Boylston, MA – May 2026

When parents drop their children off at school, or leave them in an after-school program, they’re placing an enormous amount of trust in the adults responsible for their care. For families connected to Boylston Elementary School in the Boylston Berlin Regional School District, that trust was allegedly broken in a serious way.

On April 29, 2026, Alekman DiTusa filed a lawsuit against the Boylston Berlin Regional School District in
Worcester Federal District Court alleging sexual harassment, grooming, and abuse by Benjamin Dillman, 26, a 5th-grade teacher at Boylston Elementary, against a young student over a two-year period. The complaint was filed by Attorney Laura Mangini of Alekman DiTusa LLC on behalf of the child and her parents. What makes this case particularly disturbing is not just what Dillman allegedly did—it's what the school allegedly allowed to continue.

Staff Reported It. The Principal Did Nothing.

According to the complaint, the abuse took place between 2023 and 2025 during the after-school program at Boylston Elementary. Multiple staff members witnessed concerning behavior and reported it to then-principal Cinthia Sykes. Children in the program reportedly warned each other when they saw Dillman coming.

At his December 2025 arraignment, a state prosecutor stated that Benjamin Dillman allegedly touched four juvenile females inappropriately or had them touch him, and also engaged a juvenile male in a hug and massage. Security footage from the school allegedly documented the incidents involving both Benjamin and Peter Dillman, giving investigators a direct visual record of the alleged conduct.

Despite staff reports over multiple years, Sykes allegedly never notified the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. That notification isn’t optional. It’s the law. Massachusetts mandates that school employees report suspected abuse to DCF immediately. When a subsequent DCF investigation was conducted, it supported the allegations and noted that Dillman’s behaviors with children could reasonably be interpreted as sexual in nature.

The child at the center of the civil lawsuit is now in therapy and attending a private school.

The Criminal Case

As the Boylston Elementary School sexual abuse lawsuit moves forward in civil court, the criminal case is proceeding separately. Benjamin Dillman and his brother Peter Dillman, 24, a paraprofessional at the same school, were arraigned in December 2025. Both pleaded not guilty. As of March 2026, Benjamin Dillman still faces one count of assault and battery and one count of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. A trial is set for August 21, 2026, in Fitchburg District Court.

Why This Civil Lawsuit Matters Beyond the Criminal Case

Criminal charges and civil lawsuits serve different purposes. A criminal case is brought by the state and focuses on punishing the offender. A civil lawsuit is brought by the victim’s family and focuses on accountability, including holding the institution
responsible for what it failed to prevent. In this case, the civil complaint names not only Dillman but also Principal Sykes personally for negligence in hiring, training, supervising, and disciplining him. The school district itself bears responsibility when administrators ignore warning signs and fail to act.

As Attorney Mangini put it: “It was easier for Principal Sykes to just ignore what Dillman was doing instead of actually dealing with it, like she’s required to under the law. As a society, we need to hold schools and educators accountable when they let things like this happens."

She’s right. And the civil legal system is one of the most powerful tools families have to make sure that happens.

Were There Other Children Affected?

Based on what prosecutors stated in court, at least five children were allegedly targeted; four girls and one boy. Security footage reportedly captured some of these incidents on camera. That means there may be families in the Boylston community whose children appear in that footage, or who experienced something troubling during the after-school program, and who still don’t know they have legal options.

In cases like this one, experience tells us that not every affected family comes forward right away. Many parents aren’t sure what their child experienced rises to the level of abuse. Children often haven’t disclosed everything yet. And plenty of families are simply waiting to see how the criminal case unfolds before taking any action.

You don’t have to have all the answers to reach out to us. If your child was in the after-school program at Boylston Elementary between 2023 and 2025 and something felt wrong; that feeling is worth a conversation.

A Statewide Problem That Demands Local Accountability

This case doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Boston 25 Investigates has spent years uncovering how Massachusetts law allows secrecy around teacher misconduct allegations, shielding districts from scrutiny and leaving families in the dark. A state audit of the
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education was launched in response to that reporting, examining how these cases are handled across the Commonwealth.

The Boylston case is a local example of exactly what those investigations have been warning about. A school employee allegedly abusing multiple children over multiple years, staff reporting it, and administration doing nothing. Until Massachusetts closes the legal loopholes that protect institutions over children, families need to know that the civil courts are available to them right now.

Alekman DiTusa Is Here to Help

Alekman DiTusa is a Springfield-based personal injury and sexual abuse law firm serving clients throughout Central and Western Massachusetts, including Worcester County. Attorney Laura Mangini has extensive experience representing child sexual abuse survivors and their families in civil actions against schools, institutions, and the individuals who failed to protect them.

We handle these cases with the seriousness, discretion, and tenacity they deserve. Our firm has recovered millions of dollars for abuse survivors, including a $13,000,000 settlement for a student sexually assaulted by a teacher of the course of two years and a $2,500,000 verdict in a childhood sexual abuse case.

If your family was affected by what happened at Boylston Elementary, contact us today for a free, confidential consultation. There is no cost to speak with us, and no fee unless we recover for you.

📞 (413) 781-0000 🌐 Contact Alekman DiTusa

Learn more about our Sexual Assault & Abuse practice and our work on behalf of child injury victims throughout Massachusetts.