PORTSMOUTH (RI)
Herman Law [Boca Raton FL]
July 17, 2026
By Herman Law
Portsmouth Abbey School, a Catholic boarding and day school run by Benedictine monks in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, has confronted sexual abuse allegations twice in recent years, separated by decades. One case involved monks accused of abusing students between 1959 and the early 1980s. The other involved a teacher accused of abusing a student beginning during her sophomore year at the school. Together, they show how institutional failures to protect children can repeat themselves across generations.
An Investigation Confirms Decades-Old Abuse by Monks
In August 2017, Portsmouth Abbey released the findings of an investigation by the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton, which the school and monastery commissioned to review allegations of sexual abuse within the monastic community. The investigation found credible allegations of sexual abuse by two former monks, Father Bede Gorman and Father Geoffrey Chase, dating back as far as 1959 and continuing into the early 1980s. Both men were already out of the picture by the time the report came out. Father Bede had died in 1985. Father Geoffrey, in his late eighties and in poor health, had not lived at the school since 2002.
The report also raised troubling questions about what the school knew and when. Investigators found that the school first learned of the allegations against Father Geoffrey in 2002. School leadership sought legal advice at the time, and decided not to report the allegations because the known victims were no longer children. The report itself notes that this left the reporting obligation unclear. In a letter to the community, school leaders called the findings “shameful” and apologized directly to survivors, acknowledging that survivors’ trust and faith in the school had been violated. The board also ordered Father Bede’s name removed from athletic facilities and awards that had been named in his honor.
A Teacher, a Student, and a System That Ran Out the Clock
A very different case unfolded starting in 2020, when a former student sued Portsmouth Abbey and her former humanities teacher, alleging he began a sexual relationship with her when she was a teenage student at the school and he was fifty years old. According to the lawsuit, the abuse continued from her sophomore year through her graduation.
Years later, after the woman had graduated, her mother reported the relationship to the school. According to court records, the school responded by requesting evidence, reviewing it, and reporting the matter to the Portsmouth Police Department, the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office, and the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Police investigated but did not bring charges, and the teacher resigned the same day the school confronted him.
The dispute that ultimately decided the case arose later, in 2017, after the woman said her former teacher began trying to contact her again. When her mother reached out to the school for help, Portsmouth Abbey connected the family with a consulting firm, which in turn referred them to a law firm that regularly represents Catholic institutions in sexual abuse cases. The woman’s lawsuit argued that this referral chain was designed to run out the clock on her right to sue. The court called that referral chain “more than coincidence” on its face, but ultimately found no factual evidence, as opposed to speculation, that the school directed or encouraged the outcome.
A federal judge initially allowed her case to proceed past a motion to dismiss, rejecting the school’s argument that it should be dismissed outright. But in February 2024, the same court granted summary judgment in the school’s favor, ruling that her claims were barred by the statute of limitations and that none of the legal exceptions she raised applied. Her case was dismissed, not because a judge found her allegations untrue, but because time had run out.
A Second Chance for Survivors
Cases like this are exactly the kind of outcome Rhode Island’s new revival window is meant to address. The window opened on July 1, 2026, and runs through June 30, 2028. Survivors whose claims were previously barred by the statute of limitations, including claims against institutions accused of enabling or concealing abuse, now have a renewed opportunity to seek accountability in civil court.
If you or someone you love experienced sexual abuse at Portsmouth Abbey School or another Rhode Island institution, you may now have legal options.
About Herman Law
Since its founding in 1997, Herman Law has exclusively represented victims of sexual abuse and has won over one billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for survivors. Herman Law’s experienced team is committed to pursuing justice, holding institutions accountable and helping survivors heal by giving them a voice through civil litigation. The firm’s practice areas include sexual abuse within religious institutions, foster care systems, schools, healthcare facilities, camps, daycare centers and other organizations. Herman Law has represented thousands of survivors, securing significant verdicts and settlements to support their journey toward justice and healing.
The information in this blog post is for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The allegations described in this post are drawn from investigative findings and court records, and do not represent a finding of guilt.
Sources
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. (2017, August 23). Report to the Board of Regents of the Portsmouth Abbey School. https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news555/2017_08_23_Debevoise_&_Plimpton_Report_to.pdf
FindLaw. (2024, February 9). Doe v. Order of St. Benedict in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-dis-crt-d-rho-isl/115829462.html
Portsmouth Abbey School. (2017, August 23). Letter to the community. https://www.portsmouthabbey.org/cf_news/view.cfm?newsid=376