By Denise Coffey
Cape Cod Times
June 3, 2026
[ Link to original article toward bottom of this page]
A lawsuit filed by the Community of Jesus Inc., Arts Empowering Life, and the Performing Arts Building Foundation against David and Ellen Ortolani will go forward after U.S. District Court Judge Leo Sorokin denied the Ortolanis’ motion to dismiss the case.
The court did allow the Ortolanis’ request to strike certain allegations of a physical and psychiatric nature made against their son by the Community of Jesus. Sorokin wrote that a federal rule permits courts to, “strike from a pleading . . . any redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter.”
The case is tied to Oliver Ortolani’s lawsuit against the Community of Jesus and the two nonprofits. His July 2025 complaint alleges that the three entities violated nine federal and state laws, including forced labor, trafficking with respect to forced labor, conspiracy to recruit, obtain, and transport with respect to forced labor, and unjust enrichment.
The allegations stem from Oliver’s work constructing the Performing Arts Building in Brewster. He is seeking $5.1 million in damages.
Attorney Jeffrey Robbins, who represents the Community of Jesus, called the lawsuit baseless. He filed a motion to dismiss Oliver’s case that August. In November the Community of Jesus and the two nonprofits sued Oliver Ortolani’s parents for indemnification and compensation should their son’s lawsuit succeed.
Robbins based the claim on signed waivers from Ellen and David’s oversight of the project that Oliver worked on. The Community’s lawsuit claims common-law contribution, which allows a party to recover a portion of the damages paid to an injured party — in this case, Oliver — if Oliver’s lawsuit succeeds.
In a May 4 interview, Robbins said damages could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars and that the nonprofits would seek to hold the parents liable for the entire amount.
Attorney Robert Powers, who represents David and Ellen Ortolani, called that estimate, “over the top,” in a June 1 telephone call. He said he was “mystified” when the Community of Jesus and the two other defendants sought indemnity and contributions in a separate lawsuit against Ortolani’s parents.
Ordinarily those claims are filed as third party actions in the original (Oliver Ortolani’s) lawsuit, he said.
A motion to dismiss Oliver Ortolani’s lawsuit is currently under review. Because discovery in his case overlaps that of his parents, if both cases proceed, the parties will need to coordinate the discovery between the two.
The Community of Jesus, Arts Empowering Life, Performing Arts Building, and David and Ellen Ortolani have asked the Court to defer this case until the a ruling has been made on the motion to dismiss Oliver’s lawsuit.
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