ReVille Lawsuit Filed: Victim files civil lawsuit against Pinewood Prep
Alleges gross negligence and civil conspiracy by school and former headmaster
On behalf of an alleged sexual abuse victim of Charleston-area teacher and coach Louis "Skip" ReVille, Motley Rice LLC filed a civil lawsuit today against Pinewood Preparatory School and its former headmaster Glyn Cowlishaw.
The victim, John Doe, alleges that from 2004 until ReVille left Pinewood Prep, ReVille subjected him to sexually abusive behaviors numerous times. At that time Doe was a middle school student. Doe vs. Pinewood Preparatory School and Glyn Cowlishaw Case No. 11-CP-18-02510 alleges that the school and Cowlishaw breached their duty of care and committed gross negligence in the hiring, supervision and retention of ReVille as a teacher and coach. The filing also claims civil conspiracy. ReVille has identified Doe as one of his victims to criminal investigators.
"We believe that the defendants' reckless oversight and irresponsible silence allowed ReVille to be in numerous situations during his employment that enabled his sexually abusive behavior," said Marlon Kimpson, a lawyer on Doe's legal team. "We expect schools and their leaders to protect the children in their care by providing them a safe environment. We allege that did not happen here."
"In our opinion, silence among the adults at Pinewood Prep about ReVille's behavior allowed him to continue to operate unchecked in our community. Our goal is to help our client begin to heal and prevent similar tragedies. We believe there is additional information about ReVille's actions in the community and encourage anyone with more information to come forward," said Laura Khare, one of the attorneys on Doe's legal team.
ReVille held multiple teaching, coaching and volunteer positions in the Charleston area. Those include: The Citadel, Coastal Christian Preparatory School, Bishop England High School, Moultrie Middle School, Rollings Middle School, Mt. Pleasant Recreation Department, Velocity Sports Performance and Eastbridge Presbyterian Church.
Doe seeks actual and consequential damages as well as punitive damages to halt and deter such conduct from occurring again in the future. Motley Rice represents Doe with attorney William H. Nixon, Jr. of Charleston, S.C. Nixon, who focuses his practice in criminal law, is assisting our client in working with law enforcement and navigating the criminal justice system.
About Motley Rice LLC
Motley Rice is one of the nation's largest plaintiffs' litigation firms. Motley Rice attorneys have a history of representing those whose most basic human rights have been violated, including children, sexual assault victims and international torture victims. Motley Rice LLC is headquartered in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., and has additional offices in California; Connecticut; New York; Rhode Island; Washington, D.C.; and West Virginia. For more information about this case contact attorneys Joe Rice (DC, SC) or Marlon Kimpson (SC) at 1.800.768.4026. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
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See coverage of the sexual abuse lawsuit filing.