Church in
Crisis
Archdiocese settles suit claiming retaliation
The San Francisco archdiocese has settled out of court a civil
suit by one of its priests, Fr. John Conley, who claimed the archdiocese
suspended him for reporting a possible clerical sexual abuse incident in a
parish rectory five years ago.
The settlement came as jury selection was about to begin in the
trial.
In November 1997, Conley witnessed what he termed a
“wrestling match” between a priest, Fr. James Aylward, and a teenage
rectory worker.
Conley went to the archdiocese and reported it, where he was told
to immediately report it to the district attorney as suspected child abuse.
Conley was placed on administrative leave for what the archdiocese
termed unrelated behavioral problems.
Conley sued, claiming the mandated leave was retaliatory, which
the archdiocese denied. According to the San Francisco Chronicle,
Aylward later admitted touching boys for sexual pleasure, and the
archdiocese paid the youth $750,000.
In its Nov. 25 statement, the archdiocese said subsequent
revelations “confirmed Fr. Conley’s instincts regarding the incident
were correct and he was right in what he did in reporting the incident to the
police.”
The statement said the archdiocese encourages its priests to
follow the law.
Conley, 58, ordained nine years ago, will retire from active
ministry as a priest in good standing with a fully funded pension plan.
-- Arthur Jones
National Catholic Reporter, December 13,
2002
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