A former Paramus Catholic High School student has filed a new lawsuit accusing the school of covering up sexual abuse by a former gym teacher and hockey coach, alleging the coach molested him repeatedly during the 1980s while he was a student athlete. The suit, filed in Essex County, names Paramus Catholic, the Archdiocese of Newark and the Christian Brothers as defendants.
According to northjersey.com, the complaint identifies the coach as Bernard Garris and alleges he has been credibly accused of sexually assaulting more than 20 former students, with the actual number potentially higher. The former student says Garris abused him during cup checks more than once.
The lawsuit further alleges Garris abused the student during gym class. The complaint also alleges failures of supervision and protective policies.
A Coach's Firing and a Pattern of Allegations
Garris was fired from Paramus Catholic in 1987 after a student's parents demanded his termination following an incident that allegedly injured the student, the same report notes. Both Garris and former gym teacher Donn Ernst, who has also faced abuse allegations in some suits, are now deceased — Garris died in 2016 and Ernst in 2021.
Accounts differ on the circumstances of Garris's departure from the school. One report states he left Paramus Catholic in 1986 and moved to Minnesota, while other coverage, including the account of his 1987 firing over the injury incident, describes him as terminated for physically abusing students. The underlying records needed to resolve that discrepancy have not been made public.
This is far from the first time Garris's name has surfaced in litigation against the Bergen County school. Two former students filed lawsuits in August 2020 alleging years of sexual abuse by Garris in the late 1980s, according to nj.com. A separate lawsuit accusing Garris of abuse was filed back in 2011, and the attorney in that case has said the client received a settlement payment in 2013, per the outlet's reporting on the pattern of claims.
More Students, More Lawsuits Over the Years
By 2023, at least 11 other former students had accused Garris of sexual abuse, and at least three additional lawsuits had been filed by different law firms, the site's reporting shows. That same year, four more former Paramus Catholic students came forward with lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by Garris, with two of those suits also naming Ernst.
The pace of filings picked up again in late 2025 and into 2026. A lawsuit filed in February was described at the time as the third in recent months alleging abuse by Garris, and the complaint in that case stated that at least 20 other former students had come forward.
The Legal Window Behind the Lawsuits
The wave of filings against Paramus Catholic has been made possible in part by New Jersey's extended statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims. Under state law, such an action must be commenced within 37 years after the victim reaches the age of majority, or within seven years from the date the injury and its connection to the abuse were reasonably discovered, according to the New Jersey Legislature.
That statute has allowed decades-old allegations tied to Garris's time at the school to continue reaching Essex County courts well into 2026. The full Oct. 26 complaint, including the plaintiff's identity, legal representation and the damages being sought, has not been made public, and the case's current procedural status remains unclear.
