January 31, 2005
Notre Dame Academy, resorted to a "nuts and sluts" defense, according Boston Attorney, Wendy Murphy in 1995 interview.
A review of Worcester Superior Court case # WOCV1995-00267, which is contained in four folders and thousands of pages of legal filings, contains information so disturbing that the previously unknown facts need to be told.
A new link has been added to the Worcester Voice web site called Notre Dame Academy.
Notre Dame Academy is a college preparatory school for young women and their web site said that their education should prepare students for their role as Christian women. In 1995, the school was location of sexual abuse allegations by a 14-year-old female student who said she was sexual abused by the music teacher, Mr. Kallin Johnson.
The Worcester Voice goal is not to comment on the guilt of innocence of the accused teacher. The intent here is to expose the carefully calculated campaign by this private Roman Catholic school, which exists in the Worcester Diocese, to discredit the female student before the facts were known. To show the power of Notre Dame Academy and the Worcester Diocese, along with their unlimited dollars, to apply the staunchest defense of the accused teacher.
"Everything she's suffered as a result of his conduct, they now want to use against her," said Boston lawyer Wendy Murphy. "It's your basic "nuts and sluts' defense: She's made it up before, and she's crazy. But she has no motivation to lie. Nothing good has come from this. On the contrary, she's been shunned by the school," Ms. Murphy was quoted as saying.
The Massachusetts Department of Social Services supported the sexual abuse allegation against Mr. Johnson after a January 19, 1995 child abuse investigation. Mr. Johnson was then placed on the DSS central registry as a sex offender, according to Attorney Murphy. Mr. Johnson was never removed from his teaching position in 1995 by Notre Dame Academy and continues to teach there today.
Sister Ann Morrison, SND, school principal, when notified of the sexual abuse allegations choose not to notify DSS or the police but to contact school attorney Kevin Byrne. Notes of the school guidance counselor, Ms. Virginia G. Allen , show Ms Allen and Sister M. Sharon questioned this action due to the close relationship of Mr. Johnson and Attorney Byrne’s wife Virginia. Sr. Ann said, "Kevin could be trusted and she would go to see him".
Sister Ann Morrison then in a court filed affidavit on February 2, 1995 provided contradictory medical facts on the condition of the alleged victim. The principal said that she supported Mr. Johnson even after being notified by the girl’s therapist, Ms. Ronni Sprung, that she absolutely believed the girl who made the allegation. She said the girl had symptoms of rape trauma syndrome.
The school on February 12, 1995 allowed a sign-up sheet to be available to show support for Mr. Johnson. Using a Notre Dame letterhead, the sign-up sheet contained 100 signatures. The letter was sent to Judge Judd Carhart, a Worcester Superior Court judge.
The Letter begins “We students, faculty, and administration of Notre Dame Academy would like to express extreme distress at the accusations being made against Mr. Kallin Johnson.”
The alleged victim is so distraught that Attorney Wendy Murphy sought a restraining order against Mr. Johnson to protect the girl, who at the time was undergoing a great deal of emotional distress while attending the school. The restraining order was additionally modified.
A 14-year-old girl was forced to attend this school while the person she had accused was allowed to teach even after the Department of Social Services supported her allegation. No charges were ever brought against the academy, its principal or teachers for not filing a 51A report of abuse and neglect with DSS. The teachers and guidance counselor were all mandated reporters under Massachusetts Law. DSS took no legal action to remove Mr. Johnson from the school.
District Attorney John J. Conte did not begin a criminal investigation of the allegation until after Mr. Johnson filed a civil lawsuit, which was seen by some to be a legal attempt to apply pressure to the alleged victim and her family. C-PAC Sgt. Marian McGovern of Massachusetts State Police attached to Mr. Conte’s office conducted the investigation.
In the next portion of this presentation, we will focus on the criminal investigation, the joint opposition motion of Notre Dame Academy and the Massachusetts State Police to compel production of material generated by the defendant’s counsel during Sergeant McGovern’s investigation and the grand jury actions conducted by the office of District Attorney John J. Conte.
Additional documentation is available on the link at Notre Dame Academy.
e-mail us at Worcestervoice@msn.com