Latest News 2012 April Priest Accused of Abuse in a Salinas High School

Priest Accused of Abuse in a Salinas High School

The Californian has reported that Palma High in Salinas has been named, along with a former teacher and the teacher’s former religious order, in a priest abuse lawsuit filed by a man that claimed he was abused as a 13 year-old student.

The suit was filed on March 28 by a law firm based in St. Paul, Minn.

Named in the suit are Crosier Rev. G.F. and the Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross – a religious order affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church.

The former Palma High School Student, C.S., has alleged that G.F. abused him during a ski trip they took in the 1981s to a resort near the town of Bend, Ore.

The school was named as an Irish Christian Brothers school whose male employees allegedly abused children. The information about alleged sexual abuse was broken after Irish Christian Brothers made an April bankruptcy announcement.

This current lawsuit is the first filed since a sexual abuse claim deadline was set at August 1 according to Michael Reck, an attorney representing C.S.

Reck said that his client has suffered with years of confusion, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, since the sexual abuse.

The suit also claims that the Crosiers knew that Rev. G.F. had a proclivity for abusing minors – and that Palma High either knew, or should have known, about it.

The suits states, “The Crosiers' and Palma's failure to act on that knowledge also contributed to the Plaintiff's injuries and his inability to: report the abuse; appreciate the abuse and resulting injuries he sustained; or obtain help for the abuse and injuries he suffered. The Crosiers and Palma engaged in a pattern and practice of fraudulent conduct in order to conceal the criminal and harmful acts of its agents and employees.”

Before working at Palma in 1984-85, according to the suit, G.F. served at Damien Memorial School. And, while at Damien, G.F. allegedly abused the school children.

Reck claims that his client disclosed his name in court documents to help prompt other victims to come forward and do the same – and two have. Reck said the two haven’t filed yet, but are expected to, and others are likely to as well before the August cut off date.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, SNAP, came out to Palma High after the lawsuit was filed. Along with G.F., SNAP named two other men that worked at the same private school in Salinas that have also been accused of sexual abuse. One priest, Rev. J.H. served the high school from 1976 to 1982 and the other, Rev. R.B. served the school from 1964 to 1968.

SNAP’s regional director, Joelle Casteix, said, “This little boy was sexually abused by Fr. (G.F.). The tragedy of this is school officials here knew that (G.F.) was a child molester before he even set foot on the property and they didn't warn the families; they didn't warn the children; they didn't warn anyone; and they put little boys like (C.S.) directly in harm's way.”

Contact a personal injury lawyer if a member of the clergy has abused you. Whether the abuse occurred decades ago or more recently, a personal injury lawyer can help you with your case and protect your anonymity at the same time.

Categories: Sexual Abuse, Clergy Abuse

Archives