The Worthy Adversary

Author: Joelle Casteix

  • Victims settle with Irish Christian Brothers for $16.5 million

    Two years after they sought bankruptcy protection to avoid more than 200 embarrasing civil sex abuse trials, the New York-based Irish Christian Brothers (ICB) have settled with more than 400 victims of child sexual abuse (in Canada and the United States) for $16.5 million.

    The Irish Christian Brothers leave a three-nation legacy of abuse and cover-up

    This marks the end of the first step for many ICB victims. The settlement does not include the actual Irish Christian Brothers schools or the dioceses where they were located. Only the actual order was included in the settlement.

    For victims in Hawaii, this means that they can still take legal action against Damien Memorial and the Diocese of Honolulu, whose officials, victims say, knew about abuse and covered it up. The same holds true for ICB victims across the country, including communities such as Bergen County, NJ; Salinas, CA; Chicago and Seattle.

    But there is something very important to note about the ICB bankruptcy. While the battle is far from over, brave survivors in this case exposed dozens of predators who had been hidden in schools across the country. They were able to inform communities that convicted abusers such as Brother Thomas C. Ford and Br. Robert Brouillette taught children in more than 15 states. Survivors were able to show how serial predators such as Fr. Gerald Funcheon were sent to Hawaii to hide from allegations on the mainland.

    Even more important, brave survivors exposed Irish Christian Brothers who were STILL in position of power. Br. James Ligouri was asked to resign from his position at Fordham University when two victims came forward. Br. Karl Walczak, principal at Seattle’s O’Dea High School, was quietly removed from his job last year when a victim came forward. Months later, parents found out that he was removed for abuse, causing a media firestorm.

    Hopefully, the continued fight will draw more attention to the cover up and help continue to keep kids safe right now.

    You can read the press release from the bankruptcy committee here.

  • Victims of convicted predator priest reach $20 million settlement with Jesuits

    For immediate release: Monday, May 20

    Statement by Barbara Blaine of Chicago, president of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (312-399-4747, SNAPblaine@gmail.com) 

    Six men who were sexually violated as kids by a widely-known Jesuit priest, Fr. Donald McGuire, have reached a settlement totaling nearly $20 million. We applaud their courage and strength.

    Donald McGuire: priest and predator

    These six brave men have, despite their horrific pain, struggled to expose corruption by some of the top Jesuits in the US. More truth about awful church crimes and cover ups is being revealed and for that, Catholics should be grateful.

    This isn’t just another settlement. It’s a settlement involving America’s most prominent child molesting cleric (a high profile priest who was Mother Teresa’s confessor) and Catholicism’s most elite religious order (the Jesuits). It’s a settlement that, by its size alone, shows that Catholic officials are terrified of having to testify in open court about their complicity in McGuire’s egregious child sex crimes. And it’s a settlement that should make parents pause before sending their youngsters to Jesuit schools.

    I know some of McGuire’s victims. They have been deeply traumatized. But they have put their own misery aside in the effort to protect kids from him and warn parents about him. Because of McGuire’s criminal conviction and this settlement, they have largely succeeded, against long odds. We in SNAP are deeply appreciative of their concern for children and their commitment to justice.

    Read the press release here.

    (SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 12,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

    Contact – David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, SNAPclohessy@aol.com), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688 home, 314-503-0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, SNAPblaine@gmail.com), Peter Isely (414-429-7259, peterisely@yahoo.com), Joelle Casteix (949-322-7434, jcasteix@gmail.com), Judy Jones 636-433-2511, snapjudy@gmail.com)

     

     

  • And now for something completely different

    It’s time for a new round of HEALTHY LIVING. (cue game show intro music!)

    It’s been a rough year for me health-wise, and all of the good strides I made last summer died in the exhaustion of a 3-month bout of shingles. Then there were the sinus infections. Followed by the flu. Basically, it sucked, and I was too tired to do the things that I needed to do to maintain.

    But the time for excuses is OVER. And since I’m posting here (for the 3 people who read this blog), I am forcing myself to be accountable in cyberspace.

    So here’s the plan:

    Dump Extraneous Stress! DONE!

    I had to put my MBA aside and push back on a bunch of other projects. And you know what? I am SO much happier. Go figure.

    Exercise!

    I am doing a slightly modified Insanity program. It’s one of my favorite Beachbody workouts and the only workout where I have seen results from day one. I’m mixing it in with my new all-time favorite, Les Mills Combat, because those workouts fire me up. And Dan Cohen is one funny and strong dude.

    Eating Right!

    This has always been my downfall. I can give you every excuse, but now, it’s gonna be different. Why? Because I FINALLY HAVE A PARTNER IN THE HOUSE: My husband Mike. It’s so hard when you are trying to eat right and your well-meaning spouse says “Let’s get Mexican. Don’t worry, I won’t force you to eat …”

    We are following a specific eating plan, but I’m not going to endorse it or talk about it here until I am past week one. But let’s say this: It’s low-carb, low-cal and high energy. And EASY and PORTABLE. Portability is HUGE for me, especially since I have trips to Hawaii (work-related), Louisiana, San Francisco, Seattle and Canada in the next two months. My eventual plan is to go paleo, and this will put me on the right track. (And paleo no-travel-well-eo)

    Last summer, I had great success with the Ultimate Reset. But it’s impossible to take on the road. But if you love to cook and will be home for 21 days straight, give it a shot.

    So here we go!

    Day One Stats:

    • Weight: 152.2 (I am 5-foot-6)
    • Favorite summer shorts: Can’t get up over hips
    • Dress pants: Fasten. Barely. And in a very unflattering manner.

    Goals:

    • Fit comfortably into all summer shorts!
    • Get back to last summer’s weight with muscle tone
    • Feel good in my skin
    • Have visible abs (total life-time goal here)
    I do have to admit: when it comes to my goals, I am pretty lucky. My blood pressure is a steady 90/60 and my cholesterol is in the uber-healthy range. But when my weight is down, my hormones (yeah, I had to go there) are much more balanced and my cycles are kinder and gentler. That’s motivation enough to drop 10 pounds.

  • Wade Robson’s truth: Worth the risk. But will Hollywood listen?

    Wade Robson has everything to lose: his career in Hollywood, his family, friends he has had in the industry since he was a child. He is opening himself up to criticism, accusations of “greed” and an onslaught of hate mail from Michael Jackson fans worldwide (and he will get it, because they have come after me with THOUSANDS of emails in the past).

    Robson has realized that the truth is far more important: He was molested by Michael Jackson, and he will no longer live in silence for the sake of his son.

    He’s speaking out about a problem that has plagued Hollywood for decades. Remember: Hollywood is the only place where a man like Gore Vidal can get away with calling Roman Polanski’s rape victim a “little hooker”, and where the “Hollywood elite” such as Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Darren Aronofsky, David Lynch, Mike Nichols, Neil Jordan, Diane von Furstenberg, and Harvey Weinstein can rally behind a convicted child-molesting director.

    Hollywood is also the place where both Corey Feldman and Todd Bridges have said that child sex abuse is “rampant” in the industry. Corey Haim’s drug abuse and death has been blamed on sexual abuse he suffered as a Hollywood child star.

    Wade Robson

    I had never heard Robson speak before I was asked to be an expert for the Today Show piece with him this morning. I was asked if a victim’s coming forward later (after denying or not understanding abuse) was a common trend. Unfortunately, it is, especially when the abuser is a well-loved figure—a priest, a teacher, or Michael Jackson. Victims are carefully groomed to love their abuser. They are told that the abuse IS love. They defend their abuser.

    And then one day, everything changes. For Robson, it was the birth of his son.

    Watching him speak on the show today was heart-wrenching. I felt at times that those were my words coming out of his mouth. Robson was groomed, just like I was and just like thousands of victims across the globe. But now, Robson is strong. He is eloquent. He is speaking his truth.

    Hopefully, other Hollywood children—children who were scared into silence by the Michael Jackson machine, children who were threatened by their parents to stay silent, children who were just to ashamed to talk about what happened to them, children who stayed silent because they were the “breadwinners” in the family—will open up, come forward and find healing.

    It’s not about the money. It’s never about the money. It’s about finally getting justice for the small child inside of every adult victim.

    My only regret is not meeting Robson in person. Hopefully, I will be able to do that.

     

  • LA Archdiocese lawyers want suits tossed because people CARE about cover-up

    Let me get this straight:

    Lawyers for the Archdiocese of LA want six sex abuse and cover-up lawsuits against one of its former priests, Nicholas Aguilar Rivera, tossed out of court.

    Fr. Aguilar Rivera. Have passport, will molest

    Even though, according to the Associated Press:

    • The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office in 1988 filed 19 felony counts against Aguilar Rivera,
    • “[The Archdiocese] has no doubt these children were his victims” (Church lawyer J. Michael Hennigan)
    • Mahony gave the priest permission to work for one year in the Los Angeles archdiocese after the Mexican cleric had been severely beaten at his parish in Tehuacan, in Puebla State … Police found blood, hair and broken glass at the parish house and interviewed witnesses who said young men from many surrounding villages visited the priest in his bedroom and slept there frequently, and
    • Aguilar Rivera’s bishop, Norberto Rivera, wrote a letter to Mahony to tell him there had been “several accusations of homosexuality against the priest” that had not been proven, but were believed to be the cause of the attack.
    And, according to CNN:
    •  Cardinal Roger Mahony’s right-hand man alerted the priest [that a complaint was going to be made to law enforcement] – a heads-up that allowed him to flee the country for Mexico, and
    • [Mahony told] subordinates to deny a police request for a list of altar boys.
    But, church lawyers want the cases dismissed or delayed indefinitely because … well … the media cares and is covering the story. Tens of thousands of lurid sex abuse and cover-up documents have a tendency to do that.
    The public has a right to be disgusted and outraged. That’s what happens when people do bad things, cover up their actions, and then figuratively beat-up victims for decades. Let’s hope that Judge Emilie Elias keeps the trial on schedule and in LA. The victims have that right. And the public has the right to know.
    Maybe a trial will finally bump Mahony off of the confirmation schedule.
    P.S. Aguilar Rivera is still a priest in Mexico …