institutional abuse Archives | Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman LLP

Sex Abuse by Clergy and Other Institutions Should Face Judgment

Posted on March 24, 2026April 13, 2026 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

Sex abuse by clergy is once again in the national spotlight, following the federal indictment of two leaders of the Kingdom of God Church in Georgia. According to the U.S. Justice Department, David Taylor and Michelle Brannon used their “fake ministry” as a front for human trafficking, forced labor and sexual abuse. Prosecutors claim the pair raised millions of dollars in donations while forcing women and children to endure unspeakable psychological and physical abuse.

This is not just one rogue “church” but part of a much bigger issue. Despite years of headlines, sex abuse by clergy is still happening quietly at schools, youth programs and institutions. Until those in power are held accountable, the cycle will continue.

Report Details ‘Staggering Pervasiveness’ of Sex Abuse Within Catholic Diocese

Posted on September 17, 2024April 13, 2026 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

More than 150 priests, deacons, teachers and seminarians within the Archdiocese of Baltimore have been accused of sexually abusing more than 600 children and young adults over an eight-decade period.

An explosive report by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office details pervasive sexual abuse within the country’s oldest Roman Catholic diocese. In some cases, parishes, schools and congregations had more than one alleged abuser at work. One, St. Mark’s Parish in Catonsville, had 11 alleged abusers living and working there between 1964 and 2004. One deacon admitted to molesting more than 100 children.

Kamehameha Schools’ Shameful Legacy of Sexual Abuse

Posted on June 12, 2024August 18, 2025 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

A towering symbol of Hawai‘i pride, Hawai‘i’s Kamehameha Schools has educated some of the Hawaiian Islands’ leading lights since 1887. Named for the monarch who united the Hawaiian Islands, Kamehameha’s boarding school on Oahu provided families of native Hawaiian descent the opportunity to educate their children on a campus with more than 70 buildings, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, an athletic complex that seats 3,000, and a resources that rival those of the world’s most-elite private schools.

The school’s storied history, however, belies a dark secret that has only recently come to light. For generations, school administrators covered up what lawsuits by more than 30 former students have described as decades of “monstrous sexual abuse” perpetrated largely against male boarders who were entirely in the trust and care of Kamehameha Schools.