Pike School Officials Say No More Sex Abuse Cases Have Surfaced

With news that a former Pike School student was sexually abused by a female teacher, school  officials say they have no reason to believe that there has been any other cases of sexual abuse at Pike.

Spokesman Karen Schwartzman said that they have interviewed the staff and faculty about the activity of Judith Elefante and said there have been no reports of her engaged in a sexual  relationship with any other students, beside the 34-year-old former student that is now bringing a lawsuit against the school.

“We have heard nothing that would suggest that she engaged in sexual activity with any student enrolled at pike,” said Schwartzman. “If there is such a person that would be cause for concern, no one has come forward to the school at any time.”

However, in the lawsuit filed by the former student’s attorney Carmen Durso, he alleges that there is another former student that says he had been sexually abused by Elefante 10 years prior to the abuse referenced in the current lawsuit, which happened around 1993.  But this individual, who is a male, is not currently filing a lawsuit against the school or making any official allegations besides providing anonymous testimony in the current lawsuit.

Durso said that, if in fact there was a similar case in the early 80s involving Elefante and another minor male student, the chances that there were no others in between the two are slim.

The Pike School in February released a statement to the Pike School Community about the sex abuse lawsuit. It said even though officials knew about the sexual relationship between Elefante and the student two years ago, at which point Ms. Elefante was fired, Schwartzman said they did not know that any sexual activity went on during the Pike School period and felt it was not neccessary to inform the public.