NEWARK (NJ)
NJ Advance Media - nj.com [Iselin NJ]
January 18, 2026
By Anthony Attrino
A New York man has filed a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Newark, claiming he was sexually abused when he was a student at Paramus Catholic High School four decades ago.
The suit is the second of its kind filed against the high school and Archdiocese in less than a month.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Superior Court of Bergen County, alleges that Bernard Garris, who worked as a coach and teacher at the school, sexually assaulted the victim on school grounds.
“Garris had sexually inappropriate and/or sexually abusive relationships with many minor children,” alleges the suit.
Garris was terminated in 1987 for “physically abusing students,” the suit claims.
Archdiocese of Newark spokeswoman Maria Margiotta said the archdiocese does not comment on matters that are in litigation.
The complaint is the second lawsuit filed recently that accuses Garris of sexually abusing students.
The lawsuit claims the Archdiocese, the high school and Christian Brothers ministry had “constructive knowledge” that Garris was a sexual predator but took no steps to stop the abuse.
The suit alleges failure to warn, negligent hiring and supervision, and emotional distress.
The lawsuit was filed less than a month after another former student claimed he was sexually abused by Garris and former gym teacher Don Ernst at the high school in the 1980s. Both men have since died.
The earlier complaint, filed Dec. 17, 2025, in Superior Court of Essex County, alleges the student was abused at the school from the age of 14 to 17.
The victim was a “devout Roman Catholic” who felt pressured to not report the abuse, the complaint alleges.
I have worked as a reporter for NJ.com since August 2012 and previously served as a supervising reporter for NJ Advance Media, overseeing coverage in Bergen and Middlesex counties. Earlier in my career, I was an editor at NorthJersey.com, leading newsrooms at the Item of Millburn and Short Hills and the Verona-Cedar Grove Times. As a freelance journalist for American Media in New York City, I contributed to national coverage of major breaking stories, including the resignation of former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey and the deaths of legendary comedians Richard Pryor and Johnny Carson. My work has been recognized with more than a dozen awards from the New Jersey Press Association, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Florida Press Association. I hold a B.A. in Journalism from the State University of New York at Buffalo.