La Salle Academy, founded in 1871 and located in Providence, Rhode Island, has long been one of the most recognized Catholic preparatory schools in New England. Founded in 1871, La Salle Academy is an independent coeducational Catholic college preparatory school located in Providence, Rhode Island. For generations, families across the state trusted the school to educate and protect their children. That trust, for some students, was broken in the worst possible way. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s investigation into clergy abuse within the Diocese of Providence confirmed that credibly accused clergy served at La Salle Academy, and survivors of that abuse deserve to know their rights. If you or someone you love experienced sexual abuse at La Salle Academy, you are not alone, and what happened was not your fault.

Table of Contents

• Credibly Accused Clergy Who Served at La Salle Academy, Providence
• How the Diocese of Providence Enabled Abuse at Catholic Schools Like La Salle
• Rhode Island’s New Child Sexual Abuse Law (H-7200A/S-2616A) and What It Means for La Salle Survivors
• What Survivors of La Salle Academy Abuse Can Expect From a Civil Claim
• Why Sommers Schwartz Is the Right Firm for La Salle Academy Survivors
• FAQs About La Salle Academy Sexual Abuse Claims in Rhode Island

Credibly Accused Clergy Who Served at La Salle Academy, Providence

The Rhode Island Attorney General’s March 2026 report on child sexual abuse within the Diocese of Providence confirmed a deeply troubling fact: credibly accused clergy served at La Salle Academy in Providence. The report identified four such clergy members with assignments at the school. Two of those individuals are Father Francis Xavier Battel and Father Normand Demers, both of whom appear on the Diocese of Providence’s Credibly Accused Clergy list and have documented assignment histories placing them at La Salle.

According to the Attorney General’s assignment records, Father Francis Xavier Battel served at LaSalle Academy in Providence from 1958 to 1962, and again from 1962 to 1963. Father Normand Demers served at Lasalle Academy from 1970 to 1980, a full decade during which he also held assignments at other institutions, including Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in North Providence.

These are not allegations invented after the fact. They are documented placements recorded in official assignment histories compiled by the Attorney General’s Office as part of a multi-year investigation. The report accused the Catholic Diocese of Providence of a “well-worn pattern” of failing to remove dozens of priests accused of child sexual abuse, and identified 75 clergy members who sexually abused more than 300 children since 1950.

The Attorney General’s report also found that accused clergy at Catholic schools in Rhode Island used their authority to remove children from classes before abusing them. Priests assigned to schools reportedly used the trust and access their positions provided to isolate and harm students. At La Salle, as at other Catholic schools in the state, that pattern of access and betrayal was present.

If you attended La Salle Academy and were abused by a priest, brother, or other school official, the fact that the abuse was carried out by a person in a position of religious authority does not make your experience any less real or any less actionable under Rhode Island law. You deserve answers, and you deserve support.

How the Diocese of Providence Enabled Abuse at Catholic Schools Like La Salle

The abuse that occurred at La Salle Academy did not happen in a vacuum. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s investigation found that the Diocese of Providence repeatedly reassigned accused clergy rather than removing them from ministry. Priests who faced allegations at one assignment were transferred to another, giving them continued access to children.

Father Francis Xavier Battel’s assignment history illustrates this pattern clearly. His placements moved between parishes and La Salle Academy across multiple years, with no apparent interruption tied to misconduct. Father Normand Demers’ decade-long assignment at La Salle overlapped with placements at a hospital and other institutions, suggesting the Diocese made no effort to limit his access to vulnerable populations.

The Attorney General’s report described warning signs that were frequently ignored. Investigators found that, in virtually all reported cases, accused priests sought out frequent and prolonged contact with minors through the Church and school settings. They pursued assignments or volunteer opportunities involving children and demonstrated excessive involvement in young people’s lives. These were red flags that school and Diocese leadership had every reason to recognize and act on.

The report accused the Catholic Diocese of Providence of a “well-worn pattern” of failing to remove dozens of priests accused of child sexual abuse and keeping the abuse secret over decades. That secrecy is what kept so many survivors from coming forward for years, and in some cases, for decades. Shame, fear, and the weight of institutional silence are powerful barriers. None of those barriers are the survivor’s fault.

Survivors who were abused at La Salle Academy may have civil claims not only against the individual abuser, but also against the institutions and supervisors who knew or should have known about the abuse and failed to stop it. Rhode Island’s new law, signed in 2026, was written specifically to address that institutional accountability gap.

Rhode Island’s New Child Sexual Abuse Law (H-7200A/S-2616A) and What It Means for La Salle Survivors

Rhode Island’s new child sexual abuse law changes the legal options available to survivors in a significant way. The law amends the statute of limitations for claims of sexual abuse of a child and creates a two-year window for victims to bring otherwise time-barred claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse. The new law takes effect on July 1, 2026.

This matters enormously for La Salle Academy survivors. Before this law, many survivors whose claims had expired under the old statute of limitations had no legal path forward against the Diocese of Providence or La Salle as an institution. In 2023, the Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled that a prior 2019 law only applied to suits against individual perpetrators, not the institutions or supervisors who enabled them. That ruling left a gap that H-7200A and S-2616A were designed to close.

The new law establishes a two-year civil “revival window” that opens from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028. During this 24-month period, survivors can file civil suits even if the statute of limitations on their claims had previously expired.

For survivors who were abused more recently and whose claims have not yet expired, the law also extends the standard time to file. Future claims must be filed by whichever date is later: either 35 years from the date of the abusive act, or seven years from when the survivor first discovers or reasonably connects their adult injuries to the childhood abuse. The statute of limitations begins running when the survivor turns 18.

The new law specifically targets institutions and organizations such as churches, schools, youth programs, healthcare facilities and sports leagues, as well as supervisors. La Salle Academy, as a Catholic school under the governance of the Diocese of Providence, falls squarely within the scope of this law. If you believe your time had run out, it may not have. The window is open now, and speaking with a sexual abuse lawyer who handles Rhode Island clergy and institutional abuse cases is the right first step.

What Survivors of La Salle Academy Abuse Can Expect From a Civil Claim

Filing a civil claim is different from reporting abuse to the police. A civil lawsuit allows a survivor to seek financial accountability from both the individual abuser and the institution that enabled the abuse. The goal is not to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, as in a criminal case, but to demonstrate that the defendant’s conduct caused you harm. That is a lower legal standard, and it is one that many survivors can meet with the right legal support.

Civil claims against institutions like the Diocese of Providence or La Salle Academy can be built on evidence that the institution knew or should have known about the abuse and failed to act. Assignment records, internal communications, and the findings in the Attorney General’s report can all serve as powerful supporting evidence. The report’s documented assignment histories for Father Battel and Father Demers at La Salle Academy are exactly the kind of institutional records that matter in these cases.

Survivors sometimes worry about being identified publicly. Rhode Island courts allow survivors to file lawsuits using pseudonyms, such as “Jane Doe” or “John Doe,” in certain circumstances. This option can protect your privacy while still allowing you to pursue a claim. Your attorney can explain whether this approach fits your situation.

You may also be concerned about cost. Sommers Schwartz handles sexual abuse cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay nothing unless your case results in a recovery. There is no financial risk in making a call to understand your options.

Healing from abuse is a personal journey, and no legal outcome can undo what happened to you. But holding institutions accountable can matter, both for you and for the protection of future students. If you experienced abuse at La Salle Academy, you deserve the chance to be heard. Speaking with a sexual assault lawyer at Sommers Schwartz costs you nothing and carries no obligation.

Why Sommers Schwartz Is the Right Firm for La Salle Academy Survivors

Sommers Schwartz is a multi-state law firm with attorneys who represent survivors of sexual assault and sexual abuse in Rhode Island. The firm has deep experience handling complex institutional abuse cases, including claims against Catholic dioceses, schools, and other organizations that failed to protect children in their care.

The attorneys at Sommers Schwartz understand that coming forward is not easy. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse often carry their experiences silently for years, sometimes decades, before they feel ready to speak. The trauma is real, the barriers are real, and the fear of not being believed is real. None of that changes the fact that what happened to you was wrong and that you have rights.

Rhode Island’s new law (H-7200A/S-2616A) opened a two-year window that runs through June 30, 2028. That window will close. The time to act is not indefinite, and waiting can mean losing the legal right to pursue a claim against the institution that failed you. Survivors who attended La Salle Academy in Providence and experienced abuse by a priest, brother, or other school official should speak with an attorney as soon as possible.

Sommers Schwartz offers free, confidential consultations. You will not be pressured, judged, or questioned about why you waited. The attorneys at this firm are here to listen, to explain your options clearly, and to fight for you if you choose to move forward. Reaching out to a sexual assault attorney at Sommers Schwartz is the first step toward understanding what justice can look like for you. Call today. Your story matters, and so does your future.

FAQs About La Salle Academy Sexual Abuse Claims in Rhode Island

Were there really credibly accused clergy assigned to La Salle Academy in Providence?

Yes. The Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 report on child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence confirmed that four credibly accused clergy members served at La Salle Academy in Providence. Among those with documented assignment histories at the school are Father Francis Xavier Battel, who served there from 1958 to 1963, and Father Normand Demers, who served there from 1970 to 1980. Both appear on the Diocese’s Credibly Accused Clergy list. These are official findings from a multi-year government investigation, not unverified claims.

My abuse at La Salle happened decades ago. Is it too late to file a claim?

It may not be. Rhode Island’s new child sexual abuse law (H-7200A/S-2616A), signed by Governor Dan McKee on June 11, 2026, and effective July 1, 2026, creates a two-year revival window that runs through June 30, 2028. During this period, survivors can file civil claims against institutions and supervisors even if the statute of limitations on their claims had previously expired. If you were abused at La Salle Academy and believed your time had passed, you should speak with an attorney right away to find out whether this window applies to your situation.

Can I file a claim against La Salle Academy or the Diocese of Providence, not just the individual abuser?

Yes. Rhode Island’s new law was specifically designed to reach institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse, not just individual perpetrators. This is important because a prior Rhode Island Supreme Court ruling in 2023 had limited earlier legislation to claims against individual abusers only. The 2026 law corrects that gap and allows survivors to pursue civil claims against institutions like the Diocese of Providence and Catholic schools such as La Salle Academy that knew or should have known about abuse and failed to act.

Do I have to use my real name if I file a lawsuit?

Not necessarily. Rhode Island courts allow survivors to file civil lawsuits using pseudonyms, such as “Jane Doe” or “John Doe,” in certain circumstances. This can protect your identity and privacy while still allowing you to pursue accountability through the legal system. Whether this option is available in your specific case depends on the facts and the court’s discretion. An attorney at Sommers Schwartz can walk you through how this process works and whether it applies to your situation.

What does it cost to speak with an attorney at Sommers Schwartz about a La Salle Academy abuse claim?

Nothing. Sommers Schwartz offers free, confidential consultations to survivors of sexual abuse. The firm handles these cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney fees unless your case results in a financial recovery. There is no financial risk to reaching out. The only thing you stand to lose by waiting is time, and with the revival window closing on June 30, 2028, that time is limited. Call Sommers Schwartz today to speak with an attorney who will listen without judgment and explain your options clearly.

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