New lawsuit filed against former director of Old Town Boys Club

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M – The Boys and Girls Club of Central New Mexico is facing another sexual abuse lawsuit. This is the seventh lawsuit filed against the organization, and all seven focus on allegations of abuse from the ‘70s and ‘80s. 

The 17-page lawsuit against the Boys and Girls Club of America, and the Boys and Girls Club of Central New Mexico was filed in late October.

It alleges the plaintiff – identified only as John Doe – was subject to years of sexual abuse within the “Old Town Boys Club.” The lawsuit names former director – Eddie Valtierra – as the abuser.

This is the fourth lawsuit to name Valtierra, and the seventh lawsuit to allege directors of the Old Town Boys Club abused children. 

The first was filed in January. It alleged the director who took over after Valtierra – Dominic Yannoni – abused a 13-year-old boy in the mid-80s. 

Albuquerque Attorney, Levi Monagle, spoke to us about the allegations earlier this year.

“One of the most damaging things about childhood sexual abuse is the burden that it forces kids to carry for years, or for decades before they’re finally able to disclose the abuse, and talk about it, or they just can’t keep it in any longer,” said Monagle with the Law Office of Hall, Monagle, Huffman, and Wallace.  

Two more lawsuits were filed in February, one naming Yannoni and one naming Valtierra. Three more lawsuits followed in April, one naming Yannoni, and two naming Valtierra. 

All the lawsuits seek to hold the Boys and Girls Club organizations accountable.

“In New Mexico, if you give substantial power to an agent, and that agent misuses that substantial power to abuse a vulnerable person – like a child – the person who empowered the perpetrator is responsible, and the person so to speak. In this case, that would be the Old Town Club or the national organization,” Monagle said. 

This newest lawsuit claims the abuse started in the late ‘70s when the plaintiff was only 7 years old, and continued until 1985. 

The lawsuit alleges the Boys and Girls Club either knew about, or should have known about the abuse. It claims the organization provided inadequate supervision of Valtierra, and failed to take appropriate action to prevent abuse. 

The plaintiff is seeking an unspecified amount in monetary damages.