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  Ex-Students Seek $10 Million against Bishop Guertin

Union Leader (Manchester NH)
February 5, 2004

NASHUA (AP) — Seven former Bishop Guertin High School students who say they were molested by a teacher have asked a judge to set aside $10 million for verdicts they expect to win against the Roman Catholic school in Nashua.

The men's lawyer, Peter Hutchins, filed a motion in Hillsborough County Superior Court on Monday to consolidate their cases for one trial and to set aside the money if they win their cases against the school and the Rhode Island religious order that runs it.

The men have accused Brother Guy Beaulieu of sexually abusing them between 1971 and 1981. Beaulieu has admitted in a sworn deposition to sexually abusing as many as 20 students at the school between 1971 and 1991 while he worked as a math teacher and sports coach, according to court records.

In November, one of Hutchins' 15 clients settled his lawsuit against the school. Both sides expressed a desire to see more cases get resolved.

"Given their recent lack of apparent firm interest to resolve these cases, we had to take pre-trial measures," Hutchins said. "We knew we couldn't rely on good faith any more."

David Pinsonneault, an attorney representing the school and order, said he was surprised by the motion. He said it would not help efforts to settle the cases.

"We are continuing to discuss the resolution of these cases, one at a time," he said. "There has never been an effort, from either side, to walk away from it."

Pinsonneault said his clients are eager to resolve the cases.

Hutchins said he used an estimate from a Saint Anselm College professor who calculated the economic loss of three of his clients at $6 million, due to their continued underemployment and lack of educational opportunity since the alleged abuse.

An attachment of $10 million "is actually very reasonable (and) quite conservative," the suit states.

 
 

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