Kamehameha Schools asks for separate trials for abuse cases

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HONOLULU (AP) — Kamehameha Schools says it requested separate trials for 32 former students who allege they were repeatedly molested by a now-deceased Kamehameha Schools psychiatrist.

HONOLULU (AP) — Kamehameha Schools says it requested separate trials for 32 former students who allege they were repeatedly molested by a now-deceased Kamehameha Schools psychiatrist.

The plaintiffs are suing Kamehameha Schools and the estate of psychiatrist Robert Browne, who they say repeatedly sexually abused them during therapy sessions between the 1960s and 1980s.

A Kamehameha Schools statement Thursday says that each of the men should have individual trials because the facts and circumstances around each case are different. The school says keeping students safe is a high priority and its policies are designed to protect students.

The plaintiffs’ attorney says the trials are set to begin June 1, 2018.

Kamehameha Schools gives admission preference to students of Native Hawaiian ancestry and enrolls nearly 7,000 at three campuses statewide.