Jeff Anderson & Associates Updates

Child Protection Failures: This Week, New York

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:23:00 -0600

Last week I wrote about the Los Angeles Unified School District’s failure to notify parents of reports of sexual abuse by teachers. Their failure to inform parents went to such an extreme that parents didn’t know that a teacher in their students’ school was suspected of abuse until the media reported on the arrests. The story is shocking and unacceptable, but these three incidents demonstrate failure on the part of one school district, so at least we can find solace in the fact that this is isolated, atypical behavior, right?

Aide at a Manhattan School Is Charged With Sexual Abuse

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:27:00 -0600

A teacher’s aide at a highly regarded public elementary school in Manhattan was arrested on Friday after an accusation that he had sexually abused a student at the school, the authorities said.The aide, Gregory Atkins, 56, had worked at Public School 87, on the Upper West Side, since November 2008, the Education Department said. A law enforcement official said a male student had accused Mr. Atkins of having him strip in the school’s bathroom and, at another point, offering money to fondle the boy. But many of the specifics of the case were not available. It is not the first time Mr. Atkins has...

Attorneys: Los Angeles School officials mirror Catholic Bishops in handling of sex abuse cases

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:11:00 -0600

When Los Angeles school officials choose to protect their own image over the protection of the children they serve, they are mimicking the long time behavior of Catholic Bishops who for years kept quiet about clergy predators in order to prevent “scandal”. Indeed, when will we ever learn? Clearly, when there is even the slightest chance that children could be in harm’s way, parents, and the community, must be informed when, and why, a teacher has been removed from the classroom because of child molestation.

Journal Sentinel: 8,000 instances of abuse alleged in Archdiocese bankruptcy hearing

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:04:00 -0600

Sealed documents filed in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee bankruptcy identify at least 8,000 instances of child sexual abuse and 100 alleged offenders - 75 of them priests - who have not previously been named by the archdiocese, a victims' attorney said Thursday. Archdiocese spokeswoman Julie Wolf said she did not have enough information to respond to the assertion, made by attorney Jeffrey Anderson during a pivotal hearing before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Susan V. Kelley. Anderson represents about 350 of the 570 victim-survivors who have filed claims in the case. But Peter Isely of the Survivors N...

Reuters: Milwaukee archdiocese bid to duck abuse suits sparks ire

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:32:00 -0600

Milwaukee's Roman Catholic archdiocese will ask a judge on Thursday to throw out hundreds of sexual abuse claims that have thrust it into bankruptcy, triggering a court battle and rekindling anger at the church's mishandling of abusive clergy. The aggressive stance taken by the archdiocese reminds victims' advocates how leaders of the U.S. church long resisted pleas to deal harshly with offenders...

Time: The Horrors of Miramonte: After an L.A. School's Sex-Abuse Scandal, Can the Children Be Healed?

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:57:00 -0600

A group of parents gathered across the street from an elementary school in a largely Latino neighborhood in South Los Angeles on Friday and took turns assailing its directors. Clutching a press release that had just been handed out by the school board, they were trying to process the news that a second teacher at their children's school had been arrested on charges of sexual misconduct.

MPR News: Anderson campaigns to publish names of alleged abusive priests

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:33:00 -0600

For at least the last 10 years, Catholic dioceses across the country have created lists of priests credibly accused of sexual misconduct.The lists have long been kept private by church officials. But over the last decade, dioceses in San Diego, Chicago, Boston and other cities have released such lists, largely under pressure.None of the six dioceses in Minnesota have yet published the names of the priests credibly accused. But some want that to change.Among them is St. Paul Attorney Jeff Anderson, who is well-known for representing victims and alleged victims of sexual abuse...

Statement of Jeff Anderson Re: Sentencing of Oliver O’Grady for possession of child pornography

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:53:00 -0600

"We, and the many families and victims in the Diocese of Stockton, California, who have been wounded by the defrocked pedophile priest Oliver O'Grady are deeply gratified with the news today that an Ireland court has sentenced him to three years in prison for the possession of over 65,000 pornographic images of children on his laptop. Those feelings, however, are mixed with fear that upon his release, he ...

CNN: For men and boys, a silver lining amid sex abuse scandals

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:49:00 -0600

Advocates and therapists for survivors of male sex abuse say the recent scandals at Penn State and elsewhere may help men who were abused as children, and boys being abused today, step out of the shadows and get the support they deserve. They also hope society can become better educated about the issue. "The allegations have kick-started a public dialogue about sexual violence and the community's responsibility," says Jennifer Marsh, who directs hotlines at RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. "It's a conversation we have to have and can't shy away from.

Journal Sentinel: Archdiocese's strategy might disqualify abuse victims

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:24:00 -0600

With just weeks to go before a Feb. 1 deadline in its bankruptcy, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is casting a wide net in search of clergy sex abuse victims who might seek to file claims, publishing ads in state and national newspapers and asking its parishes and schools to spread the word. At the same time, victims advocates say, the archdiocese is embarking on a legal strategy that could result in the vast majority of the nearly 200 sex abuse claims filed to date being thrown out of court, leaving those victims ineligible for a financial settlement from the church - and perhaps changing the...

SF Weekly: Tainted Saint: Mother Teresa Defended Pedophile Priest

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:24:00 -0600

The death of journalist and polemicist Christopher Hitchens last month gave those familiar with his work a chance to revisit one of his more controversial subjects: the Albanian nun Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, better known to the world as Mother Teresa. In his 1997 book, The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice, Hitchens argued that the "Saint of Calcutta," who founded and headed the international Missionaries of Charity order, enjoyed undeserved esteem.Despite her humanitarian reputation and 1979 Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa had set up a worldwide system of "homes for the ...

Jeff Anderson & Associates Advocate at Minnesota Supreme Court

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:17:00 -0600

This morning we argued in front of the Minnesota Supreme Court on behalf of sexual abuse survivor Jim Keenan. Pictured above are the three co-counsels: Mike Finnegan on the left, myself, and Jeff Anderson on the right. The case, John Doe 76c v. Archdiocese of Minneapolis/St. Paul and the Diocese of Winona, is on appeal over whether evidence about repressed memories can be used in court. The case was dismissed by the District Court last year when the Judge ruled that experts cannot testify about repressed memories.

NPR discusses changes to the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:56:00 -0600

Stories of child sexual abuse dominated the headlines in 2011, but because the alleged crimes happened so long ago, few of the victims in those cases were able to sue their abusers.

Bishop Tells Congregations to Report Sex Abuse to Catholic Hotline, With no Mention of Calling Police

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:36:00 -0600

After Rev. Bartley A. Sorensen, pastor at St. John Fisher Catholic Church in Churchville, Pennsylvania was arrested December 10th and charged with possession of child pornography, a bishop called on the congregation to report any suspected sexual abuse by the priest to a Catholic hotline. Incredibly he made no mention of calling the police.

Sacramento Priest Deemed a Flight Risk

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:32:00 -0600

As feared, Rev. Uriel Ojeda has been deemed a flight risk, and the court today delayed Rev. Ojeda's bail hearing until January. In our blog on December 1, 2011, I wrote of the hope that this predator not be permitted to flee the country to Mexico, as no less than six other priests facing credible allegations of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Sacramento have done. Here we see the very same risk. The courts should ensure that Rev. Ojeda is not permitted to flee the country and is made to face the allegations of child molestation of which he is accused.

CBS Pittsburgh: New Details Emerge After Priest Arrested On Child Porn Charges

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:44:00 -0600

A local priest who was arrested on child pornography charges was allegedly traveling overseas to an area notorious for its sex industry. Sources close to the investigation told the KDKA Investigators that Fr. Bartl Sorensen travelled to Amsterdam several times. This information, along with thousands of new images found in Fr. Sorensen’s bedroom has investigators concerned he may have had sexual contact with children. According to sources, investigators are now looking through thousands of pornographic images found following a search of the rectory at St. John Fisher ...

Post and Courier: Citadel target of sex-abuse lawsuit

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:37:00 -0600

A lawsuit filed against The Citadel on Wednesday seeks a court mandate that would require the military college to report all child sexual abuse complaints or face contempt charges. Attorneys Jeff Anderson and Gregg Meyers filed suit against The Citadel on behalf of the mother of a young man who allegedly was sexually abused by Louis "Skip" ReVille after the school failed to report a complaint about the former cadet. The lawsuit alleges that The Citadel was grossly negligent in not reporting a former summer camper's claim that ReVille showed young boys porn and masturbated with them at The Ci...

ABC news 4: Civil suit filed against The Citadel for negligence in ReVille case

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:34:00 -0600

The first suit against The Citadel for the school's role in the Louis "Skip" ReVille case was filed Wednesday. One of the attorneys, Jeff Anderson, is the same man who's filed similar suits against Penn State and Syracuse. "Some people think this lawsuit is designed to take The Citadel down, but frankly it's designed to help them clean it up," Anderson said. Attorneys say the child did not attend the military college, but claims since The Citadel's leaders failed to report sexual allegations made about ReVille to law enforcement. Attorneys claim The Citadel is part...

Complaint: Mother Doe A vs. The Citadel

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:25:00 -0600

Email transcripts from Citadel’s attorney

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:20:00 -0600

The Citadel to face lawsuit in Louis ReVille sexual abuse scandal

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:15:00 -0600

At a news conference on Wednesday in Charleston, South Carolina, Attorneys Jeff Anderson and Gregg Meyers will announce a civil lawsuit to be filed on behalf of the mother of young man who as a child was sexually abused by Louis ReVille on numerous occasions over a time span of more than a year. The complaint, to be filed tomorrow (Wednesday) in Charleston County Court of Common Pleas names The Citadel as the sole defendant, and claims the college was grossly negligent in not reporting knowledge of previous abuse by ReVille, and thus, allowed her son to be sexually assaulted.

Video: Lawsuit to be filed in Michael Weber sexual abuse scandal

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:03:00 -0600

Partial timeline of Michael Weber

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:30:00 -0600

John Doe HT vs. The Diocese of St. Cloud

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:16:00 -0600

Lawsuit to be filed in Michael Weber sexual abuse scandal

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:21:00 -0600

At a news conference on Tuesday in St. Paul, attorneys for a Virginia man, who lived in St. Cloud as a child, will announce a lawsuit against the Diocese of St. Cloud and Michael Weber. The lawsuit, to be filed in Hennepin County District Court, will address sexual abuse suffered by the child while vacationing with his family at a Minnesota lake. The victim, identified in the complaint as “John Doe HT”, wishes to keep his identity confidential, but will read a statement and answer questions from the media by phone.

Tomaselli statement

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:35:00 -0600

Complaint: Tomaselli v. Bernie Fine

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:28:00 -0600

Former Syracuse Assistant Basketball Coach Bernie Fine to Face Lawsuit in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 08:38:00 -0600

At a news conference today in Pittsburgh, Attorneys Jeff Anderson and Alan Perer will announce a civil lawsuit to be filed on behalf of Zach Tomaselli. Tomaselli, the 23 year-old Maine man who claims that as a 13 year-old he was sexually abused by Bernie Fine in a Pittsburgh hotel room will attend the news conference and speak to his abuse. The complaint, to be filed today in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas names Fine as the sole defendant.

The Wall Street Journal: New Accuser Files Lawsuit in Penn State Abuse Case

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:07:00 -0600

Mr. Anderson said his client hadn't spoken of the alleged abuse until other stories were made public through the grand-jury report. "This kid suffered in secrecy and in silence and shame thinking he was the only one and never told a soul until the revelations came out about other kids and a coverup," Mr. Anderson said. "That's what caused him to come forward and break the silence." In a statement released by Mr. Anderson, the plaintiff said he had never told anyone about being abused by Mr. Sandusky "until the newspapers reported that he had abused other kids." He said, "I am hu...

Sacramento Priest Arrested on Child Molestation Charges

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:34:00 -0600

A young priest in California’s Sacramento Diocese was arrested yesterday for lewd and lascivious acts with a minor. Father Uriel Ojeda is only 32 years old. The survivor’s family reported the abuse to the diocese, which did the right thing when it immediately contacted police and child protection. With this case we again see that the problem of priest sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and elsewhere is not limited to certain types of perpetrators, and is, unfortunately, not something that came and went with the 1970s. Catholic bishops and leaders would prefer us to “blame Woodstock”...

Suit Against Penn State, Sandusky and Second Mile: The Courageous Survivor

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:33:00 -0600

We commend this brave survivor with whom we stand, John Doe A, for being the first to speak up and out in bringing a civil lawsuit against his abuser, Jerry Sandusky, and the institutions that enabled Sandusky, Penn State University and The Second Mile. By bringing this lawsuit, this courageous survivor is bringing hope, healing and power to other Sandusky victims who may be living in silence, shame or fear. This lawsuit represents an effort to expose institutional failures in child protection.

ESPN.com: First lawsuit filed vs. Jerry Sandusky

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:20:00 -0600

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky sexually abused a boy more than 100 times, then threatened his family to keep him quiet about the encounters, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday that details new accusations not included in criminal charges against Sandusky. The lawsuit is the first in the Penn State child sex-abuse scandal and identifies the plaintiff, now 29 years old, only as John Doe. It claims Sandusky abused the boy from 1992 to 1996 at the coach's State College home, in a Penn State locker room, on trips to Philadelphia and at a bowl game. T...

Second student files sexual molestation claim against popular teacher at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:59:00 -0600

A former student of a popular teacher at a Los Angeles high school filed a sex abuse lawsuit today alleging that the award-winning music instructor sexually molested him over a two year period starting in 1997.

Miller John Doe 19 Complaint

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:58:00 -0600

Timeline of Vance Miller

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:57:00 -0600

Miller Police Investigation Report

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:56:00 -0600

Vance Miller Govt Tort Claim Form Filed Today

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:55:00 -0600

Miller Photo and Teacher of the Year

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:51:00 -0600

Statement of John Doe A

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:53:00 -0600

Civil Complaint of John Doe A Against Penn State, Sandusky and Second Mile

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:27:00 -0600

Civil Lawsuit in Penn State Sex Scandal to be Announced at Philadelphia News Conference Today

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:30:00 -0600

Media AdvisoryNews Conference TodayNovember 30, 2011 Civil Lawsuit in Penn State Sex Scandal to be Announced at Philadelphia News Conference Today Lawsuit is on behalf of man who claims as a child he was repeatedly sexually abused by Jerry Sandusky What: At a news conference today at the Omni Hotel at Independence Park in Philadelphia, Attorneys Jeff Anderson and Marci Hamilton will announce a civil lawsuit to be filed on behalf of a man identified in the complaint as John Doe and whose abuse was not disclosed in the Grand Jury report. The man claims that as a child he was repeat...

Syracuse: Another Institution Failing in Child Protection

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:39:00 -0600

When it comes to child protection and childhood sexual abuse, Jim Boeheim and Syracuse University’s quick defense of and rebuke of the courageous victims is fundamentally wrong. Boeheim’s comments immediately dismissing the victims reflect his own and our society’s general lack of understanding and ignorance regarding childhood sexual abuse. Society is quick to rally around an offender without knowing more than just his or her public persona as a trusted person who is also in denial.

More Survivors Expose Abuse at Jesuit High Schools in Detroit and Cleveland Areas

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:03:00 -0600

The long history of sexual abuse by priests and their concealment and protection by the Chicago-Detroit Providence of Jesuits continues to unfold. Through the 1950’s and 1970’s, St. Ignatius High School, a Jesuit Preparatory School in Cleveland, Ohio, was a safe haven for priests perpetrating sexual violence against children. To date, more than 33 survivors have come forward with complaints of sexual abuse or improprieties that occurred while they attended the institution. The number of accused perpetrators operating under the ecclesiastical cover of St. Ignatius High School ...

Chicago Jesuit Priest Arrested for Sexual Assault

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:35:00 -0600

We are no strangers to the institutional failure of Jesuit leaders in Chicago and nationwide. The Jesuits (also known as the Society of Jesus) routinely conceal predator offenders and protect their priests and put them before the safety of children.Yesterday we learned of charges against another Jesuit priest after he was arrested in Chicago by the FBI. Father Richard James Kurtz is charged with sexually assaulting a boy 10 years ago in Colorado.

NYDailyNews.com: Jerry Sandusky’s comments add insult for alleged victims in Penn State case

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:26:00 -0600

Two days after Jerry Sandusky was arrested and charged with 40 counts of sexual abuse of minors earlier this month, Pennsylvania attorney general Linda Kelly held a press conference to discuss the ongoing investigation, and at one point urged other victims to come forward to assist with the probe.Thursday night on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” a lawyer representing alleged victims of Sandusky not mentioned in the 23-page grand jury presentment said the disgraced former Penn State defensive coordinator used his “position of trust and power, and his caring ways as a coach and mentor to groom fami...

CBS News: Conflicting stories on Mike McQueary's actions

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:40:00 -0600

There may be many more victims in the Penn Sate sex abuse scandal. Former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is charged with attacking eight boys over 15 years.CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian has learned Sandusky may have abused more than 18 boys. An attorney representing several of the alleged victims say they told him abuse by Sandusky included rape and molestation. Minn. attorney Jeff Anderson has represented victims of childhood sexual abuse for nearly 30 years, including thousands of victims of pedophile Catholic priests.

Concealment Continues at The Citadel

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:30:00 -0600

This week saw yet another venerable collegiate institution, The Citadel, go public with the fact that it failed to report allegations of child sexual abuse to law enforcement. On Tuesday, November 15, 2011, the president of the military college announced that it did not inform the police about sexual abuse allegations it received from a former Citadel Summer Camp attendee in 2007. The report alleged that, in 2002, Camp Counselor Louis Neal “Skip” ReVille engaged a group of young boys in group masturbation and the viewing of pornography...

CBSNEWS.COM: Lawyer: Sandusky denials "salt in the wounds"

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:25:00 -0600

(CBS News) Jerry Sandusky's denials that he sexually abused young boys over the span of years are traumatizing his alleged victims all over again, an attorney representing some of the accusers said. "They're really suffering despair, confusion and, really, fury because Sandusky and those around him remain free to speak and deny. And every time they do, speak and deny, they are really putting salt in the wounds, they are really putting a dagger in the heart, they are really wounding the soul even further and, in that way, we are really trying to work with these survivors to help them ...

Reluctant Accountability in Kansas City

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:21:00 -0600

Amidst an increased nationwide focus on accountability for child sexual abuse, the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph stands as a prime example of an institution’s failure to put its house in order. Today, in lieu of another indictment on misdemeanor charges for the willful disregard of Father Shawn Ratigan’s production of child pornography and exploitation of children, Bishop Robert Finn entered into a compliance agreement with the Clay County Prosecutor. This agreement provides the Clay County prosecutor unique oversight of the Diocese and its handling of child abuse...

Institutional accountability for institutional predators

info@AndersonAdvocates.com — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:04:00 -0600

In the wake of the scandal at Penn State University, the public dialogue has suggested that Americans are both shocked by the incidents of sexual abuse and appalled by the extensive cover-up perpetrated by top officials at the University. There is now increased awareness that predators will utilize the very institutions designed to help protect and save vulnerable children to gain access to and abuse children.This week that violation of trust has shifted to Minnesota.