Lawsuit Alleges Catholic Principal Was Fired for Reporting Abuse
A new lawsuit alleges that a Catholic school principal lost his job after reporting inappropriate behavior by a local priest. We applaud this principal for doing the right thing and hope that he is able to have his day in court.
The lawsuit, filed by former Parkersburg Catholic High School Principal John Golebiewski against the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, alleges that Golebiewski was retaliated against by officials from the Diocese for reporting abuse. This is a disturbing allegation and we believe it warrants investigation and intervention by West Virginia’s attorney general. If it is true that Catholic officials are willing to remove staff who report abuse, we fear for the safety of children and the vulnerable throughout the Diocese.
We hope that this story encourages other witnesses and whistleblowers to come forward to police and prosecutors and share what they know about cases of abuse and cover-up within the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. For communities to be safe, the truth must be told and heard.
CONTACT: Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Director ([email protected], 636-433-2511), 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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