By Denise Coffey
Cape Cod Times, USA TODAY NETWORK
July 3, 2026
[ Link to original article toward bottom of this page]
Oliver Ortolani’s lawsuit against the Community of Jesus in Orleans, Arts Empowering Life, and Performing Arts Building Foundation — alleging forced labor and trafficking to build a performing arts center in Brewster — will move forward.
In U.S. District Court in Boston, Judge Leo Sorokin denied on June 26 the three organizations’ motions to dismiss the case.
Ortolani was born into the Community of Jesus, and he left in 2023 at the age of 16. The community is a religious organization with about 200 members, according to court documents.
Ortolani filed his complaint July 16, 2025. He alleged that each of the defendants acted in violation of the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, and Massachusetts state law against forced labor and trafficking.
Ortolani originally filed a RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) claim against the three defendants, but at the request of Ortolani’s lawyer, the Court dismissed that claim with prejudice, officially ending it.
The performing arts building in Brewster — known as Arts Empowering Life Performing Arts Center — was built for and funded by the Community of Jesus, Art Empowering Life Inc. and the Performing Arts Building Foundation Inc., according to Ortolani’s lawsuit. All three entities benefited from the unpaid labor of children, and continue to benefit with ongoing performances and ticket sales, the lawsuit alleges.
The building at 95 Southern Eagle Cartway is on 40 acres, and listed as an auditorium with a structured steel frame, built in 2020, according to town assessor records. The property has an assessed value of $4.1 million.
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.
The law requires the court to accept Ortolani’s factual complaints as true, according to the court document. The defendants have disputed the complaints, and they filed a motion to dismiss the case in November. The court’s decision to deny the dismissal means the judge found Ortolani’s allegations plausible.
A work program alleged for young boys
Ortolani claims the Community is a high demand/high control group that requires strict obedience to its dictates. Over the course of 16 years, the Community made Ortolani move in with families other than his own at least 20 times, according to a court document in the latest ruling. In 2019, when he was 11 years old, Ortolani’s parents signed waivers for his participation in a work program sponsored by the Community of Jesus. All boys between the ages of nine and 16 were required to participate. That program was extended, and the boys worked on the construction site of the performing arts building, a venue where Community-sponsored events could be held. Revenue from those events support the Community.
Ortolani’s allegation, the specifics
Ortolani’s complaint alleges that the boys worked under strenuous conditions and suffered harsh discipline if they didn’t perform. He alleges that the work program was supposed to have an educational component, which he claims it did not.
The ruling from June 26 stated that Ortolani’s complaint was light on some factual details, that some timelines weren’t exact, but that some allegations, including one — that the defendants knew about and intended the widespread, coercive actions that occurred at their construction site — were plausible.
Ortolani’s complaints lodged against the Community of Jesus, Arts Empowering Life and Performing Arts Building Foundation include liability for forced labor, trafficking, attempted forced labor and trafficking, and conspiracy in violation of the federal trafficking act.
He is seeking $5.1 million in damages. A pretrial conference was not scheduled as of June 30.
2nd case: Community of Jesus v Ortolani’s parents
The Community of Jesus, Arts Empowering Life, and Performing Arts Building Foundation filed a lawsuit against Ortolani’s parents, David and Ellen, on Nov. 19, 2025, in U.S. District Court in Boston. The suit seeks compensation from them for any damages and legal fees should their son’s lawsuit succeed.
The lawyer for David and Ellen Ortolani filed a motion to dismiss the Community’s case, but it was denied. The court granted their request to strike from the case some allegations of a physical and psychiatric nature made against their son by the Community.
Because discovery, the exchange of documents, witness testimony and evidence, in the two cases overlap, if both cases proceed, the parties will need to coordinate between the two.
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