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6 ■ JUNE 28, 2021 NEWS

■ From NEW SUIT on PAGE 5 Hampshire Department of Safety public infor-
when they fail to adapt appropriate safety proce- mation officer.
dures. And we think the evidence will show that Tammy Jackson, the New Hampshire Judicial
both tools to establish negligence are going to be Branch Public Information Officer, said Thursday
available to the plaintiff at trial. In these cases, as prosecutors in Grafton County Superior Court
attorneys who file these suits know, you will have in New Hampshire didn’t move forward with the
one or the other—a red flag or failure to adapt ap- case because there was insufficient evidence to
propriate safety procedures—but it’s unusual to proceed.
have both.” Nelson couldn’t be reached at press time. It’s
The lawsuit, Jane Doe v. The Cheshire Academy, also not clear if Nelson, who is not a defendant in
was filed June 7 in federal court in Connecticut. the lawsuit, has an attorney.
The suit alleges former teacher Matthew Nelson Ken Mason, Cheshire Academy spokesperson,
sexually abused Jane Doe in said Nelson was a teacher at the
2004, when Doe was 12 years old. academy from July 2003 to spring
The complaint alleges Nelson 2004, when he left the school.
sexually assaulted the girl during A former Cheshire “Cheshire Academy takes the
a field trip out of state. Academy student is the disturbing allegations in the
With regard to the red flags, complaint very seriously,” Ma-
the attorney said, “We are still latest to sue a private son said in a statement. “Out of
running down those leads.” boarding school over respect for the legal process now
Andreozzi added, “The insti- alleged sexual assault. underway and the privacy of the
tution needed to be vigilant of individuals involved, we will be
the supervision of employees addressing the matter in court
and to adapt best practices any- and will not be commenting fur-
time there is the taking of children off the prem- ther at this time.”
ises for an overnight, because if anything, we As of Thursday afternoon, The Cheshire Acad-
know that abusers capitalize on opportunities to emy had not hired an attorney to represent it in
be alone with children. And that is exactly what the matter.
he did here.” The lawsuit seeks punitive damages but, An-
The suit states, “Cheshire negligently and/or dreozzi said, “There is no specific monetary de-
grossly negligently hired and/or retained perpe- mand yet.”
trator, when they knew or should have known Andreozzi said Jane Doe, who now lives In Ne-
that perpetrator posed a threat of harm to mi- vada, “has been in counsel and therapy. She is
nors.” The lawsuit doesn’t elaborate on how the fractured and is trying to put the pieces of her life
school should have known Nelson allegedly posed back together and to reclaim her power. This law-
a threat to students. suit is one of the first steps in her doing so.” ■
Because the school field trip took place in
New Hampshire authorities there filed crimi- Robert Storace covers legal trends, lawsuits and
nal charges against Nelson in 2019—when analysis for the Connecticut Law Tribune. Follow
they were first notified of the alleged attack on him on Twitter @RobertSCTLaw or reach him at
Jane Doe—according to Paul Raymond, New 203-437-5950.

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