Archmere Academy graduate claims sexual abuse

Why am I not surprised to read that Archmere Academy graduate, Kenneth Whitwell, is suing Archmere Academy and the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington for alleged sexual abuse?

You can read the story here. (link no longer active)

Here's a summary of the lawsuit.

Several things struck me about this article. First, I had the priest referenced in the article as a teacher. Whitwell's assertion rings true to me - a few of the priests who taught at Archmere while I attended definitely had groups of boys that were almost groupies in a sense - they hovered around them and had relationships which on the surface, seemed to go beyond the typical teacher-student relationship.

Second, what male who attended Archmere in the mid-'80s doesn't remember walking the school halls and getting their behind groped by a certain someone? I mean, inappropriate touching happened to me on more than one occasion! It's worth noting that it's pretty easy to dismiss or ignore the intermittent ass grab when you're that young.

But looking back, it was almost a rite of passage, because it seemed like an open secret. The guy even had a nickname, which everyone I knew referred to, so I know it just wasn't limited to me. A lot of people experienced it. A few random instances of grabass, I can live with. But the type of incident Whitwell is claiming is much more serious.

But even as a young teen who was having a really tough time fitting into the clique/Catholic hierarchy and student way of life at the prestigious private high school, it was evident there was some type of monkey business going on behind the scenes.

I applaud Kenneth Whitwell for coming forth with his claims. It took a lot of nerve to go public with such a private story that has undoubtedly caused him a lot of personal pain and embarssment. I'll be looking forward to see how this matter plays out.