A 2018 sexual assault lawsuit brought against a former headmaster of an elite Upper East Side private school where Jeffrey Epstein once taught has been resurrected, new court papers show.
A woman, who was only identified as J.S., claimed that former Dalton School Headmaster Gardner Dunnan preyed on her in 1986. Dunnan allegedly took her into his home and set her up with free tuition at the school before sexually assaulting her on four occasions, a Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit from Wednesday alleges.
Dalton School is also where sex perv Jeffrey Epstein started teaching physics and math in 1973 and tutored the son of former Bear Stearns chairman Alan “Ace” Greenberg
The victim’s claims were first filed in New Jersey federal court, then transferred to Manhattan federal court, where they were eventually voluntarily dismissed by the victim in March 2019.
The woman’s lawyer, Mariann Wang, explained that they dropped the federal case because they wanted to refile under New York’s Child Victims Act, which had just passed in February 2019.
The law allows victims to bring old claims that have since passed outside of the statute of limitations.
The victim — who was of “modest means” — alleged that she lived at Dunnan’s Upper East Side home acting as the “family helper” and taking care of his newborn in exchange for the free schooling, the court papers say.
The sexual assault allegedly occurred between September 1986 and January 1987, the court documents say.
Dunnan’s wife eventually suspected what was going on and asked the teen to leave. The girl also eventually transferred to a different high school and had to undergo therapy for years since she blamed herself for the abuse.
The woman — who never even told her father what happened — finally came forward amid the #MeToo movement.
“Even the elite and most powerful must be held accountable,” Wang said in a statement. “Silence helps only the perpetrators.”
“It has taken our client decades to begin to learn not to blame herself,” Wang continued. “This is precisely why NY’s Child Victims Act was passed.”
“The accusations are totally untrue and I am heartsick to read these false assertions from years ago,” Dunnan said in a statement.
Lawyers for Dalton School did not immediately return a request for comment.