STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Former Staten Island resident Bruce Morrison came forward nearly seven years ago with allegations of childhood sexual abuse. Now 66, Morrison says the prolonged wait for his case to reach court has been one of the most painful chapters of an already difficult ordeal.
Bruce Morrison, 66, has been waiting since 2019 for his Child Victims Act case against his former youth coach to move forward.(Courtesy of Bruce Morrison)
Morrison filed a civil lawsuit in 2019 against Anthony “Tony” Sagona, his former basketball and baseball coach, after New York opened a one-year window under the Child Victims Act allowing adults to sue for alleged childhood abuse. The law temporarily lifted the statute of limitations that had previously barred many victims from seeking legal recourse.
According to the complaint, Sagona allegedly abused Morrison over a three-year period beginning in 1972, when Morrison was between 13 and 16 years old.
Sagona coached Morrison in basketball at St. Patrick’s Elementary School in Richmond and in baseball with the Great Kills Babe Ruth League, the suit alleges.
“I was very skeptical about doing it because I buried this thing,” Morrison told the Advance/SILive.com during a recent interview. “And I didn’t know if I wanted to relive it again. But I decided to relive it again — I’m done crying; I’m just angry now.”
The case has moved slowly. Morrison, who resides in Alabama, has a deposition scheduled for February, though he said the date could change. He was told the delay is largely due to the sheer volume of cases filed after the law took effect.
“Originally, when this law passed, the amount of people that came out just overflooded the system,” Morrison said. “And then we had COVID.”
Morrison’s lawsuit is one of nearly 11,000 cases filed statewide under the Child Victims Act between 2019 and 2021. Of those cases, around 8,000 were assigned to judges, and around 2,000 have been settled or dismissed. The rest remain pending, according to an NBC News report published last May.
He said he is the oldest of the men who have come forward with allegations against Sagona. The lawsuit alleges Sagona befriended Morrison, who grew up in a single-parent household and lacked a father or male role model. Most of the alleged abuse occurred at Sagona’s home in Great Kills, according to the suit.
“He was like a father to me,” Morrison said. “And I don’t have a problem saying what I’m going to say next — I actually loved him; he was the only father figure I had.”
Sagona, 75, is living in Boca Raton, Florida, according to online records. In 2019, he denied the allegations to the Advance/SILive.com.
“I don’t even know where that would come from or what that’s about,” he said. “It’s ridiculous.” His attorney at the time added, “He’s been coaching kids for 40 years. Even just the allegations can ruin [a person’s] reputation.”
Sagona could not be reached for comment in regard to this story.
Morrison said revisiting the trauma has taken an emotional toll. “I didn’t realize the damage until the last six-and-a-half years because I had it buried so far,” he said.
He said the experience has affected his marriage and relationships over the years. However, his wife of 28 years, Kym, has been supportive, especially after meeting other accusers and learning about their shared experiences.
Despite the emotional strain, Morrison said his primary motivation is protecting children.
“My wife and I, we’re going to set up a children’s foundation and help the kids,” he said. “I don’t need [Sagona’s] money. I don’t need anybody’s money. But I need to get the word out to help other children.”
In addition to Sagona, the lawsuit names St. Patrick’s Elementary School, the Great Kills Babe Ruth League and the Archdiocese of New York as defendants, alleging they negligently allowed the abuse to occur.
The archdiocese did not respond to a request for comment, but issued a previous statement regarding the lawsuits:
“The Archdiocese of New York has been anticipating the filing of lawsuits since the Child Victims Act passed earlier this year, even as we continue to invite people to consider our successful program to bring compensation quickly to qualified claimants through the archdiocesan Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program.
“While we carefully review the claims made in these suits, we ask that people pray for peace and healing for all those who have suffered from the sin and crime of the sexual abuse of minors, wherever it occurred, particularly victim-survivors and their families.”
Meanwhile, Morrison said he is prepared for his deposition. “When a lie is not involved, you don’t need depositions. You don’t need to prep. There are no lies,” he said. “This is my story.”