New York Attorney General Sues Diocese of Buffalo, SNAP Applauds Secular Oversight

New York’s most sued Catholic diocese is facing a new lawsuit, this one coming from New York’s top law enforcement official. We are grateful for the efforts by the New York attorney general’s office and believe that secular intervention like this is key to preventing future cases of clergy abuse.

New York A.G. Letitia James is suing the Diocese of Buffalo as well as former Bishop Richard Malone and former Auxiliary Bishop Edward Grosz for their role in covering up cases of clergy sexual abuse for decades and for allowing dangerous abusers to go unmonitored. As part of the lawsuit, A.G. James and her team are working to force a full public disclosure of all abusive priests in the Diocese of Buffalo, a major step towards transparency and one that survivors and advocates have been pushing towards for years. We are grateful to A.G. James and her team for using their power to force the transparency and openness that church officials have failed to deliver on for decades.

We are especially appreciative to A.G. James’ office for finding creative ways to pursue this case. By using her office’s power over non-profit entities, A.G. James is demonstrating a willingness to do what she can to force disclosures that will prevent future cases of abuse and can lead to justice for survivors.

Now that this report has been released, we hope that it encourages other survivors, witnesses, and whistleblowers to come forward and make a report to local law enforcement. Between the Child Victims Act and this action from A.G. James, it is clear to us that lawmakers and law enforcement officials in New York are working on behalf of victims to help put an end to the scourge of sexual abuse. We hope others who have suffered in silence will see these encouraging steps forward and make a report of their own today.

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)