The number of men who say they were victims of sexual abuse at Calvert Hall College High School has grown to 19, according to lawsuits filed this week — at the same time Maryland is facing fundamental changes to how abuse survivors can seek justice through civil lawsuits.

One of the newly filed complaints, submitted Monday, claims Calvert Hall staff “knowingly protected” abusive clergy to prevent the public from learning they were allegedly molesting children.

The lawsuits name five alleged abusers at the all-boys Catholic school and were brought by a coalition of attorneys representing some victims.

The accused men are the Revs. Laurence Brett; Francis “Father Fran” LeFevre; Jerome “Father Jeff” Toohey; Brother Geoffrey Xavier Langan and a science teacher at the school.

The men were abused between 1969-1990, according to the complaints. Brett, LeFevre, Toohey and Langan are all named in the attorney general’s 2023 report on sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

One of the newly reported complaints alleges Langan asked a student, then 13 years old, to help him carry boxes to get him to a “secluded area” in 1975.

Once secluded, Langan sexually abused the 13-year-old, the lawsuit alleges.

The five lawsuits accuse Calvert Hall of being negligent in their hiring and retention of the accused abusers.

Patrick Wall, a former Benedictine monk and priest who’s now an advocate for sexual abuse survivors, said Monday the lawsuits were like “preventative medicine” that can help protect children in the future from abuse.

The lawsuits come as Maryland is preparing for changes to the Child Victims Act, which eliminates time limits for civil lawsuits of childhood sexual abuse.

Gov. Wes Moore is expected to sign modifications to the law, passed in 2023, that will fundamentally alter how it works.

The changes will cut the amount money that victims of childhood sexual abuse can win in court by more than half.

The revisions say that even if someone was abused multiple times, they are limited by the same cap as someone who was abused once.

It also limits the amount of fees attorneys can collect for taking on abuse cases.

Attorneys on Monday downplayed the given reason for the changes to the law — concerns over the state budget.

“The continued whiplash over the state of the law only serves to re-traumatize survivors and having a chilling effect on their desire and ability to bring successful lawsuits in the future,” said Emily Malarkey, an attorney representing 14 of the abuse survivors.

Steve Kelly, another attorney working with some of the survivors, said the abuse “shattered” lives and created extensive shame and guilt.

“Their childhoods were stolen from them ... Calvert Hall leaders either knew about what was happening or they ignored bright red flags over and over and over again,” he said.

In an emailed statement Monday, Calvert Hall said it was “saddened and sorry” for the past abuse and that it has fully complied with requests from legal authorities.

“Their suffering and pain are real and remains with them today,” Danielle Hladky, a spokesperson for the school, wrote. “While we acknowledge the gravity of those incidents, we reject any characterization of our current organization as one that creates barriers and is unresponsive.”

Langan died in 1985. Brett died in 2010.

Toohey pleaded guilty to child abuse after a 2004 complaint and is believed to live in Baltimore. LeFevre is believed to live in New Jersey.

Toohey and LeFevre could not immediately be reached for comment.

The complaint does not say whether the science teacher is still alive. The Banner was unable to contact the teacher as of Tuesday.

Multiple attorneys said they expected a rush of childhood sexual abuse claims to be filed before the changes go into effect at the end of May. They also said they expect the changes to the law to be challenged in court.

In an emailed statement Monday, a spokesperson for Moore said he will sign the changes to the act and “acknowledges the trauma survivors of child sexual assault have endured and the difficult and unprecedented circumstances surrounding this legislation.”

“The general assembly has carefully crafted legislation that will continue to allow the survivors to seek justice while preserving the long-term fiscal stability of the State,” Carter Elliot, a spokesperson for Moore, wrote.