A former teacher at Innovation Academy Charter School in Tyngsboro is facing a civil lawsuit alleging he groomed, sexually harassed, assaulted and raped a former student beginning when she was 14 years old. Ryan Deery was 32 and married at the time the alleged abuse is said to have begun, and he has since gone on to teach at two more schools before being suspended amid the allegations.
The lawsuit, filed under the pseudonym Jane Jones No. 600 on July 31, names both Deery and Innovation Academy Charter School as defendants and seeks $1,020,000 in damages along with a jury trial, according to the Lowell Sun. Deery worked at the Tyngsboro charter school, located at 72 Tyng Road, between 2010 and 2017, according to the same report. Paul Robertson, a lawyer with Bowditch attorneys representing Deery, has denied the allegations in the civil case.
A Pseudonymous Filing and Sealed Evidence
Middlesex Superior Court Judge William Barrett allowed two ex-parte motions from the plaintiff, granting her the ability to use a pseudonym and to omit her home address from the court record. Barrett approved that motion on August 3, and the plaintiff's affidavit was impounded until further order of the court and submitted to the court in a sealed envelope, per the Lowell Sun's reporting. Under Massachusetts Uniform Rules on Impoundment Procedure, judges may only grant such orders upon a written finding of good cause that overcomes the constitutional presumption favoring open public records, according to the Massachusetts trial court's rules on impoundment.
Because the alleged abuse occurred between 2010 and 2017, the plaintiff was required to file a civil complaint rather than a criminal one. Massachusetts law, M.G.L. c. 260 § 4C, allows survivors of childhood sexual abuse to bring civil tort suits up to 35 years after the alleged abuse, or within seven years of discovering that psychological harm stemmed from it, with the clock starting once the victim turns 18, according to the Massachusetts government's statute of limitations guidance. A related provision, section 4C 1/2, extends that same window to negligent-supervision claims against institutions, which is why both Deery and Innovation Academy face joint civil claims.
From Tyngsboro to Harvard to New Hampshire
After leaving Innovation Academy, Deery was hired as an English teacher at the Bromfield School in Harvard on August 31, 2017. The Bromfield School, part of the Harvard Public Schools district serving grades 6 through 12, did not renew his employment on June 16, 2020, per the Lowell Sun. Deery was then hired by Windham Woods School, an independent school in Windham, New Hampshire serving more than 200 students in grades 1 through 12, where he was listed as a curriculum and instruction specialist in the upper school.
Windham Woods School suspended Deery's employment after learning of the allegations tied to his former employment, according to an announcement from Ryan Dejoy reported by the Lowell Sun. The school has also barred Deery from contacting Windham Woods students, families and staff, and from accessing school grounds. Dana Labb said professional references and letters of reference were provided when Deery was hired, the outlet's report notes.
Charter School Says It Had No Prior Knowledge
Innovation Academy Charter School has said it had no knowledge of the alleged conduct until the former student made a legal claim, and the school began an investigation in response to the lawsuit. Greg Orpen, head of school at Innovation Academy, oversees the Tyngsboro institution, which serves roughly 770 students in grades 5 through 12 drawn from more than ten Merrimack Valley communities, according to the school's own description of its programs. The charter school released a letter to families dated August 26 addressing the allegations, the Lowell Sun reported.
Innovation Academy requires CORI and SAFIS criminal background checks, along with resumes and references, for prospective employees, in keeping with Massachusetts General Laws c. 71 § 38R and statewide SAFIS regulations that mandate state and national background checks for school staff with unmonitored access to children, according to screening standards described by Easthampton Public Schools. It remains an open question what specific background checks were conducted as Deery moved between the three school systems, and whether any criminal referrals were made to law enforcement in Middlesex County or New Hampshire.
New State Law Closes a Legal Gap, But Too Late for This Case
Governor Maura Healey signed the Trusted Adults Act into law in July as part of the state budget, making it a felony for teachers and mandated reporters to engage in sexual conduct with 16- or 17-year-old students under their authority, effectively raising the age of consent to 18 in situations involving a person of authority caring for a minor, according to WAMC. But the law is not retroactive, meaning it does not apply to conduct alleged to have occurred years earlier, which is part of why the accuser in this case pursued civil rather than criminal recourse.
Separately, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled unanimously in May in Sabatini v. Knouse that state law permits victims of sexual harassment and abuse in academic settings to sue individual perpetrators directly, rather than solely their institutional employers, according to Melick & Porter, LLP. Statewide data compiled by advocacy and public safety organizations shows that 62% of sexual abuse perpetrators known to victims are authority figures such as teachers or coaches, with more than 5,100 child sexual abuse incidents reported across Massachusetts in 2023, according to Sokolove Law.
What Happens Next in Court
Innovation Academy Charter School and Deery must receive service of process by October 29, and defendants must file responses by November 30, per the Lowell Sun's account of the court schedule. The plaintiff has requested fast-track processing of the case, and under the court's timeline the civil case shall be resolved and judgment shall issue by July 31, 2028.
-4.webp?w=160&h=400&fit=crop&crop=edges)
