Ten additional victims file lawsuits claiming sexual abuse by former Cherry Hill sixth-grade teacher.

In a significant legal development, ten former students from Cherry Hill have filed lawsuits against the local school district, alleging they were victims of sexual abuse by a teacher who operated within the system decades ago. This cohort of plaintiffs joins seven others who have previously initiated similar legal action this year. As a result, the total number of lawsuits now stands at 17, shedding light on the troubling legacy of abuse within the Cherry Hill educational environment.

The recent lawsuits were filed in Camden County Superior Court, targeting alleged misconduct by Otto Becken, a former teacher at James F. Cooper Elementary School, where the alleged abuses took place from 1974 to 1984. The new complaints outline experiences of sexual abuse affecting nine men and one woman, all of whom were approximately 11 or 12 years old at the time of the alleged incidents. Becken, who passed away in 2011, held positions as a homeroom teacher and reading specialist during the cited years.

Reports indicate that Becken faced charges in 1984 for similar offenses against two 12-year-old students. Following those allegations, he resigned from his teaching position as part of a settlement agreement with the district, which included terms to surrender his teaching certification and pursue psychiatric treatment.

The lawsuits assert that various school officials, including the school’s then-principal, Lloyd Sandt, had knowledge or should have had awareness of the reported abuse but failed to act. Allegations include a lack of mandatory reporting to the state’s child welfare agency regarding suspected abuse.

Representing the claimants, attorney Jeffrey P. Fritz emphasized the courage of the victims in shining a light on systemic failures, asserting that the historical pattern of abuse and inaction reflects a pervasive culture of silence within the institution that needs urgent rectification. Fritz, along with co-counsel Derek T. Braslow, has predicted that additional victims might come forward, acknowledging the difficulty many face in revealing such traumatic experiences.

The lawsuits primarily detail accounts of inappropriate conduct occurring during isolated reading sessions, where Becken allegedly engaged in fondling and other forms of misconduct. Reports from the lawsuits suggest that Becken often masked his actions as playful behavior, using wrestling or other roughhousing as a cover.

The legal actions are being pursued under New Jersey’s Child Victims Act, enacted in 2019, allowing victims of childhood sexual abuse a prolonged opportunity to seek justice through civil lawsuits against both their abusers and the institutions that may have protected them.

Experts note that many sexual abuse survivors often choose to disclose their trauma later in life, typically between the ages of 40 and 55. According to the advocacy organization Child USA, statistics estimate that approximately 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys in New Jersey experience some form of sexual abuse before turning 18, with many cases remaining unreported.

As the case unfolds, both the Cherry Hill school district and its officials maintain a denial of the claims brought forth in the lawsuits, which include allegations of negligent hiring, retention, and failure to provide adequate supervision. The district has not publicly commented on the ongoing lawsuits but is contending with the gravity of the accusations that implicate institutional failures in safeguarding students against predatory behavior.

The emergence of these lawsuits represents a critical moment for accountability within the Cherry Hill school system and raises pressing questions about the safeguards in place to protect children from abuse in educational settings.