Two new suits filed against predator priests

Two new suits filed against predator priests

One has never been publicly accused before

The other worked in 12 parishes & helped recruit future priests

He hurt both boys & girls & was on the seminary’s discipline board

Both worked in the KC MO area, one may have fled to Central America

(NOTE: A Spanish translator will be at the event)

WHAT:

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

-- announce two new civil lawsuits against the KC Catholic diocese and two priests, one of whom abused just two years ago and has never been sued before,

-- beg KC MO Bishop James Johnston to disclose that priest’s whereabouts, and

-- repeat their plea for church officials to aggressively do outreach to find other victims and warn other families and put all child molesting KC cleric into treatment centers, instead of letting them live unsupervised among unsuspecting families

WHEN:

Tuesday, July 28 at 2:00 p.m.

WHERE:

Outside the Kansas City Catholic diocese headquarters (“chancery office” or “Catholic Center”), 20 West 9th (corner of Baltimore) in downtown Kansas City, MO

WHO:

Three – four members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org) including a St. Louis man who is the organization’s former long-time director. (A statement by one of the victims will be read aloud.)

WHY:

------The first suit charges that in July 2018, Fr. Darvin Salazar plied a student with alcohol, overpowered him and forcibly sexually molested, assaulted and raped him in the rectory of Holy Cross parish (5106 St John Ave., KC MO, 816 231 4845). Local Catholic officials “received reports about Fr. Salazar’s inappropriate and illegal sexual predation from at least five other individuals,” the suit says.

The victim was “raised in a devoutly Catholic family, regularly celebrated weekly mass, served as an altar boy, and received the sacraments through the church,” developing “great admiration, trust, reverence and respect for the church and its agents, attending religious affiliated training and school after graduating high school. His academic, religious and social activities all revolved around his church” and “his faith was part of his upbringing and his heritage, sense of identity and belonging were rooted in the Catholic Church.” Fr. Salazar, the suit says, was the victim’s “mentor and priest.

In July 2018, Fr. Salazar was put on leave after an allegation against him was made of “non-consensual sexual abuse of an adult.” “Since then, other adults have approached the diocese with additional reports” involving him, according to Catholic officials. https://catholickey.org/2018/09/27/statement-regarding-fr-darvin-salazar/

The ten count lawsuit also charges battery, fraud and false imprisonment.

Ordained in 2012, Fr. Salazar was at Conception Abbey in Conception MO, Our Lady of Guadalupe in KC and Our Lady of the Presentation in Lee’s Summit. In 2018, he was promoted to pastor of Holy Cross and Our Lady of Peace Parishes in KC and lived at Holy Cross (according to the Catholic Key newspaper).

-------------The second suit charges that Fr. John R. Tulipana, while at Coronation of Our Lady in 1977, was entrusted with the spiritual and emotional care of a 13 year old boy. While in that care, the boy was repeatedly assaulted sexually, physically and mentally by Fr. Tulipana. This caused a lifetime of issues for the boy including, but not limited to, substance abuse, spiritual anguish, and metal health problems. The victim still lives in the KC MO area. 

In 1994, Fr. Tulipana was the first KC child molesting cleric to be publicly exposed when one of his victims (Richard Abott Durocher) broke his gag order and disclosed a $150,000 settlement he’d received from diocesan officials for abuse he’d suffered in 1989. He reportedly abused both girls and boys.

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news3/1994_02_02_Stephens_PriestResigns_John_Tulipana_3.htm

A second allegation also was settled with a secret payment to the victim.

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news3/1994_02_02_Stephens_PriestResigns_John_Tulipana_3.htm

In 2006, Fr. Tulipana was sued in Texas for abuse he perpetrated there on a 12 year old boy in 1978.

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2006/11_12/2006_12_15_Rizzo_LawsuitAccuses.htm

In 2008, several cases against him were settled.

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2008/07_08/2008_08_20_Morris_TentativeSettlement.htm

In 2010, a woman sued Fr. Tulipana and another KC MO priest, Fr. Thomas Cronin. She said both abused her at a retreat when she was a teenager. (Fr. Cronin was suspended because of her report. But he went on to minister at a Catholic church in Nevada.)

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2010/09_10/2010_10_05_Hart_TwoExpriests.htm

That same year, diocesan officials disclosed that they had begun the process of defrocking Fr. Tulipana.

In 2012, four brothers sued, saying Fr. Tulipana molested them between the ages of 10 and 16 in the 1970s and 1980s when their family was experiencing ‘upheaval.’

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2012/01_02/2012_02_22_Gillam_KansasCity.htm

He also worked in the insurance business. In 2012, Fr. Tulipana died and in 2019, he was put on the KC MO diocese’s list of ‘credibly accused abusers’ and listed as having “multiple substantiated allegations.”

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/diocesan_lists/Kansas_City_Saint_Joseph/2019_09_05_Kansas_City_Saint_Joseph_Substantiated_List_FINAL.pdf

At least two of his victims were required to sign ‘gag orders.’

Starting in 1972 (the year he was ordained), Fr. Tulipana worked at these locations, all in the KC MO diocese: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in Independence, Coronation of Our Lady in Grandview, Holy Trinity in KC, Christ the King in KC, St. Augustine's in KC, Holy Rosary in Clinton, St. Bartholomew's in Windsor, St. Catherine's in Osceola, St. Catherine's in KC, the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in KC and Old St. Patrick's in KC (until 1994).

Fr. Tulipana also worked on the Diocesan Tribunal, as Associate Director of Vocations (recruiting seminarians), on a disciplinary board at a seminary.

Twice he was sent for psychiatric evaluation and help, but was put back into active ministry.

A photo of Fr. Tulipana is at BishopAccountability.org

http://www.bishopaccountability.org/assign/Tulipana_John_R.htm

Both victims are filing as “John Doe” in Jackson County court. The case against Fr. Salazar was filed last week. The case against Fr. Tulipana is being filed today.

Both victims are represented by KC MO attorney Rebecca Randles (816 931 9901, 816 510 2704, [email protected]). Her chief of staff is Sasha Black (816 291 1811, [email protected]).

CONTACT

David Clohessy 314 566 9790, [email protected], Zach Hiner 517 974 9009, [email protected]

STATEMENT BY JOHN DOE, VICTIM OF FR. TULIPANA

Recall and recollection of events from my youth have led to this day.  The awful moments that occurred during that  time of my life continue to reveal themselves through counseling.