Regis High School & Jesuits Hit In Suit Alleging Abuse Of Minor At Weekend Program
Regis High School and the Society of Jesus (more commonly known as the Jesuits) are the subject of a lawsuit filed by the parent of an 11 year-old child, who claimed he was sexually abused by a counselor during a weekend program hosted by the school. The school said it had terminated the counselor, identified as Matthew Chicas, and “immediately” reported the case to the NYPD and Child Protective Services. Chicas had also been a teacher at another Catholic high school in Chelsea–Xavier–but is reportedly no longer with the school.
| 04 Jul 2023 | 01:59
The exterior of Regis High School on E. 84th St. Alleged child abuse by a camp counselor occurred during an April weekend program, resulting in the parent of the child filing a lawsuit against the school on June 22nd. (
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A lawsuit filed against Regis High School claims an 11 year-old child was sexually abused during a weekend program at the Catholic all-boys school, run by the Jesuits on the Upper East Side.
According to the NYPD, Mathew Chicas--who had also been a teacher at Xavier High School--was arrested on April 19th and charged with unlawful surveillance and acting in a manner injurious to a child. The alleged incident occurred on April 15th. He is reportedly no longer a teacher at Xavier.
The suit said the boy was attending a Saturday prep program for middle schoolers that aided with admission to Catholic schools, known as the REACH program (or Reaching Excellence in Academics for Catholic High Schools).
The complaint alleging child sex abuse at the program was filed in court on June 22th, claiming a minor listed only as “J.C.” was reportedly “sexually monitored and sexually eavesdropped” on in a bathroom stall by REACH counselor Chicas. Specifically, Chicas had allegedly followed the boy into the bathroom and taken a picture of him over a bathroom stall with his phone. Olaya Lopez–the boy’s mother who filed the suit on behalf of her son–is seeking compensatory damages for what the suit claims will be a lifetime of trauma, ranging from “severe and permanent emotional distress” to incurring “expenses for medical and psychological treatment, therapy, and counseling” well into the future.
The suit also alludes to the notion that the abuse happening at Regis is additionally pernicious because “religious figures and other individuals in leadership positions in the Church have traditionally occupied positions of great trust, respect and allegiance among adults and children, including [the] Plaintiff.” “Trust issues” and “feeling that his childhood and innocence was stolen” are listed as possible reasons to award compensatory damages.
The suit claims Regis had “allowed a culture of abuse, for decades, to prevail, and to allow that culture of abuse to fester, grow, and normalize.” The plaintiffs go on to cite suspended Regis president Father Daniel Lahart (dismissed in 2021 after an internal investigation by the school found he sexually harassing multiple adults including subordinates) and Father John L. Farrand, a serial abuser during the 1960s named in a lawsuit in 2020.
In a statement provided to Straus News, Joseph DeLessio–a spokesperson for Regis High School–noted that “immediately after the allegation was reported to us, we contacted the student’s parents and reported the allegation to both Child Protective Services and the NYPD. The NYPD responded and came to Regis that afternoon to begin their investigation. The same day we also notified all REACH and Regis parents with news of this allegation.”
DeLessio added that “based on our review of the facts, we terminated REACH teacher Mr. Matthew Chicas. Mr. Chicas has been charged with attempted illegal surveillance and endangering a minor, and REACH and Regis are fully cooperating with the NYPD’s investigation.”
Chicas could not be reached by Straus News at presstime.