St. George’s School, a private Episcopal boarding school in Middletown, Rhode Island, became the subject of one of the most documented institutional sexual abuse scandals in American prep school history. If you attended St. George’s and were abused by a staff member or student, you are not alone, and what happened to you was not your fault. Rhode Island’s new child sexual abuse law, signed by Governor Dan McKee on June 11, 2026, and effective July 1, 2026, may give you a legal path forward that you thought had closed long ago. The attorneys at Sommers Schwartz represent survivors of institutional sexual abuse and are ready to listen to your story in complete confidence.

Table of Contents

• What Happened at St. George’s School in Middletown, Rhode Island
• How St. George’s School Concealed Abuse from Students, Parents, and Authorities
• Rhode Island’s 2026 Child Sexual Abuse Law and What It Means for St. George’s Survivors
• Who Can Be Held Legally Responsible for Abuse at St. George’s School
• The Long-Term Impact of Boarding School Sexual Abuse on Survivors
• Why Sommers Schwartz Is the Right Choice for St. George’s Survivors
• FAQs About St. George’s School Sexual Abuse Claims in Rhode Island

What Happened at St. George’s School in Middletown, Rhode Island

An independent investigation commissioned in January 2016, authored by attorney Martin F. Murphy and released on September 1, 2016, documented at least 61 victims of over 60 incidents of sexual abuse by faculty, staff, and students, mainly in the 1970s and 1980s. That number alone is staggering. But the scale of what happened at this school goes beyond any single statistic.

One in five girls who attended the school in the 1970s was sexually abused by the same athletic trainer, and many others were subjected to abuse by nine other staff members from 1970 to 1989, the report found. The trainer, Alphonse Gibbs, abused multiple students from 1973 to 1980 before his termination.

Sixty-one alumni gave investigators first-hand accounts of the abuse they say they suffered, with 51 saying the abusers were faculty or staff and an additional 10 reporting abuse by classmates. These were real students, in a real school, placed in the care of adults who violated that trust in the most serious way possible.

More recently, a faculty member engaged in inappropriate conduct with several students in the 2000s, the report found. This means the problem was not limited to a single decade or a single era of leadership. It persisted across generations of students.

Two staff members abused at least one student every year they worked at St. George’s. That kind of sustained, repeated harm does not happen in a vacuum. It happens when an institution fails to act, fails to report, and fails to protect the students in its care. If you were one of those students, you deserve answers, and you deserve justice.

How St. George’s School Concealed Abuse from Students, Parents, and Authorities

The abuse at St. George’s was not just a failure of individual staff members. It was a failure of the institution itself. The independent investigation confirmed that the school repeatedly failed to report abusers to law enforcement, misled parents, and in some cases provided job references to dismissed abusers who went on to work at other schools. That pattern of institutional concealment is exactly what makes cases like this so serious under Rhode Island law.

When the school eventually dismissed one abuser in 1980, administrators told students he had left for health reasons, provided him with a letter of recommendation, and continued paying him a pension. He was not reported to any state agency at the time of his firing.

The school only notified Rhode Island’s child welfare agency years later, after a former student sued in 1988, and the agency responded that it lacked jurisdiction to act. That response left survivors without recourse and allowed the pattern to continue.

A second staff member, a music teacher and choirmaster accused of abuse, allegedly groomed students through exclusive social gatherings and manufactured closeness. When dismissed, the school described his departure as a voluntary resignation due to health reasons, paid him a financial settlement, and again made no report to authorities. He went on to work with student choirs at other institutions.

Another teacher, Franklin Coleman, received a recommendation from the dean of the faculty despite being fired in 1988 for inappropriate sexual contact with a student. Fourteen students told investigators of abuse by Coleman. The school’s board chair later acknowledged the failure. She stated that “it is now quite clear that the school repeatedly failed to respond appropriately when reports of sexual abuse were brought to the attention of administrators and teachers.” That admission matters, both morally and legally.

Rhode Island’s 2026 Child Sexual Abuse Law and What It Means for St. George’s Survivors

Rhode Island passed a new law that directly affects survivors of institutional abuse like that which occurred at St. George’s School. Governor Dan McKee signed legislation amending the statute of limitations for child victim claims of sexual abuse and creating 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 law, known as H-7200A/S-2616A, is significant for St. George’s survivors because it reaches beyond individual abusers. 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.

Before this law, many survivors were blocked from suing the school itself. In 2023, the Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled that the 2019 law only applied to suits against individual perpetrators, not the institutions or supervisors who enabled them. The 2026 law directly addresses that gap. It creates a path to hold institutions, supervisors, and those who covered up abuse legally accountable.

For survivors who attended St. George’s in the 1970s, 1980s, or even more recently, this two-year window is a real and limited opportunity. All time-barred claims must be filed by June 30, 2028, or they may be forever barred. That deadline makes acting promptly essential. A sexual assault attorney at Sommers Schwartz can review your situation and help you understand whether your claim falls within the revival window before that door closes.

Who Can Be Held Legally Responsible for Abuse at St. George’s School

Under Rhode Island law, legal responsibility for sexual abuse at a school like St. George’s does not rest solely with the individual who committed the abuse. Institutions and supervisors who knew, or should have known, about the abuse, and who failed to stop it or report it, can also be held liable. This is the core of what H-7200A/S-2616A makes possible for previously time-barred claims.

The independent investigation found that the report, by Boston lawyer Martin Murphy, found the school betrayed the trust of students and their parents and provided few, if any, places to turn for help. That betrayal of trust, combined with the school’s documented failure to report abusers, forms the factual foundation for institutional liability claims.

Some of the St. George’s perpetrators went on to work at other schools and settings with children. The Globe reported that one abuser was being investigated in North Carolina on allegations that he abused two teenagers while a rector there in the 1980s. Another, who is serving a prison term for child pornography, was also accused at two other schools in Connecticut and New York. The school’s decisions, including writing letters of recommendation for known abusers, contributed directly to harm that extended well beyond Middletown.

Potential defendants in a civil claim may include the school itself, members of administration who received complaints and failed to act, and supervisors who enabled abusers to remain in positions of access to students. A sexual abuse lawyer at Sommers Schwartz can evaluate the specific facts of your case and identify every party that may bear responsibility for what you experienced.

The Long-Term Impact of Boarding School Sexual Abuse on Survivors

Sexual abuse at a boarding school is a particular kind of harm. Students at St. George’s were away from home, living in a closed environment where adults held nearly total authority over their daily lives. That power imbalance made abuse easier to commit and much harder to report. If you stayed silent for years, or even decades, that silence does not reflect weakness. It reflects how these situations work.

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse often experience trauma that affects them long into adulthood. The harm can show up as anxiety, depression, difficulties in relationships, or struggles with trust. Many survivors describe a sense of shame that belongs not to them, but to the people who abused them and the institution that allowed it to happen. None of what occurred at St. George’s was your fault.

Civil legal action is not just about financial compensation. For many survivors, it is about being believed, about holding powerful institutions accountable, and about making sure what happened to them cannot simply be buried again. Rhode Island’s new lookback window gives survivors of private and boarding school abuse the same legal tools that survivors of other institutional settings, such as those who experienced abuse in Catholic school settings or residential facilities, have been pursuing in civil court.

Filing a lawsuit does not require you to have reported the abuse at the time it happened. You do not need a prior criminal case. You do not need to have spoken publicly before. What you need is an attorney who will listen, who understands the law, and who will fight for you. The team at Sommers Schwartz is that team. Reach out to a sexual assault lawyer at our firm to start a confidential conversation about your options.

Why Sommers Schwartz Is the Right Choice for St. George’s Survivors

Sommers Schwartz is a multi-state law firm with attorneys who represent survivors of sexual assault and sexual abuse across Rhode Island and beyond. We handle claims against powerful institutions, including private schools, boarding schools, religious organizations, and other entities that put their reputation ahead of their students’ safety. We know how these institutions operate, and we know how to hold them accountable.

We understand that coming forward is one of the hardest things a survivor can do. Our attorneys approach every case with respect, patience, and a genuine commitment to your well-being. We do not rush you. We do not judge you. We work to understand what you went through and to build the strongest possible case on your behalf.

The two-year revival window created by H-7200A/S-2616A runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028. That window will close, and once it does, claims that are currently time-barred may be permanently foreclosed. If you attended St. George’s School and experienced abuse at the hands of a staff member, faculty member, or student, and if the school’s failure to act contributed to that harm, now is the time to speak with an attorney. Contact Sommers Schwartz today for a free, confidential consultation. You have waited long enough.

FAQs About St. George’s School Sexual Abuse Claims in Rhode Island

Can I still file a lawsuit against St. George’s School if the abuse happened decades ago?

Yes, you may be able to file a claim under Rhode Island’s new law, H-7200A/S-2616A, signed by Governor Dan McKee on June 11, 2026, and effective July 1, 2026. This law creates a two-year revival window, running from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, during which survivors can bring civil claims against institutions and supervisors that were previously time-barred. If your claim expired under the old statute of limitations, this window may reopen it. Contact Sommers Schwartz promptly to find out whether your claim qualifies before the window closes.

Does the new Rhode Island law allow me to sue the school itself, not just the individual abuser?

Yes. That is one of the most important features of H-7200A/S-2616A. The law specifically creates a revival window for claims against institutions and supervisors accused of enabling or covering up sexual abuse. Prior to this law, a 2023 Rhode Island Supreme Court ruling limited revival rights to claims against individual perpetrators. The 2026 law addresses that gap directly, allowing survivors to pursue claims against the school as an institution if it failed to act on known abuse or concealed it from authorities and parents.

What if I never reported the abuse to police or school officials at the time it happened?

You do not need a prior police report or any prior disclosure to pursue a civil lawsuit. Many survivors of childhood sexual abuse wait years, or even decades, before they are ready to come forward. Rhode Island law recognizes this reality. A civil claim is separate from a criminal prosecution, and you can pursue one even if you never reported the abuse and even if no criminal charges were ever filed. What matters is that the abuse occurred and that an institution may bear responsibility for failing to prevent or stop it.

Who are some of the staff members identified as abusers at St. George’s School?

The 2016 independent investigation named several staff members as perpetrators. These included athletic trainer Alphonse Gibbs, who abused at least 24 female students; choirmaster Franklin Coleman, identified by 14 students as an abuser; assistant chaplain Howard White; and teachers Timothy Tefft and William Lydgate. The investigation also identified a part-time nurse, Susan Goddard, as having engaged in sexual misconduct with a student. Some of these individuals went on to work at other institutions after leaving St. George’s, a fact that underscores the school’s failure to report them to authorities.

How do I get started if I want to explore a claim against St. George’s School?

The first step is a confidential conversation with an attorney who handles sexual abuse claims. At Sommers Schwartz, you can speak with a member of our legal team at no cost and with no obligation. We will listen to your account, explain how Rhode Island’s 2026 revival law applies to your situation, and outline your legal options. Because the two-year window closes on June 30, 2028, it is important not to delay. Reach out to Sommers Schwartz today to protect your right to pursue justice.

More Resources About School Abuse

• Rhode Island Private & Boarding School Abuse
• Rhode Island Parochial & Catholic School Abuse
• Portsmouth Abbey School *
• La Salle Academy, Providence *
• Mount Saint Charles Academy, Woonsocket *
• Bishop Hendricken High School, Warwick *