West Virginia sues Catholic diocese, former bishop
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey sued the Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-charleston and its former bishop Michael Bransfield on Tuesday, charging that they “knowingly employed pedophiles and failed to conduct adequate background checks” for people working in Catholic schools and camps.
The lawsuit, the latest dramatic civil action against the American church in the past year, alleges violations of the state’s consumer-protection laws. It accuses the diocese of advertising safe environments for children while at the same time choosing “to cover up and conceal arguably criminal behavior of child sexual abuse.”
The lawsuit is seeking a permanent court order “blocking the diocese from continuation of any such conduct.”
Some child-abuse experts said the move is precedent-setting.
“This is the first time we’ve seen a comprehensive claim against a whole diocese and a bishop,” said Marci Hamilton, a law scholar and head of Child USA, a nonprofit organization focused on child abuse.
Calls to the Wheeling-charleston Diocese and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were not immediately returned.
One church official who spoke on the condition of anonymity called the new suit a “publicity stunt,” noting that the alleged abuse occurred decades ago and that policies have changed significantly.
Last summer, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro released an extensive, damning grand jury report describing abuse and coverups across the state in past decades. Last fall, the Justice Department opened an investigation of alleged sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy members across the state.
West Virginia launched its investigation last fall after Pennsylvania’s report disclosed that some of the priests there also had worked in West Virginia, the new lawsuit states.
“If we didn’t engage in this action, there would be no statewide review that would occur,” Morrisey said.
Morrisey said he hopes more people will come forward.
The news comes a week after Baltimore Archbishop William Lori barred Bransfield from any priestly duties. Bransfield’s resignation was accepted by Pope Francis last year. Last fall, the pope appointed Lori to investigate allegations, including that Bransfield sexually harassed adults
Last week, Lori said his preliminary investigation, which involved five lay experts, was being forwarded to the Vatican for a final judgment.
Morrisey said the U.S. church’s investigation into Bransfield was sent to the Vatican without the state being allowed to review any files. By filing a lawsuit, he said, he wants the church to become more transparent.
“There’s still a culture of secrecy,” he said. “The church needs to come clean.”
Morrisey also wants the diocese to have abuse allegations reviewed by third parties, not just a diocese lawyer. And, he said, he wants background checks done by independent services.