Saint Basil Academy Seeks Court-Supervised Reorganization Over Abuse Lawsuits

Gounardes said the Academy’s finances leave it little room to settle the cases on its own.

Official response and confirmed impact

The Academy also declared its commitment to effective safeguards, prompt action on reports of abuse and reporting to civil authorities as required by law.

Saint Basil Academy is one of the Archdiocese’s oldest ministries.

It was founded in 1944 through the vision of Archbishop Athenagoras, who later became Ecumenical Patriarch.

Philoptochos chapters around the country raised the money to buy the former Jacob Ruppert estate, the Hudson River property of the brewer who owned the New York Yankees, overlooking West Point.

Incident under investigation

Saint Basil Academy is seeking a reorganization that includes “a court-supervised resolution of the claims,” which Gounardes said would let it keep caring for those who depend on it and give its work a sustainable future.

“The Academy operates solely on charitable donations, many of which are for restricted purposes that prevent them from being applied towards settlements of judicial claims,” he said.

It started as an orphanage and ran its own school until 1997. Today it serves Orthodox and non-Orthodox children through three residential programs.