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Attorney Reed Martens of Monsees & Mayer P.C. is representing victims in civil lawsuits filed against the Agape Boarding School. The school is located at 12998 E 1400 Rd, Stockton, MO 65785.
On Friday, August 6, 2021, two lawsuits were filed accusing the private Christian boarding school of neglect. The lawsuits allege that the school's administrators allowed physical, emotional, and sexual abuse to take place. The lawsuits filed against the school included references to previous abuse that took place on the campus. However, this history of abuse was not disclosed to the parents at the time of enrolling their children. The victims allege that school officials used a pattern of punishment to prevent them from reporting the abuse to anyone outside of the facility.
The boarding school is facing multiple charges of negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and battery. For more details about the case, visit https://abuseguardian.com/
Attorney contributor Reed Martens is an experienced sexual abuse attorney. Mr. Martens represents families and victims abused in Missouri. During a recent interview, he shared his insight regarding the legal rights of victims abused at a boarding school.
"Boarding schools have a legal obligation to provide ample protection for the students enrolled and living on their campus. Teachers and other staff members are in positions of power that students look up to and trust. Most teachers are trustworthy, but a few use this power to exploit children physically and sexually. Schools, especially boarding schools that require students to live on campus, must implement preventative measures that provide safety from these predators. These measures can include conducting extensive background checks, installing surveillance cameras throughout the campus, and properly utilizing a reporting system."
"Religious boarding schools are not held to the same state-mandated guidelines as public schools. Too often, misconduct is not reported or investigated. When a student reports an act of abuse, it may be dismissed if the student has been deemed a trouble maker. However, this neglect can produce lasting effects on victims, such as drug addictions, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, depression, and more. If a victim has been abused at a boarding school, they have the legal right to inquire if the school officials did all they could to prevent the abuse. If the school is found negligent, the victim may have grounds for a lawsuit. If reports of previous misconduct were ignored and the abuse was allowed to continue, the boarding school could be held responsible in a civil lawsuit. While criminal lawsuits may punish the abusers, they do little for the victims. Civil lawsuits allow victims to obtain the compensation they may need to get the help they deserve. Victims of sexual abuse and their families are encouraged to seek the counsel of an experienced sexual abuse attorney to explore their legal rights fully and to ensure they get the compensation they rightfully deserve."
Monsees & Mayer P.C.
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