Lawsuit claims sexual abuse at Santa Fe Boys & Girls Club over a decade ago

The Santa Fe New Mexican - 4/2/2024

Apr. 2—A new lawsuit alleges a former employee of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Fe/Del Norte sexually abused a girl during a summer program more than a decade ago.

The complaint, filed March 26 in the state's First Judicial District Court, does not name the accuser, who is now 19, or the worker accused of abuse. The man's identity is not known, the complaint states, adding the accuser plans to determine his name through the legal process of discovery, or evidence sharing.

The alleged abuse occurred at the organization's former location, 730 Alto St., when the girl was 6 to 8 years old, the complaint states.

The lawsuit, which seeks punitive damages, lists the local club as well as the national organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, as defendants, alleging both were negligent and that "lack of supervision and proper employee vetting protocols directly contributed to the environment in which the abuse could occur."

Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Fe/Del Norte Executive Director Sarah Gettler said Tuesday the organization had not yet been served the lawsuit and declined to comment on the allegations.

The complaint alleges the worker was a music teacher for the organization's summer program, where he began "grooming, manipulating" and sexually abusing the girl. The ratio of children to adults during the summer program was so high proper supervision was not possible, "enabling and empowering" the alleged abuse, the complaint states.

Albuquerque attorney Shayne Huffman, who represents the young woman in the civil suit, indicated she believes the case might encourage other potential victims to come forward. He said she recalls seeing the music teacher treating other young girls similarly to the way he treated her before the alleged abuse occurred.

"You never want there to be other survivors, but unfortunately that's the pattern we see in these types of cases," Huffman said.

Huffman's firm — Huffman, Wallace & Monagle — has represented many victims of sexual abuse, including at least five men who have filed lawsuits alleging abuse at what was then the Santa Fe Boys Club in the 1970s and '80s, he said.

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