Delbarton headmaster: 'No policies in place' at time of alleged abuse

MORRISTOWN - Attorneys for the Delbarton School began presenting witnesses on Sept. 24 in defense of the landmark civil lawsuit targeting the all-boys' prep school, the order of Benedictine Catholic brothers that runs it and a former priest accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old sophomore in 1976.

Two witnesses — including current Headmaster Rev. Michael Tidd — were quizzed at length about the history of child sexual abuse policies, both at Delbarton and at U.S. schools in general. Tidd and David Wolowitz , a legal expert on the subject, testified that procedures and training to avoid such incidents essentially did not exist at the time the student said he was molested by his teacher and mentor, the Rev. Richard Lott.

"What should be done now was not done then," Wolowitz told