MORRISTOWN, N.J., June 5 (UPI) -- Two men said Tuesday they had joined a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse by clerics at Delbarton School in New Jersey.
Steve Badt, a 44-year-old soup kitchen worker in Washington who formerly was from Parsippany, N.J., said he was abused by a monk at the Morris Township Catholic school from the seventh grade until his senior year from 1979 to 1985, Patch.com reported.
The second former Delbarton student who has become part of the suit against St. Mary's Abbey -- which runs the school, which was started in 1939 and has about 500 students -- was not named. There are now six former students of the Catholic school who have raised sexual abuse allegations.
The suit was filed initially filed in March on behalf of twin brothers William Crane Jr. and Thomas Crane, formerly of Randolph.
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The Crane brothers, who attended Badt's news conference to show their support, allege they were sexually abused by the Rev. Luke Travers, who was Delbarton headmaster from 1999 to 2007, and the Rev. Justin Caputo, who until recently was assigned to Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in Cedar Knolls, the news Web site said.
Badt alleges he was sexually abused by St. Mary's monk Timothy Brennan, who was convicted in 1987 of criminal sexual abuse of another Delbarton student. Brennan moved to a Missouri rehabilitation center and has not been active in the church since his conviction, church officials have said.
Gregory Gianforcaro, the attorney handling the plaintiffs' lawsuit, said the other former student who joined the case Tuesday, listed as "John Doe" on the court papers, alleges he was sexually abused by the Rev. Benedict Worry, who taught at Delbarton for 18 years after being ordained in 1987, the Web site underthegreenwave.com said.
Worry, pastor at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Linden, has been at St. Mary's Abbey for health-related issues, the Web site said.
The Morris County Prosecutor's Office also is investigating the abuse allegations, Patch.com said.
