Key Takeaways
- Deacon Laurence Gagnon was convicted of sexually assaulting three students at St. Joseph School in West Warwick and was accused of abusing additional boys.
- Gagnon appears on the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy and Rhode Island’s 2026 Report on Clergy Sex Abuse.
- Rhode Island’s childhood sexual abuse revival window may allow survivors to pursue civil claims against institutions that employed, supervised, or retained clergy members accused of abuse.
Who Was Deacon Laurence Gagnon?
Deacon Laurence Gagnon served in the permanent diaconate for the Diocese of Providence. He worked at St. Joseph Church and School in West Warwick for more than two decades.
Born on July 25, 1940, Gagnon was ordained on June 23, 1979. According to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Report, his assignments included:
- West View Nursing Home, West Warwick (1979–1990)
- St. Joseph Church and School, West Warwick (1990–2011)
Gagnon retired in June 2011 after allegations of child sexual abuse surfaced, and his faculties were later suspended in the same year.
He died on August 28, 2021.
Gagnon is included on both the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence and the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy.
Allegations Against Deacon Laurence Gagnon
Deacon Laurence Gagnon was convicted of sexually assaulting three of his students at St. Joseph School in West Warwick between 2006 and 2011 and was accused of sexually assaulting at least three additional boys.
The investigation began in April 2011 after three students reported that Gagnon had pulled down their pants and given one of them a “wedgie.” As law enforcement investigated, three additional potential victims came forward with similar allegations.
According to the Attorney General’s Report, several boys alleged that Gagnon repeatedly touched their genitals, pulled down their pants, or engaged in other inappropriate sexual conduct.
Gagnon reportedly told one of the victims, “‘You can get me arrested for what I did. Please don’t.’”
Criminal Case Against Deacon Laurence Gagnon
Following an investigation by the West Warwick Police Department, Gagnon was arrested in August 2011, and subsequently released from ministry. On March 8, 2012, a Rhode Island grand jury indicted him on fourteen counts of second-degree child molestation involving three victims.
Gagnon later pleaded no contest to three counts of second-degree child molestation. “On April 16, 2013, he was sentenced to ten years in prison with one year to serve and nine years suspended with probation. He was also required to register as a Level 3 sex offender.”
Gagnon is included on the Diocese of Providence’s List of Credibly Accused Clergy.
He died in 2021.
Readers seeking additional information regarding the allegations against Deacon Gagnon and the Diocesan response should review Appendix A of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s 2026 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Providence and the sources compiled by Bishop Accountability.
Were You Harmed by Deacon Laurence Gagnon?
Although Deacon Gagnon died in 2021, survivors may still have legal options against the institutions that employed, supervised, or retained him.
Survivors whose claims were previously barred by the statute of limitations in Rhode Island now have a renewed opportunity to pursue accountability against the institutions that employed, supervised, or retained abusive clergy members.
At Andreozzi + Foote, we focus exclusively on representing survivors of sexual abuse in civil cases against institutions like the Catholic Church.
If you or a loved one were abused by Gagnon or another clergy member, our trauma-informed attorneys are here to help you pursue your civil legal options and fight for justice.
Contact us today.
📞 (866) 311-8640
📧 info@vca.law
Image sources: Laurence Gagnon, via Quinn Funeral Home. Gagnon, via NBC 10.
