A dozen deaf women say they were subject to near-daily sexual abuse at the hands of a New York School for the Deaf houseparent, according to a new lawsuit.

The women, who were as young as 4 when they attended the Westchester County school, said they were repeatedly fondled, kissed and forced to have sex with Joseph Casucci, who was in charge of supervising the “pre-primary” dorms for younger students at the school between 1964 and 1975.

They allege that the school did little to protect them from Casucci, who was eventually fired when abuse allegations surfaced in 1979. He died about a decade ago, the suit said.

“We are very glad that this day is finally here,” said former student Marlene Hodge, 59, who now lives in California. “It is a little bit of a conflict because in other ways we revered our school. It’s sad, but it is one person that our school should have protected us against.”

Kevin Mulheam, one of the attorneys representing the women, said the abuse was particularly heinous because the alleged victims were “extraordinarily vulnerable” as young, deaf girls.

“We are suing the New York School for the Deaf because when it comes down to it, they breached its most fundamental obligation, and breached it in a big way, to take care and protect its most vulnerable students,” he said. “Every evening they were subjected to indignities that are unspeakable.”

According to the lawsuit, filed in state Supreme Court in White Plains, Casucci subjected the girls to inappropriate sexual contact during their time at the school. He allegedly abused them in dorm bathrooms, bedrooms and a living room, the lawsuit alleges.

“We got a lot of people saying, ‘We love this school, how could you tarnish the reputation?'” said Bronx-born victim Demita Jo Damiano, 50, who now lives in Colorado. “What is more important, to keep that reputation or to let the truth come out?

“The truth needs to come out, because victims are still suffering,” she said. “They are still scarred and emotional about this, and I think that prevailed.”

The school, founded in 1817, is the oldest school for deaf children in the country.

In a statement Wednesday, officials at the school said they are “taking this very seriously. We are allowing the legal process to continue.”

The former students were able to file their claims with the passage of the state Child Victims Sex Act this year, which lifted the statute of limitations on filing civil claims for child sex abuse.