Teacher & Other Institutional Abuse

Our efforts on behalf of sexual abuse victims grew out Mr. Conlon’s early work representing children. As an Assistant Public Defender in 1982, he represented children who were alleged to be wayward or delinquent in the Family Court. He found that many of his clients were victims of abuse. These children often had profound treatment needs, and were uncooperative with what little treatment was available. Frequently, they were in a downward spiral of acting out, which the system responded to with increasingly punitive measures, and narrowing treatment options.

What is truly disturbing is that children are sometimes abused in the system. Group homes and residential facilities, often short-staffed and under budgetary pressure, occasionally fail to provide appropriate supervision. Although these breakdowns may be statistically rare, they bring horrific damage on already damaged children.

When representing victims of abuse, Mr. Conlon found that he would accomplish little simply defending them on their latest in what could be a never-ending series of disruptive offenses. The conduct is criminal, but the crime is not the problem. Instead, he found much more is accomplished by focusing on “the best interests of the child“ and getting treatment that would help. The Family Court is there for just that purpose.

In cases where a client was abused in care, that meant going after the care provider.

When he entered private practice in 1987, Mr. Conlon was asked by a partner to represent three students that were sexually abused by a teacher.

In addition to taking legal action against individual priests who have sexually abused children, we also file lawsuits against institutions such as the churches, schools, group homes, organizations, agencies and institutions that employ the abusers. In order to obtain compensation for child abuse victims, attorney Conlon has successfully brought suit against many powerful and well-funded corporations and institutions. Mr. Conlon’s child sexual abuse advocacy earned him honors from the Rhode Island Trial Lawyers Association for Case of the Year.

Timothy J. Conlon has a proven record of results representing victims of child sex abuse in actions against their institutional abusers. Contact us today if we can be of service to you or a member of your family.