News & Events

When I first met Megan Peterson in 2007 she was a scared child on a path toward destruction. Life had left her so scarred that she couldn’t even meet my gaze. She was self-loathing and in a deep depression; she now admits that she had no intention of living. Recognizing the potential for further trauma to Megan if litigation ensued, we approached legal action cautiously.  We also knew it couldn’t get much worse for Megan, so with hope of a positive outcome, we filed a lawsuit using the pseudonym Jane Doe 121.

Ireland has been abuzz with news in the last few weeks. First, after sharply denouncing the Vatican’s response to clergy sexual abuse in Ireland, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny is now calling on the Vatican for money. In support of a compensation bill that would create a fund to compensate victims of child sexual abuse, many of whom were abused in Catholic schools or homes, Kenny is asking the Vatican to contribute close to $2 billion.

The UK’s high court heard the case of a woman this month, “JGE,” who was six years old when she was sexually abused by a priest at a children’s home in Portsmouth, England. “JGE” was abused by Father Wilfred Baldwin, a priest in the Diocese of Portsmouth, who visited Firs children’s home regularly. In addition to her negligence claim against the nuns who ran Firs, “JGE” and her attorneys say that Fr. Baldwin was working as a priest in the Diocese, so the Diocese is also responsible.

News headlines resounded last week as Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny attacked the Vatican over its response to clergy sexual abuse.  Reacting to the Cloyne report, which exposed the Vatican’s cover-up, failures and astounding mishandling of child abuse by Irish clergy, Ireland’s Prime Minister expressed unprecedented public fury.   Kenny’s harsh words for the Vatican and top church officials revealed sentiments that are rarely, if ever, heard from civil leaders.  It’s about time.

This morning Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Philadelphia Archbishop Cardinal Justin Rigali.  This news comes only five months after a grand jury condemned Cardinal Rigali, Monsignor Lynn, and other top officials in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for not only failing to address the child sex abuse crisis but for their roles in concealing predator priests. While people have called for Rigali’s resignation since the issuance of the grand jury report, his departure is nevertheless abrupt and sooner than expected. 

With every new revelation of Catholic Bishops conspiring with the Vatican to cover-up the sexual abuse of children by priests, my heart gets more and more heavy. Today, it is a report of an Irish government investigation that revealed Catholic Church officials in Ireland (including a Bishop who had previously served as personal secretary to three Popes) covered up the sexual abuse of children over many years—and as recently as 2009 blatantly disregarded the Irish Bishops’ policies that required reporting to law enforcement. Similarly, in January of this year, a Philadelphia Grand Jury grand …

I praise Chicago Judge Jeffrey Lawrence for his latest order and commend him for acknowledging the hurt and destruction caused by Jesuit officials in their cover-up of Fr. Donald McGuire’s predatory actions.  Judge Lawrence ruled yesterday that survivors John Doe 117, John Doe 118, and John Doe 129, all of whom were sexually abused by Fr. McGuire as minors, can seek punitive damages in their lawsuit against the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus.  Greater than actual damages, which account for a plaintiff’s losses from harm caused by the defendant, punitive damages are int…

I praise Chicago Judge Jeffrey Lawrence for his latest order and commend him for acknowledging the hurt and destruction caused by Jesuit officials in their cover-up of Fr. Donald McGuire’s predatory actions.  Judge Lawrence ruled yesterday that survivors John Doe 117, John Doe 118, and John Doe 129, all of whom were sexually abused by Fr. McGuire as minors, can seek punitive damages in their lawsuit against the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus.  Greater than actual damages, which account for a plaintiff’s losses from harm caused by the defendant, punitive damages are int…

I praise Chicago Judge Jeffrey Lawrence for his latest order and commend him for acknowledging the hurt and destruction caused by Jesuit officials in their cover-up of Fr. Donald McGuire’s predatory actions.  Judge Lawrence ruled yesterday that survivors John Doe 117, John Doe 118, and John Doe 129, all of whom were sexually abused by Fr. McGuire as minors, can seek punitive damages in their lawsuit against the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus.  

When the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith announced yesterday yet another meeting to address the clergy sex abuse crisis, I was once again discouraged to hear that top church officials continue to talk, plan, and promise change in their policies but avoid taking action toward solving the problem.

Last week Attorney Pat Noaker and I held a press conference in Kansas City announcing a lawsuit against the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph and Father Shawn Ratigan.  The lawsuit accuses Fr. Ratigan and the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph of violating federal child pornography laws after the Diocese discovered child pornography on Ratigan’s computer and did nothing for months.  Pat Noaker wrote more about the case in his blog last week.

Last week Attorney Pat Noaker and I held a press conference in Kansas City announcing a lawsuit against the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph and Father Shawn Ratigan.  The lawsuit accuses Fr. Ratigan and the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph of violating federal child pornography laws after the Diocese discovered child pornography on Ratigan’s computer and did nothing for months.  Pat Noaker wrote more about the case in his blog last week.In the decades that I have been bringing cases against officials and various arms of the Catholic Church I’ve found that it is typical for Dio…

“Listening sessions.” 
That is what Bishop Robert Finn and the Diocese of Kansas City – St.
Joseph offered in response to a lawsuit
revealing violation of federal child pornography laws for receiving and
distributing child pornography that was created by one of the Diocese
priests.

State statutes of limitations provide a substantial barrier for priest sex abuse survivors seeking justice and truth after what is often decades of silence and suffering. Even more important than monetary gains, civil lawsuits give survivors an opportunity for closure and healing.State Senator Thomas Duane introduced window legislation in New York and outlined his plan in an editorial published yesterday. His proposal provides a one year window for otherwise time-barred survivors to file a lawsuit.

In 2008, a southern Illinois jury heard substantial evidence of a heinous, years-long diocesan cover-up of heart-breaking child sex crimes by Father Raymond Kownacki. Jurors awarded $5 million to one of the priest’s victims. Three years later, Belleville Diocese’s Bishop Braxton keeps battling relentlessly to avoid honoring the jury’s judgment and helping the priest’s victims heal.