St. John's Prep Teacher Accused Of Child Sex Abuse

DANVERS, MA -- St. John’s Prep put Brother Robert Flaherty, a teacher at the school, on leave after he was accused of child sexual abuse in Maryland. The accusations date back to the mid-1980s, and Baltimore Police, as well as the Maryland state's attorney, are investigating the claims. Flaherty has taught computer science at St. John's for 16 years.

"We were committed, as soon as we found out, to make sure that our community was aware of what’s happening and also to take the necessary steps to remove brother from his time and service here and working with the Xaverian Brothers," Dr. Edward Hardiman, headmaster at the Catholic boys school in Danvers, said in a statement.

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Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).