Abusive priest sued again

• Abusive priest sued again
• He molested both girls and boys
• An earlier case against him settled for $225,000
• Now in his 80s, cleric is still a priest in KC area

WHAT:

Holding signs and childhood photos, clergy sex abuse victims will

-- announce a new civil child sex abuse and cover-up lawsuit being filed against a KC area Catholic priest who has molested both girls and boys, and

-- prod citizens and Catholics – especially current and former church employees – to share what they know about clergy sex crimes with prosecutors who have convened two grand juries.

WHEN:

Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 2:00 p.m.

WHERE:

Outside the Kansas City diocesan headquarters, 20 West Ninth Street (at Baltimore) in Kansas City, MO.

WHO:

Three-four child sex abuse victims who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), including a Higgensville woman who was also molested by this same priest

WHY:

A woman is filing a new civil child sex abuse and cover up lawsuit charging that she was sexually abused in the 7^th and 8^th grade (around age 12 & 13) between 1963 and 1964 by Fr. Francis E. McGlynn in a janitor’s closet at St. Catherine’s Catholic School in Kansas City, MO.

McGlynn was also known “to publicly snap girls bra straps and engage in other actions that crossed the bounds of appropriate behavior.” These actions “were sufficiently well known,” the suit says, “that others knew or should have known of (McGlynnn’s) impropriety.”

McGlynn was first sued for abuse in 2003. In 2002, he was suspended because of credible child sex abuse allegations.

Plaintiff repressed all memory of these events from her consciousness until approximately late winter or early spring of 2011

The first civil case against him, filed in October 2003 by Frank Scheuring, settled out of court in 2007 for $225,000. 

Today’s suit says the diocese “knowingly covered up and concealed the sexual abuse of parishioners by McGlynn” which “has allowed McGlynn to sexually abuse numerous children and women.”

In 2003 and 2004, two women also filed separate suits against McGlynn and the Kansas City diocese. One of those victims is Teresa White of Higgensville (who will be at the event today).

Scheuring and White both said they were victimized in 1973 and 1974.

Church officials say McGlynn retired in 1992 and was ordained in 1954.  He is believed to be in his mid-80s. McGlynn is now a retired priest “living in or around Kansas City,” the suit says. His photo is available at BishopAccountability.org

McGlynn worked at the following parishes: Holy Cross, Holy Trinity, Guardian Angels, St. Louis, Cathedral of Immaculate Conception (all in Kansas City), St. Patrick’s St. Joseph, St. Rose of Lima in Savannah, Sacred Heart in Hamilton, and St. Therese in Parkville (all in western Missouri) and Holy Trinity in Marshfield (in southern Missouri). 

The victim in today’s suit, lives in Missouri, is filing as a “Jane Doe,” is represented by Kansas City attorney Rebecca Randles (816 931 9901). The diocese is represented by Chad Blomberg.

CONTACT:

David Clohessy 314 566 9790, Teresa White 660 909 9189, Robert Bates 816 550 3498, John David Couzins 816 876 4617, Mike Hunter 913 634 6490,[email protected], Barb Dorris 314 503 0003, [email protected]