Attorney Said Sex Abuse Should Have Been Disclosed Earlier

When the sexual relationship between a former Pike School student, now 34, and a former Pike School teacher surfaced two years ago, the teacher, Judith Elefante, then Judith Chapell, was fired for her inappropriate behavior with a student.

Pike School officials said that this was a personnel matter and was dealt with behind closed doors, saying that there was no evidence of sexual activity at Pike.

Attorney Carmen Durso, who filed a this past week, has a different take on it, however.

He said that it was clear Elefante had psychological problems and that the Pike School should have made the matter public in an effort to encourage other possible victims to come forward.  

“If they [the Pike School and staff]  have info about the welfare of a child, they are required to report it,” said Durso. “When they heard that story I believe they had an obligation but, instead, they hid it from the public.”

Durso said that whether or not Pike officials knew of sexual activity that happened at Pike School between Elefante and the student, the school should have let the public know in order make sure this student wasn’t the only one.

“One way or the other, it was enough to report [to the public] in case she was having some of the same relationships with other students,” said Durso.

According to the lawsuit, another student has come forward that claims he had a similar relationship with Elefante in the early 1980s. The student currently suing Pike and Groton Schools for sexual abuse was involved with the teacher beginning in 1993.

Durso said that he has three other cases with female teachers abusing younger male students and they are all remarkably similar.

“There are profoundly ill people. The pattern that you see with what the perpetrator did is virtually identical to the others,” said Durso. “You hear one person talk about what happened to him, it might as well be one of the other three talking it’s so similar.”