Seven more men have come forward claiming that they were sexually abused while students at Darlington School.
Darlington’s headmaster L. Brent Bell released a statement concerning the allegations as well as the lawsuit:
“We continue to be heartbroken as more former Darlington students have come forward to share what they’ve been going through. We recognize that the situation is very difficult and emotional for those who bravely have come forward and for the entire Darlington Community. As head of school, my door remains open to anyone who has any information helpful to this process,” Bell said.
“Inappropriate contact by anyone responsible for the care and well-being of our students will not be tolerated at Darlington,” Bell said in the statement. “Darlington’s current school policies are focused on respectful boundaries, training, communication, and reporting procedures for both students and faculty and are meant to create a safe environment for our students to learn, grow and excel. We have the dual priorities of focusing on our current students and continuing to understand the past. Following the voluntary dismissal in December, we did reach out to the plaintiffs’ attorneys and will do so again once we have fully assessed the newly-filed suits. I would like to thank our community for its continued support and prayers as we move forward.”
The seven men join a list of 9 other students and a widow of a man who have already filed lawsuits against the school.
The lawsuits claim that they were abused during the 70’s and 80’s primarily at the hands of a long-time former instructor and “dorm parent” named Roger Stifflemire.