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7 Former Cheverus Teachers Accused Of Abusing Minors

Seven former teachers at Cheverus High School in Portland are on a list of 50 Jesuits with credible allegations that they abused minors. An eighth Jesuit listed worked at a mission in Princeton.

The list was released Tuesday by the USA Northeast Jesuit Province. The dates of the allegations range from 1955 into the 1990s.

Cheverus is one of two Catholic High Schools within the Catholic Diocese of Portland. A diocesan spokesman says that, since 2002, all religious order priests in a Maine parish or school must have a letter of suitability from their community and go through extensive background checks.

Portland Bishop Robert Deeley says in a written statement that, since that time, there have been no substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor by a cleric in Maine.

Six of the eight Jesuits on the new list are dead, and one, James Talbot, was sentenced in September to 3 years in prison. Only two, including Talbot, were accused of abuse that took place during their time at Cheverus.

Ed is a Maine native who spent his early childhood in Livermore Falls before moving to Farmington. He graduated from Mount Blue High School in 1970 before going to the University of Maine at Orono where he received his BA in speech in 1974 with a broadcast concentration. It was during that time that he first became involved with public broadcasting. He served as an intern for what was then called MPBN TV and also did volunteer work for MPBN Radio.