RI Supreme Court Justice Blocked Effort to Unveil St. George’s Abuse in 1980s

Thursday, January 14, 2016

GoLocalProv News Team and Kate Nagle

An effort by a former St. George’s student to bring attention to sexual abuse at the school in the 1980s was crushed by a prominent Providence attorney — none other than Rhode Island Supreme Court Justice William Robinson III.

A review of court documents by GoLocal shows that Robinson, who was representing St. George’s at the time as an attorney with the Providence law firm of Edwards and Angell, tried to force Jane Doe — who is now known is Anne Scott — to reveal her real name in the lawsuit alleging rape and molestation at the hands of the school’s athletic trainer.

Robinson claimed the sex could have been consensual, and filed a motion that she be barred from contacting “any large portion of the alumni” - while arguing her name be made public to draw out potential whistleblowers.

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The case was virtually at the midpoint of the sex abuse allegations at St. George’s that have recently come to light after Scott reopened the case, as reported in the Boston Globe.

“Justice Robinson would not speak to the Globe on the matter, but in a statement released by his law clerk Tuesday said: “In the 1980s, while engaged in the private practice of law, I represented St. George’s School in certain litigation in the federal court, which has recently become the subject of interest in the media. I represented the client as an attorney must — zealously, ethically and to the best of my ability. I do not believe that further comment is necessary or appropriate,” wrote Bella English for the Globe on January 6.

Robinson was appointed to the Rhode Island Supreme Court in 2004.

The documents reviewed reveal that United States Magistrate Jacob Hagopian repeatedly rebuffed Robinson’s attempts during the $10 million lawsuit Scott filed against the school in 1988 as "Jane Doe" to have her name revealed, which he summed up when he finally turned down the defense -- and school's -- effort.

“Given the very nature of the underlying facts and circumstances of an alleged rape, which occurred on a 15 year old girl, where the defendant St. George’s School by reason of the action brought, is held to some sort of standard of accountability of what one of its employees allegedly visited upon this young girl. I think it would be outrageous for me to decide otherwise. It may be the first decision in the land, and so be it. I am delighted if that is the case,” wrote Hagopian in his decision to keep Scott’s name private — despite Robinson’s efforts — on May 30, 1989.

“You are concerned about the money aspect, the punitive damages. There is something more important that money can’t buy, and that’s the human dignity of a person, and we’re going to preserve it in this case,” wrote Hagopian.

Documents Bring School Defense to Light

RI Supreme Court Justice Blocked Effort to Unveil St. George’s Abuse in 1980s

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