LACEY – A second lawsuit has been filed against the Lacey Township Board of Education, alleging that a former Roman Catholic priest who later worked as an elementary school teacher sexually abused a young student in the district during the late 1970s.
The latest complaint, filed in Essex County Superior Court, names W. S. Doe, born in 1970, as the plaintiff. The lawsuit claims that Fr. Lawrence Gadek, a former priest of the Archdiocese of Newark who taught at Lanoka Harbor Elementary School, abused her repeatedly between 1977 and 1980, beginning when she was just six years old
The case follows a 2024 lawsuit brought by another plaintiff whose name appears in court filings. Although her name is included in the complaint, this newspaper has elected to identify her by the initials F.H. to protect her privacy. F.H. was eight years old when she alleged that Gadek abused her for the first time. She attended Forked River Elementary School and Lanoka Harbor Elementary School between 1977 and 1981. She claimed the abuse occurred almost daily and included fondling, digital penetration, and nude photographs.
Both women are represented by attorney Gabriel C. Magee of Baldante & Rubenstein, P.C.
Allegations Of Abuse
According to both lawsuits, Gadek used his authority as a teacher to isolate his students under the guise of providing “extra help” or “counseling sessions.” The complaints detail instances where Gadek allegedly forced the girls to undress, touched them inappropriately, required them to masturbate, and photographed them.
In F.H.’s case, she said Gadek would take her out of class for “extra help” with her schoolwork. He would then take her to his “classroom” for these extra help sessions, which was actually just a small office/room in the school.
During the first episode of sexual abuse, Gadek allegedly asked F.H. to pull aside her top so that he could see her shoulder. She complied with this request because Gadek was in a position of power and authority over her and she was scared and intimidated. Thereafter, the sexual abuse progressed very quickly. Gadek started to touch her chest area and then removed the child’s shirt, and began to rub/fondle her breasts. Gadek warned F.H. and stated that, “You better not tell.” She also complied with this command not to tell anyone due to fear, intimidation, and Gadek’s position of power and authority as a teacher.
The sexual abuse escalated according to the claims made by F.H. to the point that the teacher would have her remove her underwear. He would then touch, rub, and/or fondle the child’s breasts, thighs, and vaginal area.
According to the legal complaint, Gadek continued to abuse F.H. daily after she was transferred to Lanoka Harbor Elementary School. After directing her to remove her clothes, Gadek would then instruct the child to masturbate. When she was in the fourth grade, F.H. claims the teacher took naked pictures of her.
Gadek allegedly visited her home, befriended her grandmother, and then took her back to school where he attempted to abuse her again. Ultimately, F.H. revealed her teacher’s actions to her grandmother. She believes her now deceased grandmother reported the sexual abuse to school authorities.
In W. S. Doe’s complaint, Gadek allegedly asked sexually explicit questions, took nude photographs, and forced her to expose herself on a weekly basis throughout second, third, and fourth grade.
Both lawsuits accuse the Lacey Township Board of Education and the Archdiocese of Newark of negligence in hiring, supervising, and retaining Gadek. The filings claim that both institutions knew or should have known about his history of sexual abuse yet placed him in positions of authority over children.
Gadek was ordained as a priest in 1955 and served in the Archdiocese until 1966, including at St. Catherine’s Church in Hillside, where he was accused of abusing another girl between 1960 and 1962. That claim was settled in January 2020 for a mid–six figure sum.
The Archdiocese of Newark publicly listed Gadek in 2019 as a priest with “multiple credible allegations” of sexual abuse of minors. He was permanently removed from ministry and laicized, which is the process by which a priest is formally dismissed from the ministry.
Civil Case And Legal Standing
Gadek’s name does not appear on New Jersey’s Megan’s Law sex offender registry. The lawsuits are civil claims, seeking damages under New Jersey’s expanded statute of limitations for victims of child sexual abuse.
No criminal charges appear to have been filed, and Gadek is considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Both plaintiffs say they continue to suffer long-term emotional and psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, panic attacks, and difficulty maintaining relationships.
