Clergy Abuse Victim to Speak at News Conference Today
Former pastor at Our Lady of Calvary Church accused of sexually assaulting young sacristan from 1994–2000
Prominent clergy abuse attorneys to announce lawsuit at Monday news conference in Philadelphia
What
At a news conference on Monday in Philadelphia, prominent clergy abuse attorneys will announce a new lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua and Cardinal Justin Rigali, as well as others within the Archdiocese, on behalf of a Delaware man who grew up in Philadelphia. The Lawsuit will allege that Archdiocese officials conspired to endanger the safety of the Plaintiff when they actively concealed their knowledge of priest’s previous offenses, lied to parishioners, and created a sham sexual abuse victim assistance program for the Archdiocese.
When
Monday, March 7, 2011 at 1:00 P.M. (EST)
Where
North Broad Side of Philadelphia City Hall
(Adjacent to the Statue of General John Reynolds)
Philadelphia, PA
Who
Attorney and Professor Marci Hamilton, of counsel to Jeff Anderson & Associates, is one of the United States’ leading church/state legal scholars, as well as an expert on federalism and representation. Professor Hamilton holds the Paul R. Verkuil Chair in Public Law at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University, and is the author of God vs. the Gavel: Religion and the Rule of Law (Cambridge University Press 2005), and Justice Denied: What America Must Do to Protect Its Children (Cambridge 2008) Professor Hamilton is a 1988 magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and served as Editor-in-Chief of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. She clerked for Judge Edward R. Becker of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor of the United States Supreme Court.
Attorney Dan Monahan has been handling personal injury cases for more than 30 years. He has published hundreds of articles and several books on injury law and closely related practice areas. Mr. Monahan graduated cum laude from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1975. He graduated from Villanova University School of Law in 1978, and earned a Masters in Law from Villanova University School of Law, in 2000. He is admitted to practice law before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the Federal District Court and the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals and a Fellow of the Academy of Trial Advocacy.
Attorney Jeff Anderson is an internationally known St. Paul, Minnesota-based trial lawyer widely recognized as a pioneer in sexual abuse litigation and has earned a reputation as a tireless champion of civil rights for children and the underprivileged. One of the first trial lawyers in America to publicly and aggressively initiate suits against religious organizations and hold them responsible by utilizing the American civil justice system, Anderson has represented thousands of survivors of sexual abuse by authority figures and clergy.
Note
Copies of the civil complaint and the 2011 Grand Jury Report involving the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will be available at approximately 11 A.M. on Monday under “Case Resources” at AndersonAdvocates.com.
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