RUDY TREMAROLI SEX ABUSE CASE
Rudy Tremaroli groomed and sexually abused hundreds of boys over the course of his 30-year career at Lady of Mount Carmel Church and School. Some men who were sexually abused by Tremaroli are now coming forward with their stories of experiencing abuse while church officials looked the other way.
New York recently passed legislation called the Child Victims Act that allows people who experienced sexual abuse as children to file a claim for compensation. There is no time limit for when the abuse had to occur to be eligible to file a claim. However, the deadline for doing so is before August 14, 2021. If you were a victim of Rudy Tremaroli, we urge you to contact Herman Law immediately to learn more about your legal rights.
Who was Rudy Tremaroli?
Rudy Tremaroli worked for the Archdiocese of New York at several positions in Catholic community centers and schools for more than three decades. He began his employment in the 1960s. Tremaroli’s first position was at the Catholic Community Center. Although he abused hundreds of boys while in this job, church officials chose to transfer him to a new role rather than follow up on reports made by many of the boys and their parents.
After covering up Tremaroli’s crimes at the Catholic Community Center, the Archdiocese of New York moved him to the position of janitor at Lady of Mount Carmel Church and School. Rudy Tremaroli also served as the school’s basketball coach, ran summer youth programs and summer camps, and filled in at the community center as needed. He worked as the school’s assistant basketball coach and facilities manager throughout the 1970s.
Because he held various roles in positions of trust at the school, Tremaroli had access to hundreds of boys whom he first groomed and later sexually abused. Even though Tremaroli died in 1992, the victims of his sexual abuse continue to live with the pain and trauma he inflicted on them. While they can no longer confront or sue Tremaroli directly, his sexual abuse victims can file a claim against those that should have protected them.
Are You a Victim of Rudy Tremaroli’s Sexual Abuse?
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Who did Rudy Tremaroli sexually abuse?
Tremaroli abused entire generations of young boys from the 1960s to the 1990s. According to an April 2021 article published in the New York Post, only one other person in New York history had more victims than he did.
Rudy Tremaroli befriended boys and got them to trust him. Once he had successfully groomed them to accept his sexual advances, he engaged in abusive behavior such as sodomizing the boys with a cigar tube or his own body, forcing boys to perform oral sex, and fondling them underneath their clothes. Tremaroli also showed schoolboys pictures of naked girls and taught them how to masturbate to the images. He used his role as the school photographer to take explicit pictures of the boys he abused.
Having access to so many areas of Lady of Mount Carmel Church and School gave Tremaroli plenty of places and opportunities to commit his abusive acts. Some locations in the school where Tremaroli committed his abuse according to men who have come forward include:
- Behind the school stage
- Boys’ locker room
- Church basement
- Ciatti Hall
- His own office
- School gym
The Archdiocese of New York knew that Rudy Tremaroli was a serial predator but chose to protect him instead of his hundreds of victims. Staff at Lady of Mount Carmel Church and School knew that Tremaroli held open gym sessions for students and children in the community. If anyone suspected that Tremaroli used this opportunity to prey on vulnerable students, they kept their suspicions to themselves.
Former students have come forward to describe how Tremaroli would bring one boy at a time into his office under the guise of talking about how to improve their sports skills. With the door shut and the boys isolated from anyone who could see or hear them, Tremaroli was free to sexually abuse his victims.
Recent Rudy Tremaroli Sex Abuse cases in the news
Rudy Tremaroli could have potentially abused thousands of young boys, but no one will ever know the exact number because sexual abuse cases often go unreported. Two recent reports by men who are now middle-aged underscore the reign of terror Tremaroli inflicted on students for more than 30 years.
Gennaro Bizzarro is a 46-year-old state senator from Connecticut who went public about his abuse by Rudy Tremaroli in December 2019. Bizzarro states that Tremaroli molested and abused him starting when he was nine years old and continued until he was 12 years old. The Connecticut senator is one of 11 men who have publicly named himself a victim of Rudy Tremaroli.
Bizarro chose to identify himself to add credibility to the allegations made by so many and put a face with the abuse. He is hoping that filing a claim will help him and hundreds of others gain closure. Gennarro Bizzarro also hopes that those still living who ignored the boys’ suffering will face some type of justice.
Bizzarro recounts that one student tried to report his abuse in 1974 but the secretary at the community center told him to stop lying. This happened a year before Bizzarro’s birth, and he became one of Tremaroli’s victims a decade later. He also describes how Tremaroli shared pornographic images of students with the principal of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and one of the priests at the church. Both later faced criminal charges of their own.
An anonymous victim who goes by John Doe also described his sexual abuse at the hands of Rudy Tremaroli. He describes how Tremaroli asked him if he liked football, which seemed like an innocent enough question. The next thing John Doe knew, he was in Tremaroli’s office where the coach said he had to measure him for a jock strap. Tremaroli commanded John Doe to stand on the desk. When he did, the coach pulled down the victim’s pants and began to fondle him.
John Doe never told anyone about the sexual abuse and suffered deep shame and guilt for years. He blamed himself for it. Having the opportunity to speak up and tell the truth decades later has caused a shift in his healing and how he thinks about what happened to him.
When did the Rudy Tremaroli investigations begin?
Five former students of Lady of Mount Carmel came forward in 2019, officially launching the investigation. The five men stated that Rudy Tremaroli abused them over a combined total of 15 years. They also accused school officials of failing to act when told of the abuse by several hundred boys over the years. Herman Law is representing these men under the Child Victims Act that gives sexual abuse victims a one-year window upon recalling their abuse to file a lawsuit against the perpetrator or those who enabled the perpetrator’s actions.
Who are Rudy Tremaroli sex abuse victims suing?
Since Rudy Tremaroli died nearly 30 years ago, the five men are filing a lawsuit against the Catholic Community Center. The center had received hundreds of reports outlining how Tremaroli groomed, molested, and abused male students but failed to take any action. Instead, the Catholic Community Center moved Tremaroli to a janitor position at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and School.
Despite receiving many complaints, neither the school nor the Archdiocese of New York did anything about the abuse either. The lack of action on the part of each institution has made it possible for these victims to file a lawsuit under the Child Victims Act.
How are sex abuse victims able to sue institutions?
The New York City Bar Legal Referral Service reports that childhood sexual abuse survivors can file a claim against either private or public institutions that may be guilty of committing negligence in the case. The New York Child Victims Act removed the previous Notice of Claim action that required notification of the parties directly involved before a victim could file a claim against an institution. Survivors of sexual abuse as children can now file lawsuits against institutions for a period of one year after filing claims that had expired under old statute of limitation laws in New York.
Organizations such as churches and schools have a legal and moral obligation to protect children and prevent them from becoming abuse victims. Anyone who fails to report suspected acts of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect of children can face criminal charges. Several states, including New York, have passed laws outlining mandated reporting for people in a position of authority over children such as teachers and school administrators.
Every institution involved in Rudy Tremaroli’s three decades of child sexual abuse failed to protect children. From not believing children who made reports to moving Tremaroli from one position to the other that provided him easy access to victims, the church, school, and archdiocese failed to meet the legal standard of protection. No matter how many years have passed, these organizations must be held accountable for the criminal cover-up of abuse that had a devastating impact on the lives of hundreds of boys and their families.
What should I do if Rudy Tremaroli abused me?
The first thing to understand is that the abuse was not your fault, and you are not alone. You may want to seek counseling if you have not done so already. If you want to move forward with a lawsuit, we encourage you to schedule a consultation with New York child sex abuse firm Herman Law as soon as possible. Remember that you have just two more months to file a claim against the negligent institutions under the Child Victims Act.
If you are a survivor of Ruby Tremaroli’s sexual abuse, we want to help. Contact us confidentially today.
What kind of damages can I receive if Rudy Tremaroli abused me?
You could potentially receive compensation for the emotional, mental, and physical damages you continue to suffer. The jury will hear your account of damages and base the award primarily on your testimony. You could also receive payment for punitive damages. The term punitive damage refers to an additional amount awarded by the jury to punish defendants in cases of gross negligence.
When do I have to file a claim by?
You are eligible to file a claim regardless of your age at the time of the abuse or how long ago it happened. However, you must do so before August 14, 2021, to meet the guidelines of the Child Victims Act. Previously, you would have had just one to five years after you turned 18 to initiate a claim. Recognizing that young adults may not be emotionally ready to face their traumatic past yet, the New York legislature extended this deadline to age 55.
When should I contact an experienced sex abuse lawyer?
With the deadline expiring in just two months, we urge you to act immediately. We invite you to contact Herman Law for a free case evaluation today.