Man sues N.J. school district for $50M, says janitor sexually abused him for years

A Scranton, Pennsylvania man has filed a $50 million lawsuit against the Ewing Township Board of Education, claiming that a janitor in the district sexually abused him repeatedly beginning when he was 9 years old.

The victim, who is now in his 50s, claims in court papers Raymond Miller lured him out of class with ice cream and candy, assaulting him in the boys’ room and elsewhere on and off school grounds from 1977 to 1981.

The alleged assaults occurred when the victim was a student at Lore Elementary School and Antheil Elementary School, the suit states.

Miller pleaded guilty in July 1993 to two counts of sexual assault of a victim under age 13 and was sentenced to seven years in prison, according to court records. He died in November 1999, according to the lawsuit.

The man’s attorney, John Baldante of Haddonfield, said Thursday that Miller’s “criminal conviction was for a separate matter.”

The lawsuit, filed last month in Superior Court of Mercer County, states the victim suffered psychological problems from the abuse, later became addicted to drugs and alcohol and grew to distrust figures of authority.

The lawsuit claims that two different principals observed Miller with the child victim – once in a bathroom, another time leaving the school together – but that neither one asked questions or reported what they saw.

The district is accused in the suit of negligent supervision and hiring, infliction of emotional distress and of violating state laws against discrimination by allegedly allowing a sexually hostile environment.

Attorneys representing the district on Thursday issued this statement to NJ Advance Media: “This recently filed lawsuit dates back to allegations that occurred many decades ago. We are not able to comment on this matter at this time. That may change as circumstances develop.”

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Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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