Jesuit High alumni received an email Tuesday morning from their alma mater informing them that a former teacher, coach and college counselor at the Carmichael school has been accused of "inappropriate conduct with a student."

The missive calls the accusations against William Farrington, a brother in the Jesuit order, "credible" and asks anyone who may have been victimized by him to contact authorities.

The accusations became public after a man who attended San Jose's Bellarmine College Preparatory School in the 1960s asked that an email be sent out to graduates of his alma mater alleging he was molested by Farrington.

The Province of California Jesuits agreed and sent out a news release of its own.

Jesuit High officials then decided to send out their own email, since Farrington taught and coached at the Catholic school between 1976 and 1987.

The email doesn't mention it, but school officials told The Bee that two Jesuit High students came forward with accusations of "improprieties" by the teacher in 1987.

That was the same year Farrington was moved from the campus and barred from working with minors, said Jordan Blair, spokesman for the school.

He could not say whether students and families were notified of the accusations at the time or whether law enforcement investigated the charges. A spokesman at the District Attorney's Office said the length of time that has passed makes it difficult to determine if there had been a complaint.

Farrington was sent in 1987 to Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he worked in the registrar's office, according to Patrick Walsh, spokesman for the Province of California Jesuits.

Family members of the alleged Sacramento victims criticized the assignment, he said. In 2002 Farrington was sent to a Jesuit infirmary in Los Gatos, where he lives under close supervision, stated a news release from the Province of California Jesuits sent out Tuesday.

Walsh said Farrington and officials at the Province of California Jesuits were not available for comment.

Father Michael Weiler, Provincial of the California Jesuits, said in the release that he and fellow Jesuits apologize to anyone who may have been abused.

Jesuit High sent its email to between 5,000 and 6,000 graduates, Blair said.

"We are acting with full transparency," he said. "We wanted to make sure this information was out there."

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