Lawsuits Name 40 Child Sex Abusers within the Clerical Ranks of the Diocese
(New York, NY) – Today, attorneys from the law firm of Jeff Anderson & Associates, on behalf of numerous courageous survivors, filed 59 child sexual abuse complaints under the New York Child Victims Act (CVA) against the Archdiocese of New York. Following the COVID-19 court closures, these cases were stuck in limbo as the limited CVA window for survivors of child sexual abuse continued to countdown. The firm has now filed more than 115 lawsuits against the Archdiocese under the CVA.
“Survivors no longer have to stand in the shadows. They are shining the light of truth on the Archdiocese and exposing the perpetrators hidden within,” said attorney Jeff Anderson. “We are grateful to stand with each of these brave individuals in this time of reckoning.”
Among the complaints:
- 11 priests have been publicly identified for the first time. They include:
- Father Gerald Boyle, accused of sexually abusing a minor from approximately 1969 to 1970 at St. John’s in Goshen, NY
- Father Francis Doersam, accused of sexually abusing a minor in approximately 1964 at St. Joseph’s in New York, NY
- Father Joseph Faraone, accused of sexually abusing a minor from approximately 1973 to 1976 at St. Francis of Assisi in Mount Kisco, NY
- Father Robert E. Gallagher, accused of sexually abusing a minor in approximately 1967 at Sacred Heart of Jesus in New York, NY
- Father Tilak Jayawardene, accused of sexually abusing a minor from approximately 1983 to 1986 at Our Lady of Solace in Bronx, NY
- Father James Kenny, accused of sexually abusing a minor from approximately 1970 to 1971 at St. Michael’s Home in Staten Island, NY
- Father John Larkin, accused of sexually abusing a minor from approximately 1977 to 1979 at Sacred Heart in Mount Vernon, NY
- Father George W. Moore, accused of sexually abusing a minor in approximately 1959, while at St. Mary in Wappinger Falls, NY
- Father Peter Raich, accused of sexually abusing a minor from approximately 1980 to 1985 at St. Francis de Sales in New York, NY
- Father Alfonso Solimene, accused of sexually abusing a minor from approximately 1969-1971 at St. Joan of Arc in Bronx, NY
- Father Robert Trainor, accused of sexually abusing a minor from approximately 1970 to 1972 at St. Rose of Lima in New York, NY
- Two lawsuits name known offender Father Donald Malone who was principal of Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains for over 15 years in the 1970s and 1980s before being arrested for soliciting sex from a minor.
- One lawsuit involves notorious offender Father Romano Ferraro who worked at St. Rita’s in the Archdiocese in the late 1980s. Ferraro was sentenced to life in prison for his sexual abuse of children in 2004.
- Four lawsuits allege sexual abuse by offender Father Ralph LaBelle at St. Clare in Staten Island in the early 1980s.
- A sixth lawsuit has been filed involving Father Edward Pipala alleging sexual abuse at Sacred Heart in Monroe, NY.
“Those who have chosen to file suit today join dozens of other survivors who are standing together and speaking out about the horrors they endured as children and demanding accountability so that children are better protected in the future,” said attorney Trusha Goffe.
The one year look-back window allowing survivors to bring claims for child sex abuse ends on August 13, 2020. In the past few weeks, the Legislature voted in favor of extending the Child Victims Act by another year. The bill must be signed into law by Governor Cuomo before it can take effect.