Royal Liberty School in Romford faces sexual abuse lawsuit

A second teacher at a Romford secondary school has been accused of sexually abusing pupils.

Two ex-pupils have named the same man as molesting them in PE changing rooms.

The two men are among six complainants who are suing the Royal Liberty School over alleged abuse by two ex-teachers between 1981 and 1997.

One ex-teacher, Michael Quinlan, has already been repeatedly convicted of molesting boys from the school.

But two ex-students have named another teacher as abusing them as well.

Cambridge law firm Andrew Grove & Co Solicitors has sent a letter to the school, notifying it of an imminent lawsuit.

The firm has called on other potential victims and witnesses to come forward.

Second teacher

One of the six complainants is Andre Tyndall, who contacted police in 2019 about abuse at the Royal Liberty.

He testified against Quinlan last year and waived his anonymity months later to tell the Romford Recorder about his planned lawsuit.

Andre Tyndall waived his anonymity earlier this year to discuss his abuse at Romford’s Royal Liberty School (Image: Charles Thomson)

Catch up:

Andre told the police and the court that a second teacher had abused him too.

But at that time, he was the only person to have accused that teacher. The man was never convicted.

However, after the Recorder published Andre’s interview, another ex-pupil approached his lawyers, asking to join the suit.

In his sworn statement, that new complainant named the same former teacher Andre had named.

The new complainant works in healthcare and, like Andre, claims he was abused by both Mr Quinlan and the second teacher.

Michael Quinlan

Quinlan, now 74, was first accused by pupils in 2003, while still working at the Royal Liberty.

He pleaded guilty in 2004 to offences including indecent assault and gross indecency.

The Recorder covered the case, at which Quinlan was accused of padlocking the school pool from the inside and forcing boys to swim with him in the nude.

He was jailed for 15 months and placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

In 2022, he went on trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court over historic offences.

Quinlan was convicted of four indecent assaults and given a 22-month sentence, suspended for two years.

The Romford Recorder covered Michael Quinlan’s 2004 court case, where he was accused of making children swim with him in the nude (Image: Newsquest)

New complainant

The new complainant has signed a sworn statement as part of the impending lawsuit.

In it, he alleges that Quinlan and the other teacher “regularly abused me and the other boys in my class”.

“On multiple occasions when I tried not to shower, I was dragged in by my PE kit, stripped naked and assaulted in front of other boys,” he continues.

He alleges that the abuse included being forced to perform sex acts.

Plea for witnesses

Lawyer Katherine Yates said: “I know that there are many more witnesses and victims out there who experienced this terrible abuse and I would urge anyone who attended or worked at the school with any relevant information, no matter how insignificant they think it might be, to please make contact.

The Royal Liberty School, in Brentwood Road, Gidea Park, as it looked when Michael Quinlan worked there (Image: Newsquest)

“There is still time to join the civil lawsuit. We are here to get justice for all those who were assaulted at the Royal Liberty School.

“All claims are being funded on a no win, no fee basis, so there’s no cost involved.”

The Recorder wrote to both the Royal Liberty School and education authority Havering Council.

The school did not respond directly, but has previously allowed the council to respond on its behalf to press enquiries about alleged historic abuse.

Havering Council said: “We are unable to comment on any potential legal action. However, we do want to stress that we have strict policies and procedures in place in all our schools to protect Havering pupils.”