the Boston Globe. Of those, 51 said the people who abused them were faculty or staff, and 10 reported abuse by classmates. Separately, 29 alumni were part of the August 2016 financial settlement; how the two groups overlap has not been reported.
How much did St. George's pay in the 2016 settlement?
The amount has not been made public in any source we reviewed. CNN reported directly that "the terms and sum of the settlement were not made public," and the Boston Globe's later reporting on the Foley Hoag report also does not give a figure. Any specific total you see cited is not something we could verify.
I came forward during the 2015–2016 investigation but wasn't part of the settlement. Do I still have options?
Possibly. If you were not part of the August 2016 settlement and your claim would otherwise be time-barred, Rhode Island's 2026 revival window — open through June 30, 2028 — may let you bring it now regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred. Whether it applies to your specific situation is a question for a lawyer.
Has anyone sued St. George's under the new 2026 law?
We could not confirm a lawsuit against St. George's School specifically filed since the window opened on July 1, 2026. A full search of the state court system for this particular defendant could not be completed, so this is an open question, not a confirmed "no." Reported litigation since July 2026 has concentrated on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, which is a separate institution unconnected to St. George's.
Is St. George's affected by the diocese lawsuits or the Attorney General's report on the Diocese of Providence?
No. St. George's School is an Episcopal school, not part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, and it did not appear among the defendants named in the press coverage of the diocese lawsuits we reviewed. The 2026 revival window applies to institutions across Rhode Island, but claims against St. George's and claims against the diocese are separate matters.
What if the person I would name as responsible has since died or left the school?
That does not automatically end a claim. Claims against institutions typically proceed against the school itself, based on what it knew or should have known, rather than solely against an individual. Whether a deceased individual's estate can also be named, and how, is a case-specific question for a lawyer.
Will my identity become public if I file a claim?
Not necessarily, but ask before anything is filed. Some complaints filed in Rhode Island under the 2026 window use pseudonyms, while the state court's public portal lists other plaintiffs by name. How anonymity would be handled in your situation is worth asking a lawyer directly.
Is the 2026 window itself guaranteed to survive a legal challenge?
Not guaranteed. As of September 28, 2026, we could not find any court decision on whether Rhode Island's 2026 revival window survives a constitutional challenge. The Diocese of Providence has publicly called the law unconstitutional, saying the Rhode Island Supreme Court "has already ruled unanimously and unequivocally" that the state constitution "precludes legislation with retroactive features permitting revival of an already time-barred action" (statement to NBC 10, July 31, 2026). Senate Judiciary Chairman Matthew LaMountain identified that ruling as Kelly v. Marcantonio (1996), according to Ocean State Media. This is an open legal question, not a settled one, and it applies to claims against any institution using the window, not only churches.
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