Abusive Priest Works as a Counselor at a School

Decades after a predator priest was temporarily ousted from his job for “inappropriate professional behavior and relationships,” he was hired as a counselor at a Bonner County Idaho school for troubled boys, according to a lengthy new investigation by the Associated Press. We call on school and law enforcement officials to use every possible method to urge anyone with information or suspicions about this admitted abuser’s crimes to come forward. And we call on Catholic officials to do more to warn the public about him.

Fr. Louis “Louie” Wayne Ladenburger, a Franciscan, was arrested in 2007 and accused of sexual battery; in a deal with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. He served about five months in prison.

“No officials from his religious order or from the dioceses in six different states where he had served had warned the school or provided details of the allegations against him when he was a priest,” the AP reported.

Bishops and other Catholic staff in Idaho, Phoenix AZ, Portland OR, El Paso TX, Spokane WA, Seattle WA, Reno-Las Vegas NV and four California dioceses (Santa Barbara, Stockton, Oakland and Sacramento) should aggressively seek out anyone who may have information or suspicions about his crimes.

CONTACT: Zach Hiner, 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)

 

SNAP Network is a GuideStar Gold Participant