Ex-teacher Accused of Drugging Student before Molestation
By Neil Pang
A third alleged victim of former Catholic school teacher Raymond Caluag has filed suit in local courts, this time accusing the former music instructor of drugging and then sexually abusing him during overnight stays at Caluag's residence. F.A.M., a Dededo resident, accused Caluag of molestation over the course of his three years in middle school, which culminated with two overnight stays at the teacher's residence in which he recalled "mysteriously passing out" and waking hours later believing he "was drugged by Caluag," according to court documents. Caluag has left Guam, and when The Guam Daily Post reached him by phone in the Philippines more than a month ago, when the first case was filed, he hung up. Social media appear to show him teaching music to a Catholic parish and school in the Philippine city of Marikina. Information provided in the complaint filed Tuesday detail F.A.M.'s accusations of abuse, which allegedly began in 1991 when he was 11 years old and in the sixth grade at St. Anthony Catholic School in Tamuning. At the time, Caluag was his music and religion teacher, as well as the director of music and drama productions. According to court documents, Caluag began to pay close attention to F.A.M. and repeatedly asked him to stay after class to talk, in an effort to groom him for sexual abuse. Documents state F.A.M. enjoyed the conversations at first and, over time, grew to have respect and admiration for Caluag. The complaint, however, added that physical advances made by Caluag during unsupervised periods made him feel uncomfortable. Caluag and F.A.M. spent more time together as F.A.M. moved on to the seventh grade in 1992 when he was 12 years old and would wait in Caluag's classroom after school until his parents came to pick him up, according to court documents. During this time, "plaintiff was instructed to sit on Caluag's lap and Caluag would often touch his lower back and buttocks under the guise of correcting (F.A.M.'s) posture." Complaint details abuse at teacher's home However, it wasn't until F.A.M. was 13 and in the eighth grade that Caluag's advances intensified when he invited F.A.M. and a few other students involved in the school's music and drama productions to spend the night at his residence, court documents state. F.A.M. got permission from his parents to sleep over at Caluag's residence and went with several of his classmates where, later that night, court documents state he "abruptly lost consciousness." When he awoke the next morning, court documents state Caluag told F.A.M. that he had carried him to bed, and that he had no memories of what happened, but that "he believes he was drugged by Caluag." Court documents said F.A.M. found himself in a similar scenario in the spring of the following year in 1994, but adds that when he opened his eyes, he "saw Caluag at the foot of the bed, masturbating while touching F.A.M.'s genitals." F.A.M. did not confront Caluag about the incident the following morning, but states in court documents that he found Caluag laying on the floor of the room in a "spooning position" with another student. During the third alleged incident at Caluag's residence, F.A.M. was instructed to undress before Caluag massaged his back and buttocks, the lawsuit alleges. Victim traumatized 'for the rest of his life' As a result of the abuse, court documents state F.A.M. developed substance abuse problems and that "he could not forget what had happened and was haunted by it for the rest of his life." F.A.M., through attorney Anthony Perez, is seeking general, punitive and exemplary damages from the Archdiocese of Agana, the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and 20 unnamed individuals in an amount to be determined at trial. According to Post files, Caluag has been named by two other plaintiffs, B.W.J. and Troy Torres, who have alleged sexual abuse in suits against Caluag and St. Anthony School. In these cases, the allegations against Caluag state the abuse occurred in the early 1990s at the teacher's residence
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