R.I. `Survivor' sues state over child abuse rap

Richard Hatch was one of 16 participants in the CBS series "Survivor"

By Jack Sullivan

July 5, 2000 Web posted at: 12:59 PM EDT (1659 GMT)

NEWPORT, Rhode Island (The Boston Herald) -- A Rhode Island man who was charged with child abuse after he returned from a remote tropical island as a participant in the hit reality TV series ``Survivor'' has sued state officials claiming his celebrity triggered his arrest.

Richard Hatch, a 39-year-old corporate trainer from Newport who ate beetle larvae, stingrays and rats during his island adventure, has filed separate federal suits against the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) and Middletown, R.I., police, charging they violated his civil rights.

``There's no question whatsoever which was the most difficult to deal with,'' Hatch said yesterday. ``DCYF and the bureaucratic mess that is here is by far more pathetic and difficult to handle than anything I experienced on the island.''

Hatch was arrested in April, two days after he returned from spending 39 days on an island in the South China Sea with 15 other contestants as part of the CBS ``Survivor'' series.

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Officials charged Hatch forced his son to run six miles in the early morning hours and hit him when the boy faltered.

Police based their charge on an interview with the child and reports of red welts and bruisings seen by administrators at Aquidneck School in Middletown, where Chris Hatch attends.

DCYF officials took custody of Chris, a troubled youth whom Hatch adopted two years ago after taking him in as a foster child, and did not return him until ordered by a judge in late May.

Hatch claims removing his son was more abusive than anything he had done to the child and is seeking unspecified damages. He also charges Middletown police, where his father was once an officer, leaked details of the arrest along with his mug shot to a national tabloid, a violation of his civil rights.

``Because of this show, (officials) went way, way overboard,'' said Hatch, who filed the suit in federal court in Providence Monday. ``This is just a horrific situation. The damage may truly be irreparable.''

DCYF officials could not be reached for comment yesterday. Middletown Police Officer Robert Nutt said the department would have no comment.

Hatch is still facing possible criminal charges and is awaiting a decision from the state' attorney general whether or not they will prosecute. Calls to the office were not returned yesterday.

Hatch said the only thing factual about the police report was that he and his son were out for a morning run. Hatch insisted on the day he was arrested, they only went 1.8 miles, a half-mile of which they walked. He said he had the boy do push-ups several times during the jog but he never laid a hand on him.

Hatch said he lost 130 pounds after he began running and said he started Chris exercising about a year ago for his health. Hatch said the boy was running six miles twice a week, albeit reluctantly. Hatch, a single father, said while he was on the island, Chris had gained weight.

Hatch said the child, who he called ``manipulative and extremely intelligent,'' fabricated the story of abuse.

``He had a real temper tantrum,'' Hatch said. ``This was created because he wanted to get out of that run. He knows he made a huge mistake.''

While Hatch said he would rather talk about the show than the suits, he is forbidden by CBS for fear of revealing the winner.

Each week, contestants vote one of their comrades off the island. With the sixth show airing tonight, Hatch is one of 11 remaining.

But several times during an interview yesterday, Hatch said the problems with his son developed during the ``seven weeks I was on the island.''

The survivors were on the island for 39 days, with the winner receiving $1 million.

But Hatch insisted yesterday it was not his absence that caused the problems, rather a state bureaucracy and overzealous police.

``When the DCYF worker was called, she said, `Oh, I recognize the name from the guy who was on the show,' '' Hatch said. ``What does that have to do with why this might be important? It's not the show. It's these idiots.''

'Survivor' contestant charged with child abuse

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