After four years of legal proceedings, several sexual abuse cases involving a former St. Francis Hospital doctor have been settled.
Stratton Faxon has reached a settlement with St. Francis Hospital on 32 cases the firm has been handling involving the former Dr. George Reardon.
Reardon was accused of using a sexual growth study from the 1960s through the 1980s as a front for abusing more than 500 children. The abuse was uncovered in 2007 when 40,000 to 50,000 pornographic pictures were found hidden in a basement wall of Reardon's former West Hartford home as the new owner was doing renovations.
Reardon died in 1998, before ever facing criminal charges.
The settlement does not involve cases brought by plaintiffs Timothy O'Keefe is representing. Jury selection for the next trial begins on May 24 and the trial is scheduled to start on June 14.
The hospital agreed to a confidential settlement of the case with the Stratton Faxon plaintiffs, bringing the John Doe #2 trial to an end, according to the law firm.
"From the beginning of this tragedy related to the late Dr. Reardon, we have remained committed to resolving this issue as fairly as possible," St. Francis Hospital said in a news release. "With the trial of the first case, we believe that we have proven that Dr. Reardon was a master manipulator who deceived his patients, their parents, and his colleagues at the Hospital. We are prepared to prove that again in court, as necessary."
Local
The confidential settlement will be for the benefit of all the Stratton Faxon Law Firm clients involved in the sexual abuse lawsuit against the hospital.
“Our clients are very pleased with the confidential settlement and happy to put this painful chapter of their lives behind them,” attorney, Joel T. Faxon said. “We’d like to also thank the men and women who served on the jury in this important case," he added.
"As difficult as this issue has been for everyone involved, our staff of dedicated caregivers continues to provide leading-edge care to the diverse community we serve. We believe the settlements announced today are another step in that direction," St. Francis Hospital said in a statement.
The settlement comes after five weeks of testimony and two days of jury deliberation.
