> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.legalexaminer.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Paul Geer, Music Teacher at the Family Foundation School in Hancock, New York, Sentenced to 27 Years for Sexually Abusing Students - URL: https://www.legalexaminer.com/crime/family-foundation-school-hancock-ny-sex-abuse-lawyer/ - Published: 2026-07-02T21:14:49.000Z - Updated: 2026-07-02T21:14:49.000Z - Description: A survivor's $10M lawsuit says kids were sexually abused and forced to dig their own graves at a NY boarding school. See what the case alleges. - Author: Legal Examiner Staffer - Tags: sexual abuse A survivor of the now-defunct Family Foundation School in Hancock, New York, says in a new federal lawsuit that children at the $80,000-a-year boarding school were sexually abused, strip searched, locked in closets, and forced to dig their own graves while local authorities looked away. The $10 million suit, filed in Brooklyn federal court, names the school's owners, the Village of Hancock, the local police, and others. One of the school's teachers, music instructor Paul Geer, was found guilty of sexually abusing children and sentenced in September 2024 to 27 years in federal prison. The civil claims against the school's owners and local officials remain unproven. Those defendants are presumed innocent of the allegations unless and until they are found liable. ## The Incident The lawsuit describes a pattern of abuse that went far beyond discipline. According to court papers, students were strip searched on arrival, pushed into "sexualized group sessions" with teachers, and made to work "like slaves" for the financial benefit of owners Michael and Cindy Argiros. That alleged labor included digging excavation trenches on the Argiros family estate, shoveling snow to maintain the property, cleaning waste from the family's pig pens and animal enclosures, and performing construction work on the family's private residence. Children were also required to cook meals for the family and clean their home, the former student claims. The physical mistreatment described in the filing is severe. Students were allegedly "encased" in rolled-up rugs bound with duct tape, forced to eat their own vomit, made to dig graves and lie down in them, and held in closets for days without food, water, or a bathroom. When children tried to flee, K-9 dogs were allegedly used to "pursue and forcibly return" them. The lawsuit alleges the school recruited families through fraud and convinced parents to sign over legal guardianship of their children to the Argiros family. It also claims the facility was run by "former alcoholics and self-identified sex addicts with no professional licensing, clinical training, or educational credentials." ## How It Came to Light The survivor at the center of the civil case attended the Family Foundation School from 2000 to 2003\. He split his childhood between his mother's home in Demarest, New Jersey, and his father's residence on Roosevelt Island, and has asked the court for permission to remain anonymous. While enrolled, he was placed under the authority of music teacher Paul Geer, who allegedly forced him to join the school chorus. The chorus traveled to Toronto, where Geer sexually abused him, he says in court papers. When he reported the abuse to Michael Argiros, he says he was ignored and placed on "work sanction." The same survivor later testified against Geer at a 2024 federal criminal trial. That testimony was part of the case that ended with Geer's conviction and 27-year sentence. ## Institutional Response The heart of this lawsuit is not just what one teacher did. It is the claim that the people and institutions meant to protect these children chose not to. The former student alleges local authorities ignored reports of abuse because of the "influence" of the Argiros family, who own several properties and businesses in the small upstate community. That is why the suit reaches beyond the school itself to name the Village of Hancock and its police department as defendants. Michael Argiros has denied knowing about the abuse allegations. In depositions, he claimed he was not aware of any reports of abuse during his time running the school. Village and police officials did not return messages seeking comment, and neither Argiros nor his attorneys responded to requests for comment, according to the New York Post. That silence matters. When a wealthy operator allegedly profits from unpaid child labor while local officials decline to investigate complaints, the failure is institutional, not individual. The lawsuit asks a court to decide whether that breakdown happened here. ## Questions & Answers **Can survivors of abuse at a closed institution still sue?** Yes. A school shutting down does not erase liability. The Family Foundation School is defunct, yet this civil case proceeds against its former owners and the local government bodies accused of ignoring the abuse. A \[STATE\] sexual abuse attorney can explain how claims survive an institution's closure. **Does a criminal conviction help a civil case?** It can. Paul Geer's federal conviction and 27-year sentence came out of a criminal trial where the burden of proof is "beyond a reasonable doubt." Civil cases use a lower standard, "a preponderance of the evidence," so a related conviction can strengthen a survivor's civil claim. **Why are the village and police named instead of just the abuser?** The lawsuit alleges local officials had reports of abuse and failed to act because of the owners' influence. When public institutions ignore credible warnings, survivors may have grounds to hold them accountable alongside the direct abuser. **Can a survivor stay anonymous in court?** Sometimes. The plaintiff here has asked the court for permission to proceed anonymously, a request courts weigh case by case in sensitive abuse litigation. An attorney can advise whether anonymity is realistic in a given matter. If you or someone you love survived abuse at a boarding school, residential program, or other institution in \[STATE\], you do not have to carry it alone, and you do not have to confront the institution by yourself. A \[STATE\] sexual abuse attorney can review your options confidentially, explain the deadlines that apply to your case, and pursue accountability from everyone who allowed the harm to continue. Reach out to \[ATTORNEY NAME\] to talk through what happened and what comes next.