SNAP Media Events

Clergy sex abuse victims blast SD bishop

They call his new legal move “frightening”

SNAP: “It’s just one more way of hiding predators”

Diocese seeks Chapter 11 protection & end to lawsuits

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will

--harshly criticize San Diego’s bishop for using bankruptcy court to “keep clergy sex abuse secrets secret and prevent abuse survivors from having their day in court,” and

--beg him to give victims a longer time to come forward, and not push for a tight deadline which re-victimizes many.

They will also call on

--Catholics to pressure top Catholic officials to “stop playing legal hardball” and fighting victims,

--other victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to step forward and report known and suspected clergy sex crimes and cover ups “so that kids receive protection and victims receive justice and healing,” and

--police, prosecutors and other officials to work “harder and smarter.”  

WHEN

Monday, June 17 at 11:00 am

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside the US Federal Courthouse on F Street (between State and Union on north side) in downtown San Diego

WHO

Three-four survivors of sexual assault by Catholic clerics, including a San Diego man who is the local leader for SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, and a LA-area woman who is a widely-known survivor, advocate and public speaker

Abuse victims blast St. Paul archbishop

SNAP: ‘He’s hiding at least six predator priests’

Two of them are alive & could be around here, the group says

Church officials elsewhere say they’re ‘credibly accused’ abusers

Other bishops have already posted their names on Catholic websites

‘But Abp. Hebda’s hiding them,’ SNAP says ‘And who knows how many others?’

Activists will write the clerics’ names on the sidewalk using chalk

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will

-- blast the Twin Cities Catholic archbishop for ‘hiding’ at least six ‘credibly accused’ child molesting priests, even though they have already been declared ‘credibly accused’ by bishops elsewhere and they’re named as abusers on other church websites, and

-- strongly urge the archbishop to add the names of six alleged child molesting clerics to his website.

They will also

--use chalk to write the names of the credibly accused priests on the sidewalk,

--beg Catholics to push top church officials to be ‘more open & honest’ about abusers and

--prod anyone who has ‘seen, suspected or suffered’ crimes by any Catholic employee or volunteer to ‘come forward to trusted sources of help, like friends, family, therapists, police, prosecutors or support groups – not church officials.’

WHEN

Wednesday, June 12 at 1:30 p.m.

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside St. Paul Cathedral, 239 Selby Ave. in St Paul

WHO

Four-five child sex abuse victims including a Missouri man who for 30 years headed a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org) and a local man who’s the organization’s long-time Minnesota director

WHY

---1) Using court filings, church records, bishops’ websites and mainstream media accounts, SNAP has discovered and is disclosing the names of six publicly and 'credibly accused' abusive priests who are or were in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Archdiocese.

But they have attracted little or no media attention here and remain largely ‘under the radar.’ That’s because Twin Cities church officials refuse to disclose and post their names, even though each of the six have been declared ‘credibly accused’ abusers by church officials elsewhere and are on diocesan websites elsewhere.

(See more detail below)

Victims blast La Crosse bishop on abuse

SNAP: He leaves several predators off his ‘accused’ list

One priest pleaded ‘no contest’ to child sex crimes in 2021

The cleric also admitted 'sexual contact'

Yet church officials refuse to acknowledge his wrongdoing

“At least five other clerics should be added,” group says

SNAP: Young woman’s pending civil suit attracts no attention

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will

--blast top La Crosse Catholic officials for leaving several “proven, admitted or credibly accused” child molesting clerics off their ‘credibly accused’ abusers list, including a recently admitted and convicted offender,

--urge the new La Crosse bishop to add the names of the accused abusers, and

--prod anyone who has ‘seen, suspected or suffered’ crimes by any Catholic employee or volunteer to ‘come forward as soon as possible to trusted sources of help, like friends, family, therapists, police, prosecutors or support groups – not church officials.’

WHEN

Tuesday, June 11 at 1:30 p.m.

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral, 530 Main Street (corner of 6th) in downtown La Crosse WI

WHO

Two child sex abuse victims including a Missouri man who for 30 years headed a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

Unprecedented abuse suit filed vs. Christian boarding school

Case charges ‘faith-based’ institution ‘brainwashed’ vulnerable teen

It’s filed under new federal law that’s “a big help to sex trafficking victims”

Prominent survivor who sued her parents to speak; they face felony charges

SNAP: “But time is running out for MO lawmakers to safeguard children”

Group wants more & tougher regulation of controversial ‘faith-based’ facilities

Legislative session ends Friday; No progress yet on protecting kids,’ they say

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, child abuse victims will

---disclose and praise a new, barely-noticed federal law that will help abuse and trafficking victims,  

---announce the filing of an unusual civil child sex abuse suit against a Christian boarding school,

---blast Missouri’s attorney general for “doing virtually nothing” to protect boarding school kids and

---beg lawmakers to do so in the waning hours of the legislative session.

WHEN

Thursday May 16 at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE

On the sidewalk just south of the Charles E. Whittaker US Federal Courthouse, 400 E. 9th St., corner of Oak, (in Ilus Davis Park) in Kansas City, MO

WHO

Two-three abuse victims including

--A nationally-known survivor, activist and whistleblower who sued her parents for abusing kids at a Christian reform school who has been profiled in national media including Dateline, Rolling Stone, the Daily Beast, Dr. Oz and an Amazon Prime documentary and numerous media outlets), and

--a St. Louis man who for 30 years headed SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

Prominent boarding school abuse victim speaks out

She sued her parents; They now face 100+ felony charges

Now, she blasts AG for “insulting letter & endangering kids”

Group to Bailey: "Hold zoom meeting with suffering survivors"

In last minute plea, they call on lawmakers to strengthen child safety laws

WHAT

At a sidewalk news conference, a nationally-known survivor, activist and whistleblower will discuss

--startling new revelations that a Missouri sheriff dealt with at least 15 run-away teens – including two just last Saturday – from a Christian boarding school over the past three years,

-- the upcoming criminal trial of her parents on 100+ felony abuse charges stemming from their years-long severe mistreatment of kids at their boarding school, and

-- her just-resolved unusual civil lawsuit against her mom and dad.

Holding signs and childhood photos, she and other abuse survivors will also reveal a “terse and insulting” letter they recently received from Missouri’s attorney general, and hand-deliver a harshly critical letter to him urging him to

--“stop making excuses and start taking action against these controversial, private, largely unregulated ‘faith-based’ boarding schools," and

--hold a Zoom call soon with dozens of victims to "hear their pain and hopefully become more motivated to protect youngsters in these settings.”

In the waning days of the legislative sessions, they will also beg lawmakers to enact measures to

--impose stricter regulations on these "private, secretive and troubling so-called ‘reform schools’" and

--reform Missouri’s ‘archaic and arbitrary’ laws that protect child predators and their supervisors.

WHEN

Wednesday, May 15 at 11:15 a.m.

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside the Missouri Attorney General's office, 207 W. High Street (between Broadway and Washington) in Jefferson City

WHO

A nationally-known survivor and activist who helped persuade prosecutors to file charges against her parents for abusing kids at their reform school and a St. Louis child sex abuse victim who for 30 years headed SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

Victims of boarding school abuse speak out

They allege ‘horrific mistreatment’ at Stockton ‘school’

Crucial criminal trial against two owners is set to  start this fall

Survivors beg MO AG to act on growing scandal & meet them on Zoom

Group also asks lawmakers to reform MO's ‘hurtful’ child sex suit deadline

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, child abuse victims and their supporters will

--urge ‘witnesses, whistleblowers and other victims’ of abuse at a now-shuttered southwest Missouri ‘faith-based’ boarding school to contact law enforcement soon, before a crucial criminal trial begins this fall,

--speak publicly for the first time about the horrific experiences (including sexual, physical, emotional and educational abuse) they suffered at two controversial and barely regulated similar facilities in southern Missouri,

--blast Attorney General Andrew Bailey for essentially ignoring a letter they hand-delivered to his office last month which urged him to take three steps to protect kids at these institutions, and

--beg him to meet with and listen to them in a Zoom meeting so he’ll understand their pain.

They will also

--prod lawmakers, in the waning days of this legislative session (which ends Friday) to reform Missouri’s ‘archaic, arbitrary and predator-friendly’ statute of limitations on child sexual abuse, and

----urge anyone who saw, suspected or suffered abuse at any facilities like these to contact “independent sources of help, like police, prosecutors, therapists, attorneys, loved ones and support groups.”

WHEN

Tuesday, May 14 at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside the federal courthouse at 222 S. John Q. Hammons Pkwy (between Broadway and Washington) in Springfield MO

WHO

Three women who were sent to these facilities as youngsters and were severely mistreated at a southwest Missouri ‘faith-based’ boarding school.

One is Amanda Householder, a nationally-known survivor, activist and whistleblower who, in a highly unusual move, sued her parents for severely abusing purportedly ‘troubled kids’ at the two now-shuttered Christian reform schools they ran for years. The couple face a trial this fall on 100+ felony charges. (Amanda’s experiences have been profiled on Dateline, Rolling Stone, the Daily Beast, Dr. Oz and an Amazon Prime documentary and numerous media outlets.)

Joining them will be a St. Louis child sex abuse victim (and Drury College grad) who for 30 years headed SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

High profile victim settles unusual lawsuit vs. her parents

She also starts new group for boarding school survivors

She & others blast Missouri politicians including legislators

AG ‘ignored our plea’ last month & should ‘do Zoom call with us,’ they say

Activists also target St. Chas. politician who ‘is trying to take us backwards’

SNAP: He seeks ‘special, dangerous privileges’ for these controversial facilities

WHAT

A nationally-known survivor, activist and whistleblower will

--disclose the settlement of her highly unusual civil lawsuit against her parents and

--discuss the upcoming criminal trial of her mom and dad on 100+ felony charges stemming from their severe and years-long abuse of kids at a now-shuttered Christian boarding school south of St. Louis.

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, she and other survivors of abuse in religious settings will also

--announce the formation of a new non-profit support & advocacy group for adults who suffered sexual, physical, emotional, and educational abuse in ‘faith-based’ boarding/reform schools,

--disclose what they call a ‘callous & insulting’ recent letter from Missouri’s Attorney General,

--hand deliver a letter urging the AG to hold a Zoom call with other abuse victims, and

--blast a St. Charles state representative who’s pushing a bill that they say increases the risk of abuse by reducing the recently-enacted ‘bare-bones’ state oversight of these mostly for-profit facilities.

WHEN

Monday, May 13 at 11:15 a.m.

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside MO AG Andrew Bailey’s office in the Wainwright Building, 709 Chestnut Street (corner of 7th) in downtown St. Louis

WHO

Three-four abuse victims including Amanda Householder (whose experiences have been profiled on Dateline, Rolling Stone, the Daily Beast, Dr. Oz, and an Amazon Prime documentary), two local men, one who’s a Protestant victim and whistleblower and another who for 30 years headed SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

Abuse victims launch four day, four city MO "outreach effort"

They start group for those hurt in Christian boarding schools

“AG & other officials must act now to protect vulnerable kids,” they say

Two survivors of childhood abuse will crisscross Missouri next week in what they’re calling "an outreach and education effort" to "help expose crimes against kids" in Christian boarding schools and prod officials to take immediate steps to "prevent more devastating harm to extremely vulnerable girls and boys."

They are:

--Amanda Householder of California, a nationally-known survivor, activist, and whistleblower who, in a highly unusual civil lawsuit, sued her parents for severely abusing purportedly ‘troubled kids’ at the two now-shuttered Christian reform/boarding schools they ran in southern Missouri for years. The couple face a trial this fall on 100+ felony charges. (Amanda’s experiences have been profiled on Dateline, Rolling Stone, the Daily Beast, Dr. Oz and an Amazon Prime documentary and numerous media outlets), and

--David Clohessy of St. Louis, the former long-time national director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. (As a youngster, he and three of his brothers were sexually violated by a mid-Missouri priest.)

The events kick off on Monday, May 13 in St. Louis. The two, sometimes joined by other survivors and supporters, will also hold news conferences in Springfield on Tuesday, Jefferson City on Wednesday and Kansas City on Thursday.