New York Jesuits Accused of Hiding Names of Abusive Clergy
A new investigation reveals that Jesuit officials are still hiding the names of accused abusers. It’s another reminder that secretive institutions can’t police themselves and that parents and parishioners must stay vigilant and demand change.
Public records obtained recently by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle show that McQuaid school
- had received at least three independent accusations against former teacher John J. Tobin,
- the school eventually admitted to a reporter that it had in fact fired Tobin for what was described as "incidences of inappropriate behavior" during a class trip to Europe,
- yet Tobin was still omitted from a list of accused clerics and staff recently put out by the the Jesuits.
The newspaper also reports that additional accusations against two other Jesuit teachers at the school had been reported to Brighton police in 2003.
This story is more proof that Catholic officials are incapable of investigation themselves and being open and honest about clergy sex crimes. That is why we believe grand jury investigations and statutes of limitations reform are needed, and why victims, witnesses and whistleblowers must keep calling police, prosecutors, therapist and support groups like ours – so the truth can be revealed and so that the children can be protected.
Contact: Zach Hiner, Executive Director (zhiner@snapnetwork.org, 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Barbara Blaine, founder of SNAP, passed away on Sunday, September 24th, 2017. Her dying was sudden and completely unexpected. Words cannot express our sorrow nor are there words to express our gratitude for her relentless advocacy. She truly was a hero. There is an old saying, “well behaved women seldom make history”. Barbara made history and the world is a better place.
We have put together a tribute for Barbara Blaine to honor her memory. If you would like to contribute a memory, please send your favorite memory of Barbara to admin@snapnetwork.org
50 State AG Call for Grand Jury
Write a letter to the attorney general of your state. Demand, request, and beg them to impanel a grand jury.
Any investigation must be:
- independent of and separate from the church
- must have subpoena powers and ability to compel testimony under oath
Anything short of these criteria is a sham and whitewash.
In addition, write letters to the editor, make phone calls to politicians as they can apply pressure to keep them responsive to our demand. We need to make efforts to ensure that they follow up on what the state is doing to investigate these crimes.
The Attorneys General of forty states have inquired about the grand jury process in Pennsylvania. Let's get statewide investigations going in fifty states.
Current list of active investigations, associated hotlines, websites, and email addresses
Survivors can use to report their experiences.
Note to Letter Writers
Use your own words and style of writing. Cut and paste from the templates as you wish. Include your experiences, whether as a survivor or as a member of the community. And relate your letter to the state you were abused in or state now living in.
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