PITTSBURGH (CNS) — A class-action lawsuit was filed Sept. 17 against eight Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania demanding the dioceses provide proof that they submitted the names of all suspected predators.
The lawsuit was filed in the Court of Common Pleas for Allegheny County by two people representing two classes of plaintiffs: survivors of clergy sexual abuse and children currently enrolled in Catholic schools who could be at risk of abuse, according to the lawsuit.
A Pennsylvania man and a Catholic school kindergartner are the representative plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Ryan O’Connor, the adult plaintiff, represents those who were abused. O’Connor, who is Catholic and has children at Catholic school, said he was abused by a priest when he was young.
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The child plaintiff, representing Catholic school students, is represented by his mother, Kristen Hancock, a volunteer at her son’s Catholic school.
The defendants include the six dioceses at the center of the grand jury report issued in August: Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Scranton.
It also targets two other dioceses that were previously investigated: the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, investigated by a grand jury in 2016 and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, investigated in 2005 and 2011.
Bishops named in the lawsuit are: Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput and Bishops Alfred A. Schlert of Allentown, Mark L. Bartchak of Altoona-Johnstown, Lawrence T. Persico of Erie, Edward C. Malesic of Greensburg, Ronald W. Gainer of Harrisburg, David A. Zubik of Pittsburgh and Joseph C. Bambera of Scranton.
The lawsuit claims the dioceses failed to meet their reporting obligations since only 10 of the 301 priests named as alleged sexual abusers in the grand jury report are publicly listed on Pennsylvania’s Megan Law database. Although two of the priests listed in the report have been arrested, the suit says, the names of 20 others were redacted.
The lawsuit asks dioceses to admit that illegal, abusive acts occurred and publicly acknowledge wrongdoing. The plaintiffs do not seek monetary damages except payment for attorney and expert-witness fees and “any and all other legal or equitable relief that the court may deem proper and just.”
As of Sept. 20, the only diocese to publicly issue a statement in response to the lawsuit on its website was Allentown, which said it “already has reported to law enforcement every allegation of clergy sexual abuse of which it is aware, and the diocese published a list of all diocesan priests against whom there have been credible allegations of abuse of minors.”
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Our senators killed the bill…why????
It pains me that Father Joe Gallagher a known pedophile at St. Michael’s parish in Chester PA will never pay for his sins in this life. Some of the boys who he sexually assaulted are no longer living. They committed suicide as a result of the sexual abuse by him. One of those was my brother. I still and always will miss him. He is in heaven despite his suicide. God knows what was in my brother’s heart and head. Another I know of was a neighbor whom I am not going to write his name. That is for his family to do. Daniel was a great child until he was repeatedly raped by Joseph Gallagher. I am not permitted to have contact with a priest who was a great support to me while I was recovering from a horrific car crash. I don’t understand our ArchBishop. We were merely friends. I would rot in hell if anything had happened that would be inappropriate with him. We were always monitored either by nurses and other professionals. Once I was released from all the hospitals that I was in, I went to my daughter’s home. He said Mass there with my daughter’s grandmother present. If my daughter left the room or area of her home my grandson would be present. A friendship was ruined yet raping a male child is and was overlooked. Makes me sick to my stomach how many were assaulted in many forms. Joe Gallagher was shuffled from one parish to another. How many children did just he damage? May he never find a place to rest for all eternity. Even Satan does not want them in hell. Go figure, I profess my confession every week. Attend mass as well and I can’t be friends with one of the greatest cheerleaders throughout at least 2 hospitals. My therapists of many sorts would work with me while Father sat and prayed. He answered a lot of questions I had always held onto about my Catholicism having been baptized at birth and again for the formality and the party I have photos of. Archbishop Chaput you know exactly who and what I am referring to. My desire to remain steadfast to my chosen religion will never be set aside for any reasons including false accusations. Really? Did that man need to come to my daughter’s home to question both Maggie and me? While child molesters are running amuck, I don’t understand at all. What makes a priest above the laws. Let’s get them on Megan’s List for their entire lives. I highly doubt this will get published. I have finally gotten my nerve to publicly have my say on both subjects.
Some of the abusers named in the report died before there was a Pennsylvania’s Megan Law database. There’s been little abuse in recent years, and much of the PA report’s abuse was old news with priests already jailed and others, dead. If PA did not add jailed priests to the Megan database, we can’t blame the bishops. We can blame the bishops for transferring abusive priests, but bishop’s don’t update the state’s database.
I am so happy for this lawsuit. Finally, something is being done to make these bishops accountable for their lack of action and lack of empathy for the victims. We the laity should pray that this lawsuit is successful.