About the Penn State abuse crisis and the stunning parallels to the Catholic Church
Author: Joelle Casteix
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The Thomas Hodgman Abuse and Cover-up Documents
Penn State does not have a monopoly on sex abuse cover-up. Adrian College officials have known that Thomas Hodgman was an admitted predator since 2003, yet, they support him and have allowed him to keep his job. They have not warned parents, students or the general community of the risk.
Because of an fortuitous accident on the part of a law clerk, the Orange County Register got a copy of Hodgman’s file and refused to give it back. I am eternally in their debt.
Following are the important parts of the previously secret Thomas Hodgman personnel file. Adrian College officials have known about these documents since 2005, yet have allowed Hodgman to keep his job.
Click here for the two signed confession documents.
Here’s a brief explanation
Page one:
Thomas Hodgman admits to “dating” Joelle Casteix
Page two:
Thomas Hodgman admits to Mater Dei Principal Fr. John Weling that he not only molested Joelle Casteix, but also molested at least one other student. The principal makes him “swear to never make this terrible mistake again.”
Click here for the Hodgman Cover-up Documents
Here’s explanation of what you will see:
Document 1 – page 1 of the .pdf file
Mater Dei Administrator Lu Dominguez acknowledges that she had known of abusive relationship between Thomas Hodgman and Joelle Casteix for at least a year before any report to the school. The administrator also never reported to the police.
Document 2 – pages 2 and 3 of the .pdf file
Weling writes a letter to the superintendent of Catholic schools about Thomas Hodgman and another incident at the school. Although Casteix was a straight-A student, the daughter of a prominent alum, and the lead in the senior musical, she was portrayed as a kid with emotional problems – and was blamed for the abuse. Although Weling states that he informed the child abuse registry, Casteix alleges that she was never contacted. The principal’s cavalier attitude is obvious in the first sentence of the second page of the letter.
Document 3 – Page 4 of the .pdf file
Thomas Hodgman’s resignation letter. Although he has admitted to molesting at least two students, his resignation letter is a self-congratulatory tribute to his own work. There is no mention of his admitted crimes. The letter is dated almost two weeks after his signed confession.
Document 4 – page 5 of the pdf file
Thomas Hodgman is allowed to write his own speaking points to be delivered to students regarding his resignation. No one in the administration makes a mention of his admitted crimes and the police were never notified].
Document 5 – page 6 of the .pdf file
Rev. John B. Weling announces Hodgman’s resignation and writes a glowing letter to the faculty about Hodgman’s tenure at the school. The announcement is made more than two weeks after the confession is signed.
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Penn State has good company in Adrian, Michigan
Penn State is not the only university with a sex abuse and cover-up problem. Adrian College, a small liberal arts college in Michigan, has knowingly employed an admitted child predator for years.
Professor Thomas Hodgman, the director of choral music at Adrian College, is an admitted child predator with at least two victims. One of his victims sued and was able to get more than 200 pages of documents that outline Hodgman’s crimes and the cover-up at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, where Hodgman worked. The other victim cited in the documents has not come forward publicly.
I am Hodgman’s public victim. For years, he said my claims were “bogus.” He was lying.
But despite my meeting with school officials, providing stacks of evidence, and providing Hodgman’s signed confession ADMITTING THE ABUSE, the school refuses to remove him. They also refuse to warn incoming students, their families and the community of the danger. I also settled with the diocese for $1.6 million. Yet, Adrian does nothing.
Hopefully, that will change very, very soon.
Gustavo Arellano wrote about it far better than I can …Read it all here.
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SNAP Statement on Cesar Alvarez
Catholic parish volunteer charged with multiple counts of sexual misconduct with a minor: SNAP responds
Statement by Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, SNAP Western Regional Director (949) 322-7434 jcasteix@gmail.com
Last week, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles hid a small notice in a parish newsletter to inform families that a church volunteer, prayer leader and former lector – Cesar Alvarez – has been charged with multiple counts of sexual misconduct with a minor. The parish is St. Ignatius of Loyola in Los Angeles.
We believe that this lazy attempt at outreach is a reckless and dangerous effort to lessen the impact of the crimes and make sure that few – if any – people learn of the risk Alvarez posed. Church officials are ignoring their own promises of openness and cooperation.
The Archdiocese must do more. We implore them to put this information on its website, issue a news release to both the English- and Spanish-speaking media, announce the news from the pulpit at all of the surrounding parishes, and most importantly, publicly urge victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to come forward and report to law enforcement, NOT church officials.
You can view the notice here:
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Jason Berry Coming to Newport Beach November 3
Investigative journalist and author Jason Berry achieved prominence for his reporting on the Catholic Church sex abuse crisis in Lead Us Not Into Temptation (1992), a book used in many newsrooms. He has been widely interviewed in the national media, with many appearances on Nightline, Oprah, ABC and CNN. USA Today called Berry “the rare investigative reporter whose scholarship, compassion and ability to write with the poetic power of Robert Penn Warren are in perfect balance.”
His latest book is Render Unto Rome: The Secret Life of Money in the Catholic Church, an investigation of epic financial intrigue. The event is free and open to the public. We hope you can join us.
COPIES OF THE BOOK WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR A $25 DONATION. CASH OR CHECKS ONLY.
When: Thursday, November 3, 2011 7:00 pm – Wine Reception 7:30 pm – Presentation and book signing
Where: The Lounge Studio of Style 2020 888 San Clemente Drive, Suite 100 (At Newport Center) Newport Beach, CA 92660
Validated parking is available