Orchard Lake School is responding to a lawsuit describing a series of allegations of sexual assault

WEST BLOOMFIELD POPULATION, Mich. – A lawsuit filed by a father and son alleges that students at a Detroit Metro high school attacked and forced the son to participate in sexualized games during a 2019 retreat.

The father, a longtime teacher at St. Louis High School. Mary’s, in Orchard Lake, and her son, a student, filed a lawsuit to outline a series of sexualized games allegedly played by the school’s athletic students. The lawsuit alleges that when the son chose not to participate in the games, the other students attacked him.

“The main example that is alleged in the complaint is the naked bowling game: where they put soap and water all over the floor of a shower room and then throw naked bodies. All the guys up there. And they are left alone to do so, ”said Bob Palmer, the father and son’s attorney in the case against Santa Maria officials.

“One of my clients didn’t want to participate and was attacked in his room, caught in … they tried to drag him and they gave in,” Palmer added.

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Both father and son report that Orchard Lake Catholic School knew about the so-called naked games the boys played at the school’s annual “Kairos Retreat” at the Colombiere Retreat Center in Clarkston, but allegedly did nothing to stop it. . The lawsuit states that when the son did not want any of the games, the other students dragged him out of his room and tried to undress him, which lawyer Palmer says was essentially sexual assault.

“When everyone is naked and throws naked bodies with body parts exposed against other individuals, and when you grab someone in their room and all they have is a pair of panties and you grab their thighs and their stomach and grab them under the decks … I definitely think that’s what it is, ”said Palmer, who described the boy’s experience.

The alleged incident took place in the spring of 2019.

In a statement, St. Mary’s Prep said: “The administration conducted an investigation immediately after learning of these allegations, which was overseen by a member of our board. We are confident that once this information is made public, it will show that the school acted completely appropriate way ”.

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Palmer says when the son’s father complained about the incident, he was fired from his high school teacher position.

“It’s ironic that the individual who was assaulted is the master’s son; they’re both there,” Palmer said. “It’s an interesting case because they were both very affected by this set of events.”

Stephen Gross, chairman of the board of regents at Orchard Lake Schools, responded:

“While it would be inappropriate to comment on the dismissal of any employee, there are multiple false allegations in this lawsuit. We plan to present the truth to the courts.”

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