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A lawsuit alleges that a former director of the Old Town Boys Club sexually abused a boy under his supervision, bringing to four the number of suits the Albuquerque club is facing.
All four lawsuits were filed this year against Boys & Girls Clubs of Central New Mexico and its parent organization, Atlanta-based Boys & Girls Clubs of America Inc.
The recent suit alleges that Eddie Valtierra, who was hired in 1978 to lead the Downtown boys club, abused the boy during his elementary and middle school years.
Valtierra, who was later fired as director and died in 1998, also was named in a lawsuit filed against the club in March. Two additional lawsuits allege sexual abuse by Dominic Yannoni, who served as director of the club in the 1980s and 1990s.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America did not immediately respond Tuesday to requests for comment about the suit.
The organization has denied similar allegations made in previous lawsuits. A spokeswoman said the organization takes seriously any allegations of harm to children, regardless of when they occurred.
All affiliate clubs adhere to rigorous safety protocols, including annual background checks, immediate reporting of alleged abuse, staff training and required safety policies, the organization said in a written statement.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central New Mexico did not immediately respond to a voicemail message seeking comment.
Albuquerque attorney Paul Linnenburger filed the lawsuit Oct. 28 on behalf of an unnamed Albuquerque native born in 1971 who formerly attended Old Town Elementary School and Washington Middle School.
The boy’s parents were divorced and he was raised by a single mother who worked long hours, the suit said. Valtierra took an interest in the boy when he was 7 and gave him various jobs at the club.
“Valtierra would often take (the boy) to a secluded area behind bleacher-type seating within the Old Town Boys Club premises” and touch him inappropriately, the suit alleges.
The abuse became “increasingly serious” over time and continued until about 1985 when the boy was about 14, it alleges.
Valtierra also kept control over the boy’s financial well-being, providing him with money and employment at the Old Town Boys Club, the suit said.
The suit seeks unspecified damages, alleging the state and national Boys & Girls Clubs organizations failed to properly screen and supervise Valtierra, resulting in injuries to the boy.