Mitchell Garabedian

Mitchell "Mitch" Garabedian (born July 17, 1951)[1] is a lawyer known for representing sexual abuse victims in the Boston area during the Catholic priest sexual abuse scandal, including the cases against Paul Shanley, John Geoghan, and the Archdiocese of Boston. He also represented one of the people who accused Jerry Sandusky of sexual misconduct, and the man who accused Bryon Hefner, the husband of former President of the Massachusetts Senate Stan Rosenberg, of sexual assault, leading to Rosenberg's resignation from office.[2][3][4]

Early life

Garabedian was the second of three children born to Armenian[5] parents Marsoob and Juyard Garabedian and he grew up on a 375-acre farm in Methuen, Massachusetts. The first member of his family to attend college, he was an undergraduate at Boston University (CGS, 1971 and CAS, 1973). He continued his education by getting a master's degree in political science from Northeastern University and a J.D. degree from the New England School of Law. He was admitted to the Bar in 1979.[3]

Career

Garabedian has worked on numerous sexual abuse cases. In August 2016, he represented seven of the 21 victims who settled sex abuse cases against 10 Irish Christian Brothers from Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, New Jersey. The settlement was for $1.9 million.[6]

He was with Heather Unruh during her November 2017 press conference when she alleged that Kevin Spacey molested her son.[7]

In the Geoghan case, Garabedian was able to reach a financial settlement with the Boston Archdiocese on behalf of 86 people. At the time they reached the settlement, the Church would pay upwards of $30 million and plaintiffs would not be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement.[8] Eventually, the Church pulled out of the $30m million settlement and settled with the victims for $10 million.[9]

Ted Danson portrayed Garabedian in the 2005 made-for-television film Our Fathers. Stanley Tucci portrayed him in the 2015 film Spotlight.

References
  1. "REEL V/S REAL". Grassroots Journalis. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  2. "Boston Attorney Represents Victim In Jerry Sandusky Case". 9 October 2012.
  3. "Boston Globe / Spotlight / Abuse in the Catholic Church / The victims". archive.boston.com.
  4. "Ex-Statehouse aide drops sexual-assault suit against Rosenberg and Hefner". Greenfield Recorder. 19 October 2018.
  5. "Spotlight on 'Spotlight': Two Armenians Who Took On the Catholic Church". The Armenian Weekly. 2015-12-03. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  6. "Irish priest in New York to be defrocked over 30-year-old sex abuse allegations". 28 September 2016.
  7. Fortier, Marc (November 7, 2017). "Ex-Boston News Anchor Says Family Member Was Sexually Abused by Kevin Spacey". NECN. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  8. Vries, Lloyd (March 11, 2002). "Church Sex Suit Settlement Reported". CBS News. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  9. http://archive.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/stories3/091902_geoghan.htm


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