Dozens of alums from elite boarding school come forward with tales of sexual abuse

More than 40 Rhode Island boarding school alumni are speaking out, demanding justice for a string of alleged sexual assaults by staff and peers going back into the 1970s.

Two lawyers representing former students of the elite St. George's School, which counts the likes of former presidential candidate Howard Dean and "Modern Family" actress Julie Bowen in its alumni, claim there has been a cover up for years at the school.

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"I have never run across anything like this," Eric MacLeish, one of the lawyers in the case and a St. George's alum, told People Magazine.

"Officials were not reporting claims from students but instead, imposing gag orders on those victims," MacLeish added. "There are prosecutable crimes that occurred here and I expect more victims will be coming forward."

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The school issued its own report on the matter recently, saying it investigated the incidents and found there were 26 victims in the 1970s and 1980s, but "the school could have done more to keep its students safe." Other reports have questioned if the school acknowledged the incidents at the time or did anything about them.

See the former students speak out:

The accusers are calling for an independent investigation.

There is no statute of limitations for rape in Rhode Island. ​

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