Catholic High School and Religious Order Sued Over Allegations of Sexual Abuse, SNAP Applauds Survivor and Urges Outreach
A new clergy sexual abuse and cover-up lawsuit has been filed against a Catholic high school in Oregon and the religious order that ran and staffed the school. We applaud the brave survivor in this case for coming forward and hope his example will inspire others who may have been hurt at the school to speak out and make a report to police and prosecutors.
According to the lawsuit, Brother Robert Ryan of the Marist Brothers sexually abused the plaintiff while Brother Ryan was a vice-principal at Marist Catholic High School in Eugene, OR. The abuse lasted for multiple years and took place on the school campus and on trips, according to the complaint. Given the brazen nature of the abuse, alongside Brother Ryan’s high position of authority in the school, we feel there may be more victims who have been scared into silence and have yet to come forward. We applaud the survivor in this case for sharing his story publicly and hope that it inspires others who were hurt to speak out and get help.
Brother Ryan, who passed away in 2017, is memorialized on the school website. Now that this lawsuit has been filed, we hope that school officials will remove the page honoring him as it sends a message to all victims that they are unlikely to be believed and should stay silent. Catholic officials should remove the page and use every resource at their disposal to ensure parents, students, and alumni are informed of the allegations and that anyone with information is encouraged to come forward and make a report to law enforcement.
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)
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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