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	Perlitz Victim Sues Fr. Carrier and Fairfield University By Meg Learson Grosso Minuteman News Center May 18, 2011 http://www.minutemannewscenter.com/articles/2011/05/18/fairfield/news/doc4dd3f9a2e3daa714486477.txt One of the Haitian victims of Douglas Perlitz has filed a $20 million civil law suit against Perlitz, and not only against Perlitz, but also against Father Paul Carrier, the priest who was instrumental in raising millions of dollars to sustain the school that Perlitz ran in Haiti, against Fairfield University which employed Father Carrier for many years, and against the New England Order of the Society of Jesus, in other words the Jesuit Order that runs Fairfield University. The suit also names The Haiti Fund, the umbrella charity for the Haitian school, Hope Carter, who was a member of the Board of Directors of the Haiti Fund, and a dozen others, who are identified only as John Doe One through John Doe Twelve. The attorney for the victim is Mitchell Garabedian, the lead attorney in obtaining an $85 million settlement against the Archdiocese of Boston for 500 victims of abuse by priests, and the lead attorney in obtaining a $10 million settlement against ex-priest John Geoghan and the Archdiocese of Boston on behalf of 87 other victims of sexual abuse. In the lawsuit filed April 18 in the Untied States District Court, District of Connecticut, on behalf of Joseph Jean-Charles who was 15 at the time he was abused by Perlitz, but has recently turned 21, Attorney Garabedian alleges that Father Carrier, Fairfield University and the other defendants were negligent in their supervision of Perlitz to the point of aiding and abetting him in his abuse of the victim. The suit says that Father Paul Carrier, Carter and John Does One through Five traveled frequently to Haiti and it alleges that they “became aware” that Perlitz was engaging in conduct that endangered minor boys and, in spite of this, they “aided and abetted” Perlitz. The suit also accuses Fairfield University, and the Jesuit Order, as well as other defendants, of being negligent in their supervision of Father Paul Carrier, saying that they “knew or should have known,” not only that Perlitz would interact with minors, but also that Carrier’s “intentional and negligent conduct” could result in severe mental and emotional suffering by the Plaintiff, Jean-Charles The suit alleges that all the defendants sponsored and promoted Project Pierre Toussaint, which they knew was providing services to extremely vulnerable minors in the Republic of Haiti, yet they breached their fiduciary responsibility to protect these minors. Perlitz founded Project Pierre Toussaint, a school and residence for street children in Cap Haitien, Haiti with money from the Knights of Malta in 1997. The organization was sustained by money that often was raised at Sunday Mass at the University Chapel where Carrier, a charismatic speaker, was usually the celebrant. Money was also raised by various fundraisers. The over-all fund-raising organization was called The Haiti Fund. After Perlitz was indicted, Fairfield University hired an attorney to investigate where all the money had gone and concluded that it could not account for over $100,000 of that money. It said it would institute tighter controls. According to the United State’s Attorney’s office for the District of Connecticut, Perlitz’s crimes were “particularly heinous, as he not only victimized children but did so by using his position of power to take advantage of vulnerable boys who likely would be out on the street if they didn’t comply with his sexual demands.” The U. S. Attorney commended several of the boys who came to the sentencing hearing for Perlitz last December. Perlitz received the maximum sentence of 19 and a half years. He admitted to traveling from U.S. airports to Haiti for the purpose of having sex with minors and he admitted to having sex with eight minor victims. A federal indictment accused Perlitz of 19 counts of having sex with 18 different minors. Garabedian told the Minuteman that he is investigating the complaints of 21 others besides Joseph Jean-Charles. He is also investigating the identity of the John Does One through Twelve, he said. The complaint asks for a trial by jury.
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