What the heck is going on? If you saw the local news this week, probably saw headlines about the $3.5 million settlement that the Diocese of Orange has agreed to pay a survivor of former Mater Dei Principal Michael Harris. The diocese also put out a horrible, tone-deaf, anti-survivor, unchristian statement about the survivor and…Continue reading Diocese of Orange Child Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Update
Here are a boatload of questions for you: Last week, Joe Biden signed the bipartisan Speak Out Act. According to PBS Newshour: President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed legislation curbing the use of confidentiality agreements that block victims of sexual harassment from speaking publicly about misconduct in the workplace. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre…Continue reading Does a new federal law apply to diocese lay review boards?
First CA diocese ducks for cover as a result of AB 218 It was inevitable. And there is SO MUCH to unpack. In a statement last week, Diocese of Santa Rosa Bishop Robert Vasa said that the northern California Catholic Diocese plans to declare bankruptcy due to “more than 130 child sex abuse lawsuits” filed…Continue reading Santa Rosa Catholic Diocese to Declare Bankruptcy
Yesterday, five women sued Bill Cosby for sexual in New York State under that state’s new “Adult Victims Act.” The law, which gives adult survivors of sexual assault a one-year window to use the civil courts to expose sexual assault and get accountability, took effect on Thanksgiving. It’s modeled on the highly successful Child Victims’…Continue reading It’s Gonna be a Bad Year for Predator Celebrities
I was asked to contribute a chapter in an upcoming book on healing wisdom for survivors. Pre-orders on how to break the “victim mentality” coming soon! Be sure to check back.
The allegations are gruesome: The Rev. Watt was accused in a lawsuit of taking an altar boy in the mid-1970s to gay bars in San Francisco, getting him drunk, sexually abusing him and telling him, “don’t tell your parents or I’ll cut your balls off.” Watt is one of 14 NorCal priests who is accused…Continue reading Is your NorCal priest on the list?
So, Santa Ana’s Mater Dei High School has a bit of a problem. (Okay, they have a lot of problems, but I’m just focusing on one here, so bear with me.) Coach Bruce Rollinson has changed course and decided that he WILL step down as head coach of Mater Dei at the end of this…Continue reading Where’s the “Assessment?”
La Luz Del Mundo. Chances are, there is a La Luz Del Mundo church where you live. In fact, the “church” claims to have five million members in 57 countries. It’s leader, the “Apostle” Naason Joaquin Garcia, pled guilty to sexually abusing girls and is serving a 17-year prison sentence. If you’ve listened to my…Continue reading The Cult in Your Backyard …
This was a fun podcast to do. While the subject matter is always a little tough, we talk about a lot of things that are relevant to EVERYONE who care about kids and safety.
From the Maryland Daily Record: A 456-page report from the Maryland Attorney General’s Office identifies 158 Catholic priests accused of sexual abuse, including 43 that were never publicly named by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, as part of a four-year investigation into the history of child sexual abuse by members of the clergy. The investigation also…Continue reading Maryland: 158 abusers, 600 victims
The biggest question category I get from people is “Where can I get help with …?” So let’s tackle three big ones: Q: Where can I find an attorney who is an expert on child sexual abuse civil litigaion? A; Talk to a survivor who has gone through the civil justice process. You can also…Continue reading Resource Wednesday
I hate to be pushy. But once this window closes, many survivors will lost the right to use the courts to expose abusers. If you are a survivor of child sexual abuse—no matter the perpetrator—and the abuse occurred in California, the Civil Window for many survivors of abuse will CLOSE on December 31, 2022. Even…Continue reading Window for Victims closes Dec 31
Two survivors of child sexual abuse have said Katella High School’s David Sepe sexually abused them while he was their teacher at Savannah High School. Both schools are in the Anaheim’s Union High School District. But it gets worse – Sepe was accused in the early 2000s of abuse The Anaheim Unified HS District knew…Continue reading If your kid goes to Anaheim’s Katella HS, read this:
This year marks the 20th year I have been advocating for survivors of child sexual abuse. When people ask if I get discouraged, I tell them, “Yes, of course.” But if you look back to the state of things 20 years ago, it’s night and day. The best part? The amazing people whom I met…Continue reading Twenty Years
People fascinate me. I love to ask questions. And when you ask someone the RIGHT question at the RIGHT time, the results can be extraordinary. Every week, I share the best with you. Join me, won’t you? Listen on Apple and anywhere you get your podcasts. (And do me a solid and leave a 5-star…Continue reading New Podcast
He finally announced he’s retiring. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I bet that as soon as disgraced Mater Dei High School football coach Bruce Rollinson is retired and sitting on his Lanai on Maui, we will suddenly have “robust investigations,” “appropriate sanctions,” and “healing and renewal” of the athletics programs at Mater Dei. From…Continue reading Too little, too late …
I was asked to contribute a book chapter for a new book for survivors of child sexual abuse and sexual assault. The book’s focus is tools for healing, which attracted me. Besides, all of us need tools to better ourselves. Victimhood is no way to live. My job is not to protect anyone’s feelings, or…Continue reading Contributions
One of the biggest lessons I have learned throughout my journey as an activist is the lesson of ego vs character. I am certainly not perfect. I have done, said, and written things that I regret. Usually, the biggest regrets come from when I let my ego dictate my path, instead of character. The biggest…Continue reading Ego vs Character
I could complain for days about all of the reasons that being creative is hard—especially when creativity is one’s bread and butter: books, blogs, podcasts, ideas, social media content, video, graphics, marketing, advocacy, activism. I get overwhelmed. But today, I am not going to complain. I am going to fix the problem. Seth Godin said…Continue reading Being Creative is Hard
Recent hazing and violence lawsuits against Mater Dei have alerted a lot of noses to a stink that has been brewing for years: decades of child sexual abuse, hazing, and cover-up at the infamous high school. The parents of a recent hazing victim remarked to me that they had had no idea about the scandals…Continue reading School for Scandal 101: Santa Ana’s Mater Dei High School
