6 More Victims Join Lawsuit Filed against Dallas Jesuit Prep

A lawsuit filed against a prominent Dallas-area private school last year has now grown to include six more plaintiffs who allege that they were sexually abused by Catholic priests while students at the school. We applaud these brave victims for coming forward and hope that this lawsuit will lead to punishments for enablers and changes at the school that will protect future students from the scourge of sexual abuse.

According to the Dallas News, six men have joined a lawsuit filed last year alleging abuse at the hands of staffers at Dallas Jesuit Prep, including Rev. Peter Callery, a former teacher and coach; Vincent Malatesta, former teacher and counselor; and Fr. Robert Crips, a former priest from the Diocese of Dallas. Also named as defendants in the lawsuit are the Diocese of Dallas as well as the Jesuits’ Central and Southern Provinces.

This lawsuit is an example of how when one victim comes forward, they often inspire others who were hurt to speak up. We are grateful to these men for joining this lawsuit and for pursuing accountability and justice in Dallas. We hope that other victims who may have been abused at Dallas Jesuit Prep, or anywhere else, will be encouraged to come forward, make a report with law enforcement, and find tools and resources to start healing.

This lawsuit is also an example of the kind of hairsplitting that is common within the Catholic Church. Bishop Edward Burns of Dallas is trying to argue that the blame for this situation falls on the Jesuits alone and not his Diocese. But the simple fact is that these were Diocesan boys who were abused at a school that operates with the permission of the Diocese of Dallas. For Bishop Burns to pretend that there is no connection is an unhelpful and illegitimate dodge that does nothing to further protect children or expose abusers and their enablers.

Bishop Burns should immediately update his list to include the names, work histories, and headshots of each of these accused men. He should then personally visit each parish or location where these men worked, sharing the information, and encouraging others to come forward. These are simple steps that Bishop Burns can and should take immediately.

CONTACT: Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 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)