A civil complaint filed on December 19, alleging sexual abuse of minors by former Troop 5 Boy Scoutmasters, has shaken the Maplewood and South Orange community.
The 22-page civil complaint and demand for jury trial filed with the Superior Court of New Jersey (available here) alleges that Roger Brauchli and Thomas Kilkenny drugged and sexually assaulted 13-year-old “J.D.” and 12-year-old “S.R.” on Boy Scout camping trips in 1993 and 1994, respectively, “causing them a lifetime of trauma, depression, and marred relationships.”
Brauchli is strenuously denying the allegations and pledges to fight them. Village Green has not been able to reach Kilkenny as of publication.
Marc M. Yenicag of Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, P.C., who is representing Brauchli with Joseph A. Hayden, Jr., Esq., sent this statement to The Village Green on December 30: “The allegations made against Roger are totally false. In his 52 years as Scoutmaster, there have never been any such accusations made against him. Roger intends to aggressively fight these allegations and prove his innocence. He has always held—and continues to hold—the Scout Oath and the Scout Law as sacred.”
The civil suit graphically describes Brauchli, Killkenny and a Catholic priest named Father Robert “Lucien” Donelly, who died in 2001, isolating each boy from the other campers, taking them to a separate lodging, drugging them and, in the case of J.D., performing sexual acts on him. The account of S.R.’s encounter is less graphic, noting that he “recalls coming in and out of consciousness at first, and then blacked out” but remembers waking up with Kilkenny lying next to him in an adjacent twin bed.
The suit claims that the men had a pattern of abuse and “attempted to conceal their abuse in a variety of ways. For example, they removed the names of scouts from trip rosters after the abuse despite witnesses acknowledging their attendance and, more notably, their absences, from the tents on the nights the abuse occurred.” J.D. and S.R. allege that another camper, whom they believe was also abused by the men, took his life in 2021.
The suit also reports that “J.D. and S.R. filed a police report with the Maplewood Police Department in August 2022 and gave testimony about the sexual abuse they endured at the hands of Defendants and Father Lucien. Within days, a detective informed J.D. and S.R. that the case was sent to Sussex County. The detective further informed J.D. that the Maplewood police lost the recording of J.D.’s testimony, but not to worry because they took good notes. Nothing ever came of the police report.”
In a press release, J.D. and S.R.’s attorney Lauren DiMartino of Brown, Goldstein & Levy wrote, “The brazen, coordinated, and intentional nature of Kilkenny and Brauchli’s conduct suggests a calculated pattern of abuse. Our clients bravely came forward in hope that other victims of Defendants’ abuse know they’re not alone.”
The release states that the complainants have brought the suit now because “[i]n 2019, the New Jersey Child Sex Abuse Act Amendments extended the statute of limitations for survivors to bring claims against their abusers, allowing S.R. and J.D. to speak out and to hold the Defendants accountable for drugging and abusing them and potentially other children entrusted in their care.”
Village Green reached out to Maplewood Chief Albert Sally — along with Mayor Nancy Adams and former Mayor Vic DeLuca — regarding the allegations and the police report; Sally did not respond. Mayor Nancy Adams responded, writing, “The township has no comment on this matter.” DeLuca responded, “No comment.” Village Green has filed Open Public Record Act (OPRA) requests for police reports with both the Maplewood police and Sussex County. Those OPRA requests should be fulfilled by January 9 and 8, respectively.
No criminal charges have been filed against either Brauchli or Kilkenny.
Village Green also reached out to S.R. who has identified himself on the Facebook group with his full name but asked that we not use it here. S.R. referred Village Green to his attorneys.
On the SOMA Lounge Facebook group, Richardson responded to those who questioned his story: “I will not be intimidated. Nor will I be swayed from this path towards Truth and Righteousness that John Doe and I have set out upon. We’re shining light on injustices, for countless others beyond ourselves. Sycophants, bootlickers, apologists, and delusional supporters can go right to h**l! I’m not afraid and I know which side of history I’ll stand on.”
Richardson asked other survivors to reach out to him via email at troop5survivors@gmail.com.
A number of online posters and some community members who have contacted Village Green have expressed disbelief that Brauchli could do such acts, referring to him as “a local institution” and a “pillar of the community.”
Brauchli worked for 30 years at the Maplewood Recreation Department — 25 years as its director. He was inducted into the Columbia High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012 (Brauchli is a 1967 graduate of CHS). According to his induction description, he has coached with the Cougar Soccer Club, been an NJSIAA soccer official, and served as a softball umpire.
In a 2022 profile by the News-Record, Brauchli noted he was retiring from Troop 5 after 62 years, having joined as an 11-year-old. He achieved the position of assistant scoutmaster as a junior in college.
Village Green has reached out to Troop 5 and the BSA Northern New Jersey Council for comment. They referred reporters to a BSA public relations email. As of publication, BSA has not yet responded to Village Green’s request for comment.
The Village Green will continue to follow up on this story.
