Latest news with #Marsocci
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Jury finds ex-teacher defamed R.I. Catholic prep school officials, Diocese with claims of sexual solicitations, coverup
Former principal Joseph Brennan, former assistant principal David Flanagan, and former president John A. Jackson were visibly relieved, hugging and thanking their lawyers after the verdict was read. 'I'm so happy for the verdict,' Brennan said outside the courtroom. 'I feel as though justice has been served, and I thank God.' Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Marsocci maintained that he had been acting in the best interests of students. Advertisement 'I told the truth,' he said. 'I have to face the fact that the jury did not believe me.' Marsocci had filed this whistle-blower claim in 2018, a year after being fired after 23 years as a theology teacher at Bishop Hendricken, a prep school that counts Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla and former US congressman James Langevin among its alumni. Marsocci was fired in May 2017 after school administrators discovered that he had created a website, Hawk Outsider, that accused them of failing to investigate another teacher's use of a classroom computer to solicit sex. Advertisement The website featured photos of top administrators claiming they lied about a 'potential predator,' videos secretly recorded by Marsocci, and screenshots of the sexually suggestive emails he found on the classroom computer, including some responding to Craigslist ads for 'Dad/Son Play.' Another secretly recorded video, which was later shared anonymously with WPRI-TV and the Providence branch of the NAACP, showed then-principal Brennan using racist and antisemitic slurs. The video cost Brennan his job. Marsocci had testified that he made the website because the administrators had failed to investigate the teacher's use of the classroom computer since he first brought it to their attention in 2014. Marsocci testified that the teacher was allegedly responding to ads on Craigslist seeking sexual encounters with younger men and, in one instance, sent a photo of himself with students. Brennan testified that the other teacher denied writing the emails and, because the computer was used by other people, there was no way to prove it was him. Brennan said that Marsocci was terminated for being insubordinate and that the accused teacher did not put any students in danger. After a two-week trial in Kent County Superior Court, the jury deliberated Marsocci was ordered to pay compensatory damages of $250,000 each to Brennan, Flanagan, and Jackson. He was also ordered to pay punitive damages: $250,000 to Brennan; $225,000 to Flanagan; $200,000 to Jackson; and $50,000 each to the school and Diocese. Brennan's lawyers, Todd D. White and Lucas Spremulli, a 2014 Hendricken graduate, called the three administrators good men who had done the right thing for the school. Advertisement 'I wanted them to know ... they did everything they should have done and needed to do to take care of the kids at Bishop Hendricken High School,' White said. Lawyer Paul Galamaga, a 1987 Hendricken graduate, who represented Jackson and Flanagan, said they were 'fine men' who would not have done the things they were accused of. Since being fired, Marsocci said, he has been unable to find another teaching job, and has spent the last several years working low-paying construction jobs. The assessment of damages leaves him impoverished. 'I refuse to be part of another Catholic Church coverup,' Marsocci said outside the courthouse Friday afternoon. 'They set out to destroy me, and they have.' Amanda Milkovits can be reached at
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Boston Globe
Jury deliberations begin in former R.I. teacher's whistle-blower lawsuit against prominent Catholic school
Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Marsocci, who testified for several days, never brought his concerns to the police, nor did he confront the teacher in question, Galamaga said. Advertisement But Robert E. Savage, an attorney representing Marsocci, reminded jurors the defense also did not bring in others to testify. Other than Marsocci, the only individuals who testified during the trial were former school administrators named in the lawsuit, he noted. 'They came here alone,' Savage said. Marsocci has said he was terminated in May 2017 for insubordination, when school officials discovered a website he created. The site featureds photos of former principal Joseph Brennan, assistant principal David Flanagan, and president John A. Jackson, claiming they lied about a 'potential predator;' videos Marsocci secretly recorded; and screenshots of sexually suggestive emails he found on the classroom computer, including some responding to Craigslist ads for 'Dad/Son Play.' Advertisement Brennan was also seen in another, secretly-recorded video — shared anonymously with WPRI-TV — that showed Brennan using racist and antisemitic slurs. Marsocci also alleges the three men defamed him in letters to the school community, and interfered with his ability to get hired at other Catholic schools in the state. Savage told the jury on Thursday Marsocci has been working in construction and is now 'poverty-stricken.' But Marsocci also faces counter-claims accusing him of making libelous and slanderous statements. In addition, Brennan is accusing him of violating his rights by surreptitiously filming him in his office and giving 'selective false and fictitious information' to the media. In testimony at trial, Marsocci said he told Brennan and the school chaplain in 2014 about finding the emails on the computer, which students also used. The teacher was allegedly seeking sexual encounters with younger men on Craigslist, and sent a photo of himself with students. Brennan testified he investigated the allegations by talking to the teacher, who denied writing the emails. But Marsocci said he continued finding explicit emails, so he took screenshots of them and started building the website. He also said he used a hidden camera to record his conversations with Brennan and other school officials 'because of the history of events with the Catholic Church.' Brennan testified he did not know Marsocci was still probing the incident. In May 2017, Brennan and Flanagan learned of Marsocci's 'Hawk Outsider' website when the webpage was left open in a faculty room. The website was not yet public, but Marsocci refused to take it down when confronted by administrators and was fired. Advertisement Warwick police spoke with Marsocci and the Hendricken administrators, looked at the screenshots of the email, and determined the situation was a civil matter. Galamaga said Marsocci's primary goal 'was to take down' Brennan, Flanagan, and Jackson. 'Mr. Marsocci wants you to believe that Bishop Hendricken has a teacher on the campus that is acting as a sexual predator, and he claims the evidence of this was easily accessible to anyone on that computer,' Galamaga told jurors on Thursday. 'Yet, curiously, nobody else ever found this easy-to-access evidence except Mr. Marsocci.' Galamaga pointed to how eight years have passed since those allegations became public. 'Wouldn't you expect one person to come forward by now to corroborate his stories?' Galamaga said. 'Nobody has ever come forward with such an allegation,' he added. Todd D. White, an attorney representing Brennan, said Marsocci is responsible for his own termination. 'Mr. Marsocci conducted a witch hunt against a colleague,' White said in his closing statement on Wednesday. Savage maintained on Thursday that Marsocci, who worked at the school for more than 23 years, was not insubordinate. He said whistleblower laws exist for employees to raise alarm if they believe, in good faith, a law was broken. 'He lost everything — absolutely everything,' Savage said. Material from a previous Globe story was used in this report. Christopher Gavin can be reached at
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Boston Globe
In whistleblower trial, former R.I. Catholic school teacher claims principal, Diocese, covered up sexual solicitations
Advertisement Another secretly recorded video, which was later shared anonymously with WPRI-TV and the Providence Branch of the NAACP, showed then-principal Joseph Brennan using racist and anti-Jewish slurs. Get Rhode Island News Alerts Sign up to get breaking news and interesting stories from Rhode Island in your inbox each weekday. Enter Email Sign Up Marsocci filed a whistleblower lawsuit in 2018 against the school and Diocese, and is also suing former administrators for defamation and accusing them of interfering with his ability to get hired at other Catholic schools in Rhode Island. Over the last week and a half, a jury in Kent County Superior Court has heard testimony from Brennan and Marsocci. The trial continues Tuesday. Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, Rhode Island on May 25, 2022. (Matthew Healey for The Boston Globe) Matthew Healey for The Boston Globe Marsocci testified that he told Brennan and the chaplain in 2014 about finding the teacher's emails on the computer, which was also used by students. The teacher was allegedly responding to ads on Craiglist seeking sexual encounters with younger men, and in one instance sent a photo of himself with students. Advertisement Marsocci later created a website — registered under the name 'Harry Paratestes' — on which he accused Brennan, assistant principal David Flanagan, and president John A. Jackson of covering up the other teacher's actions. The 'Hawk Outsider' website included videos that Marsocci had secretly recorded with Brennan acknowledging that the teacher had a problem. Marsocci was fired in May 2017, after school officials and the Diocese discovered the website and told him to take it down, he said. He said he was defamed by letters that the school sent to the Bishop Hendricken community, pastors and Catholic school principals, that painted him as a disgruntled teacher trying to damage the school's reputation. The school also sought to assure the community that students were not in any danger. While the 'Hawk Outsider' website called the teacher a 'potential predator,' Marsocci testified he had no evidence of the teacher behaving inappropriately with the students. 'Leaving that material on the computer for a minor to see is inappropriate,' Marsocci testified. 'There may be some parents who may not want their kids to happen upon that stuff.' Marsocci said another teacher told him about finding pornographic material on the classroom computer in 2013. Then in 2014, Marsocci said, he found sexually explicit emails that appeared to be written by the teacher. He said he told the chaplain and Brennan. Marsocci said he used a hidden camera to record his conversations with Brennan and another school officials 'because of the history of events with the Catholic church.' 'After I saw two pretty significant coverups by [the administration] 10 years before, I did what I felt necessary to make a record so I would not be a part of a cover-up,' Marsocci testified. Advertisement Marsocci said he continued finding sexually explicit emails, which he said also could be viewed by any student. So, he took screenshots, told the chaplain, and began building a website to expose it. Brennan testified that Marsocci was terminated for being insubordinate and that the accused teacher did not put any students in danger. Brennan said he investigated by talking to the teacher, who denied writing the emails. 'He seemed almost hurt I would ask him that. He's a wonderful man,' Brennan said. 'I just felt as though he was sincere with me, and there was no way we could prove it was him.' Brennan said he told the teacher to lock down the computer. He claimed he didn't know that Marsocci continued finding more sexually explicit emails on the computer over the next three years, including solicitations for prostitution. 'He was always coming to talk to me. It may have been he was complaining to me about the decision [about teacher], and I thought the decision was good and fair,' Brennan testified. 'I didn't know he was still investigating. I might have thought he was upset that I didn't terminate or punish [the teacher].' Brennan and Flanagan found out about the Hawk Observer website, which was left open in the faculty room. Marsocci hadn't yet made it public, but they could see the homepage with their photos on it, and a video of Brennan in his office. 'It was a bombshell,' Brennan testified. 'It was saying there was a Hendricken scandal, a cover-up, and honestly, [since] 2014, I thought this issue was resolved.' Advertisement The Diocese was called in. Marsocci was told to take down the website. He refused and was fired. The police spoke with administrators at Hendricken and Marsocci, looked at his screenshots, and determined the issue was a civil matter. The Hawk Outsider website went live. At a faculty meeting in June 2017, Brennan said, 'This is war.' A letter went out from Bishop Hendricken in December assuring pastors and principals at Catholic schools that it categorically denied the allegations. 'We wanted to let the principals and pastors know that we have a safe school,' Brennan said. Marsocci testified that he learned that the Rev. Robert Marciano, a Hendricken alum who became the school's president, gave a homily in early 2018 calling him a rogue teacher 'When I heard about Father Marciano, I knew my career connected with the church was over,' Marsocci said. He now works in construction. The Hawk Outsider website now claims to be a collaboration with 'Hendricken Parents' and 'Hendricken Alumni,' though Marsocci testified that he doesn't know who they are. Both Brennan and Flanagan have filed counter-claims against Marsocci accusing him of making libelous and slanderous statements. Brennan is also accusing Marsocci of violating his rights by surreptitiously filming him in his office and giving 'selective false and fictitious information' to the media. In one video, Brennan used a racial slur and a slur against Jewish people; he testified that he abruptly resigned in 2018 after the video was anonymously shared with WPRI-TV and the Providence Branch of the NAACP. Brennan said that snippet appeared to come from a conversation he had with Marsocci. Advertisement Flanagan and Jackson are also no longer employed by the school. The only person whose job hasn't changed is the teacher who was allegedly sending the explicit emails. He remains at Bishop Hendricken. Amanda Milkovits can be reached at
