The Adams-Cheshire Regional School District is still standing by its January 2017 statement that there was an “absence of proof” that former custodian Clement St. Hilaire molested numerous middle school boys in the 1970s, despite the fact that additional victims have come forward and that St. Hilaire himself has publicly admitted to at least some of the sexual abuse.
The Berkshire Eagle reported tonight that the District will “diligently” address any claims from additional victims and that Superintendent Robert Putnam says claims can be brought directly to his attention.
Yet even in the face of mounting evidence as well as admissions from the perpetrator, the District has puzzlingly adhered to its prior statement concerning an absence of proof. Keep in mind, too, that the District did not interview the two initial victims as part of their so-called “investigation.”
The additional victims who have come forward are brave men who deserve sympathy, empathy, and praise for raising their hands to be counted among the other victims.
I once again call upon the District to accept at least a modicum of accountability for this sordid tale and to apologize to those afflicted. Unless and until the District does so, their statements ring hollow and carry little to no weight.
