Our Seattle child sexual abuse attorney represented the victim in a case involving the abuse of a child at Blessed Sacrament School in Seattle in the early 1950s and a lawsuit brought more than 75 years later seeking accountability for the lifelong harm caused by that abuse.
Before trial, Blessed Sacrament acknowledged that the abuse occurred. The issues presented to the jury were whether the school was negligent in allowing the abuser to work with children and what damages were caused by the abuse.
After a multi-week trial in King County Superior Court, a jury found that Blessed Sacrament was negligent and awarded $3.5 million in damages.
The jury also rejected the church’s argument that the case was filed too late, finding that the lawsuit was brought within the legally permissible time under Washington law.
Background
In the early 1950s, Howard Eugene Polleys worked at Blessed Sacrament School as a tutor, coach, and janitor.
Polleys had previously been convicted of crimes involving minors and served time in prison in Washington State in the late 1940s. Despite this history, he was hired shortly after his release on parole in 1951 and allowed to work directly with children.
State parole authorities later raised concerns after learning that Polleys had been hired to work around students.
Within months, in May 1952, Polleys was arrested again after multiple children connected to Blessed Sacrament reported abuse.
J.Z.’s Experience
J.Z. attended Blessed Sacrament School as an elementary school student.
When she began struggling academically, the school assigned Howard Eugene Polleys to tutor her. Tutoring sessions occurred both at the school and at her home.
During these sessions, Polleys abused his position of trust and abused J.Z.
The effects of that trauma followed her for decades.
Experts who testified at trial explained that J.Z. experienced long-term psychological harm, including:
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- severe depression
- anxiety
- loss of trust in religious institutions
The jury concluded that these lifelong injuries warranted $3.5 million in damages.
Why the Case Was Filed Decades Later
A key issue in the case involved delayed discovery.
For many years, J.Z. did not know the full identity of the man who abused her. Her family remembered only that the tutor’s name sounded like “Mr. Polly.”
After years of searching historical records, J.Z. was eventually able to identify Howard Eugene Polleys and uncover the history surrounding his role at Blessed Sacrament.
The jury determined that the case was filed within the time allowed under Washington law once these critical facts became known.
Jury Verdict
After hearing the evidence, the jury found that Blessed Sacrament was negligent in allowing Polleys to work with children and awarded $3.5 million to compensate J.Z. for the lifelong harm caused by the abuse.
If You Were Abused at Blessed Sacrament School
Cases involving childhood sexual abuse often come to light decades later. Survivors may not know the identity of their abuser or may only discover critical information years after the abuse occurred.
If you or someone you know was sexually abused at Blessed Sacrament School, or if you are a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and have questions about your legal rights, you are not alone.
Please contact our office for a confidential consultation.