Soloff & Zervanos attorney Jeff Fritz, along with attorney Derek Braslow of Abir, Cohen, Treyzon & Salo, LLP filed 10 additional lawsuits against the Cherry Hill Board of Education on behalf of former students who allege they were sexually abused by Becken while attending Cooper Elementary School between 1974 and 1984. These lawsuits add to the growing number of cases pending against the district, bringing the total to seventeen legal actions. The lawsuits are filed under the New Jersey Child Victims Act, a 2019 law which extended the time period for survivors of child sexual abuse to file civil lawsuits regardless of when the abuse occurred.
The lawsuits allege that school officials failed to protect students from Becken’s sexual abuse and harassment by not making mandatory reports to New Jersey’s Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) over many years. The complaints detail instances of Becken’s sexual assaults both in school and on overnight week-long trips to an educational camp, The Pinelands Center at Mt. Misery in Browns Mills. The acts of sexual abuse included attempted anal penetration, fondling of genitals, masturbating in the presence of students, exposing his genitals to students and sexually inappropriate comments, among other inappropriate sexual behavior.
The lawsuits specifically allege that Cooper’s Principal, Lloyd Sandt, received reports by students of Becken’s sexual misconduct often under the guise of wrestling or playing a game. The allegations also include a sixth-grade female student’s direct complaints she made in 1978 to the principal that Becken fondled her breasts and buttocks; a 1979 complaint to the principal by a male student of his fear of Becken; the school’s documented complaints of Becken’s use of sexual language and profanity in the classroom; and the Principal’s direct observation of Becken sexually abusing a male student in the classroom by grabbing his genitals. Additionally included in the accusations were that multiple teachers walked in his classroom when Becken had students on his lap, but staff made no reports to authorities and an incident where a teacher warned a sixth-grade student that he should “be careful” around Becken. In yet another incident in 1983, a former school guidance counselor admitted to observing Becken put female underwear on a male student to teach him a lesson but nothing was ever reported to authorities.
According to the complaints, school officials did not notify DYFS until the winter of 1984. This led to Becken’s voluntary resignation and conviction on three counts of sexual assault of minors. Becken died in 2011.
The complaints also outline the life-long scars of these former students, including diagnoses of: post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, leading to counseling and therapy, physical ailments and in one case a suicide attempt.
Derek Braslow, one of the victims’ attorneys, Cherry Hill Class of 1989 graduate and former high-school classmate of many of the victims, added: “What happened at James F. Cooper Elementary is not just a story of a single abuser assaulting a single victim—it is a systemic failure by the very people entrusted to protect these children. These lawsuits seek justice, accountability, and change.”
“These brave survivors have come forward to hold accountable those who turned a blind eye while children were being harmed,” said Jeffrey Fritz, a nationally recognized victims’ rights attorney who also represents the survivors. “The ongoing pattern of deliberate inaction by those in power reveals a disturbing culture of silence that must be addressed.”
John Doe 23, one of the victims filing a lawsuit today, said: “The past weighs on me, the future feels uncertain, but my family in the present gives me peace—so now I’m speaking up, ending the school’s silence since the 70’s, to help others move forward and remind parents to stay watchful of their daughters and sons.” Another victim, Jane Doe 20, commented: “This should never happen to any child; school was and is supposed to be your safe zone.” Another victim, Robert Kaufman, said: “I feel relieved that there is going to finally be accountability and I hope that in coming forward I can help protect other children from going through this.” One of the other victims, Joe Sisti, stated simply “Becken was a monster. I pray something like this never happens again.”
Anyone with knowledge about Otto Becken or related conduct within the Cherry Hill School District during the 1970s or 1980s, no matter how insignificant it may appear, is encouraged to contact the victims’ attorneys confidentially. All communications will be handled with the utmost discretion and sensitivity.
If you have any information related to this case, you can make a difference. For confidential inquiries to provide information or to learn about your rights in this or any similar matter, please contact us.
