Herman, Mermelstein & Horowitz, P.A.

A new civil lawsuit filed by Herman, Mermelstein & Horowitz, P.A., says that the Highlands (FL) County School Board was first notified in 1994 that Orestes Gonzalez, the husband of school nurse and after-care supervisor Maria Gonzalez, molested an elementary school student during one of his unsupervised "visits" to the after school child care program.  The suit also alleges that Majel Bowerman , the principal who received the report in 1994, took no action against him or to otherwise warn parents that Maria Gonzalez would leave their children alone with Orestes Gonzalez for extended periods of time.  According to the Complaint, the plaintiff was abused between 2008 and 2010, while she was 8-10 years old while Bowerman was still principal.

The law firm of Herman, Mermelstein & Horowitz, P.A., announces the filing of a new child sexual abuse and coverup lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Miami, alleging that retired priest Fr. Ricardo Castellanos sexually abused a young parishioner from 1994-1997, beginning when the boy was about 10 years old.  The suit also claims that the boy was forced to watch as Castellanos sexually abused a young, mentally handicapped boy from the San Isidro parish.  Castellanos became a popular Archdiocesan radio and TV personality during his pastorate at San Isidro, even though another priest claims Castellanos admitted to sexually abusing a young boy during the Mariel Boatlift when confronted in the early 1980s.  The news conference regarding the new lawsuit will be held at the firm's Miami offices at 1:00 today.

At a hearing in Miami-Dade court, 2 Opa Locka police officers were arraigned on charges of criminal contempt for disobeying a court Order, a choice that eventually led to the horrific sexual abuse of a mentally disabled 9 year old boy.  Both officers, as well as the City of Opa Locka, are defendants in a lawsuit brought by Herman, Mermelstein & Horowitz, P.A., on behalf of the boy and his mother last summer. 

Attorneys for priests accused of sexual misconduct with children, joined by the Catholic Bishops, have launched a full-scale attack on the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), the world's largest support group for those who suffered horrible sexual abuse by trusted authority figures like Catholic clergy.  SNAP, a non-profit operating on a shoe-string budget, could be bankrupted and forced to stop providing confidential, safe support to thousands of victims if the legal tactics aimed at forcing disclosure of decades worth of confidential communications with victims are successful.  

An Arkansas Court held that the First Amendment does not prevent an adult parishioner from bringing a negligent retention/supervision claim against a Diocese based on her sexual exploitation by a priest during counseling. .   

More than 20 adults accused Trinity Baptist Church founder Robert "Bob" Gray of sexually abusing them as children.  Now Billy Baldwin plans to shoot an inspiring Hollywood movie at the school, which advocates say allows the school to profit from the atrocities committed at Trinity.  Herman, Mermelstein & Horowitz, P.A.,  represented multiple victims of Gray. 

A spokesman for the Diocese of Buffalo confirmed to WGRZ TV that it received a report that Father Secundo Casarotto sexually assaulted a woman in 2008, but took no action in response to the report.  HMH attorney Adam Horowitz represents a woman who says she was sexually assaulted by Father Casarotto in 2009. 

Catholic Diocese of Buffalo officials admit that another woman had reported that she was sexually assaulted by Rev. Secondo Casarotto in 2008.  Despite this report, Casarotto maintained his role as priest, and  has been accused of sexually assaulting another parishioner in 2009.

Attorney Adam Horowitz has been featured in Buffalo, New York, media reports regarding the removal of Catholic priest Rev. Secondo Casarotto, a member of the Scalabrinian Order, who has been accused of sexually assaulting a parishioner in the summer of 2009. 

Attorneys will hold a news conference today at 11:00am to announce a multi-million dollar verdict obtained on behalf of an 8 year old girl who was sexually abused as a preschooler at a Miami daycare in 2008.