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Victims' Attorney: Yeshiva University Report On Sex Abuse 'A Whitewash'

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A top Manhattan private school has admitted it failed to protect students from physical and sexual abuse.

But a lawyer for three-dozen alleged victims says Yeshiva University High School is still hiding the extent of wrongdoing, CBS 2's Tony Aiello reported Monday.

Yeshiva University promised to "meet or exceed" the openness of Penn State and other institutions that have hired outsiders to investigate abuse claims, but a lawyer suing the school says an investigative report released Monday falls far short of that promise.

Attorney Kevin Mulhearn slammed the report released by Yeshiva University.

"I think this is a whitewash. They're trying to establish with the community the fact they're being open and candid and this report indicates the opposite," Mulhearn said.

A lawsuit accuses two former faculty members of physically and sexually abusing boys over a 20-year period -- from the 1970s into the 1990s -- at Yeshiva's high school in Washington Heights.

Yeshiva ordered an independent investigation, Aiello reported.

The report out Monday admits "multiple incidents of sexual and physical abuse took place," and found "multiple instances in which the school either failed to protect the safety of its students or did not respond to the allegations at all."

"It confirms that the school acted grossly inappropriately," Mulhearn said.

A statement from President Richard Joel calls the findings "a source of profound shame and sadness for our institution." He offered victims his "deepest and most heartfelt remorse."

Yeshiva's report is far less revealing than last year's "Freeh report" on the scandal at Penn State. Yeshiva admits it is withholding details as a legal tactic in the face of a lawsuit demanding millions for the victims.

"We're looking for the information that they promised to provide, but didn't. We're looking to get that through the litigation," Mulhearn said.

The two sides will square off in court in early September.

The report released Monday found that since 2001 Yeshiva has had excellent protections in place to safeguard students.

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