(Portsmouth, RI) -- A woman has filed a federal lawsuit against a former Portsmouth Abbey School teacher and the school itself, claiming sexual abuse while she was a student. The Newport Daily News reports the student, listed as Jane Doe, alleges former humanities teacher Michael Bowen Smith abused her between 2012 and 2014. The lawsuit alleges leaders at the Catholic school were informed of the incidents, but instead of conducting an investigation, Smith was allowed to resign. Furthermore, the school allegedly steered the woman in the direction of a law firm that represents the Catholic Church, without her being told about the conflict of interest.
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