Home > NH Lawyers Accused Of Second ’Cover-Up’ In Pinkerton Academy Sexual Abuse Case
NH Lawyers Accused Of Second ’Cover-Up’ In Pinkerton Academy Sexual Abuse Case
by WireNews+Co - Open-Publishing - Thursday 18 July 2013Timothy Goulden and Armand Hyatt, two lawyers with NH law firm Hyatt & Flynn PLLC are today facing accusations by their former client that they attempted to cover-up allegations of sexual abuse, for personal enrichment.
The lawyers were contacted in November 2012 and presented allegations that a former teacher of Pinkerton Academy had abused her position of trust at the school in the 70s and sexually abused an under-age student.
Goulden and Hyatt, instead of assisting in the prosecution of the teacher and school, attempted to make a financial arrangement with Pinkerton Academy to prevent further legal action.
Allegations had been levelled against the school. Officials at Pinkerton Academy were accused of a cover-up when they fired the teacher and failed to investigate or even discuss the claim of abuse with the young student. According to police, the school’s headmaster recently claimed to have reported the incident to "Social Services", when it happened, but not to police.
Lawyers for Pinkerton now say their client never reported the incident to anyone because the schools says they were not aware of the allegations until 2012, but this does not explain why they fired the teacher immediately after a meeting with the victim’s parents many years ago.
The State of New Hampshire, Department of Education received the complaint from the former student, who had contacted them early this year when it appeared his lawyers were ’dragging their heels’ with the claim and after it became clear they didn’t intend to pursue the teacher for her actions.
Hyatt, who is a board member of the Lawrence Community Works and a coach in the Amesbury Youth Rotary Basketball League, Holy Family Parish; St. Basil’s Salvatoran Center and also a Big Brother, actually prevented his client from replying to a State investigator; saying that to do so would reduce any potential settlement.
Despite numerous requests from their client, Goulden (a former Nashua police Lieutenant and prosecutor) and Hyatt declined to pursue the teacher, even though they were selected for their criminal experience and the fact that the law firm had offices in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts (where the former teacher now lives).
Instead, the two lawyers opted to go after Pinkerton Academy because of its obvious financial liability and deep pockets. Their goal appears to have been personal enrichment and not justice.
A complaint against Goulden and Hyatt has been filed with and is currently pending before the New Hampshire Supreme Court.
A criminal complaint has now also been filed in the United Kingdom against Diane E. Kanady (formerly Burrell and Foster), who is also known as "Debbie" and against Pinkerton Academy for its involvement in the original cover-up.