Peabody families say Revere van monitor molested children

PEABOD Y – A privately owned Revere company is being sued by four families from Peabody who claim their children were molested and physically assaulted by a bus monitor.The lawsuit, filed Tuesday afternoon in Salem Superior Court on behalf of three boys and a girl, who were 9 and 10 years old, accuses American Caring Services of 199 Revere St., Revere, of negligence and strict liability.The victims’ attorney, Jeffrey Newman, of Marblehead, contends the children were being touched inappropriately and pinched on their thighs to cause bruising by an unidentified bus monitor.The minors were “highly fearful” of the bus monitor and afraid to tell their parents of the abuse, because they knew they had to be on this bus with him the next day, according to Newman.The molestations took place on numerous occasions during the month of July of 2011 inside the bus while on its way to and from school on various occasions.Newman said in his complaint that American Caring Services, Inc. should have exercised reasonable care that the bus monitor was a fit person and that the company failed to supervise, monitor and protect the minor children from sexual assaults.American Caring Services was contracted by the City of Peabody School Department to provide transportation to the school during the summer months for approximately five to six children, according to the suit.As a result of the breach of duty, the minor children have been harmed and damaged psychologically, Newman contends.He seeks a trial before a jury to determine a just and proper monitory amount of damages.