St. Christopher Roman Catholic Church and School
On July 11, 2021, the law firm of Jeff Anderson & Associates filed a lawsuit identifying Richard Bourque as an alleged perpetrator located within the Diocese of Buffalo. The alleged abuse occurred from approximately 1992 to 1994 while Bourque was a teacher at St. Christopher in Tonawanda, New York. It is believed that Bourque is still alive, and living in North Tonawanda, New York, posing an immediate threat for children in the North Tonawanda community.
On July 27, 2021, the law firm of Jeff Anderson and Associates revealed the filing of 91 additional lawsuits filed under the New York Child Victims Act alleging child sexual abuse in Catholic institutions within the Diocese of Buffalo. Among the 91 lawsuits filed, 24 alleged perpetrators were publicly identified for the first time.
The recently filed lawsuits against the Diocese of Buffalo include the following newly identified alleged perpetrators:
Mr. Richard Bourque
Fr. Robert J. Breidenstein
Fr. Roderick N. Brown, O.P.
Fr. Janusz Caputa
Fr. Andrew L. Dunn, O.S.F.S.
Fr. William Finn, C.M.
Mr. David Granville
Mr. Dennis Haas
Fr. Barry E. Hess
Msgr. William Sutherland
Mr. Dave Isbrandt
Mr. Norman Kersch
Fr. Arnold Zebrowski
Br. Patrick Lynch
Fr. Leon M. Neu
Fr. George P. O’Neill
Fr. Thaddeus Osweski
Msgr. Stanislaus Sierakowski
Fr. Aloysius Sobus, O.M.C.
Fr. Bernard Sokolowski
Fr. John Sturm, S.J.
Br. Augustine Towey, C.M.
Fr. Richard/Ryszard Urban
Mr. Francis Van Eich
The New York Child Victims Act
The New York Child Victims Act gives survivors of child sexual abuse in New York the opportunity to file a civil claim against the individual who hurt them and the institution responsible, no matter how long ago the abuse occurred. Under this revolutionary legislation, survivors of any age can seek justice, compensation, and accountability while reclaiming some of the power taken from them as kids.
But the window is only open for a limited time. Survivors must file their lawsuit in the Diocese of Buffalo bankruptcy case by August 13, 2021. If you are a survivor of child sexual abuse in the State of New York, our attorneys and trauma-informed advocates want to help you. Standing with and fighting for survivors of child sexual abuse has been our mission for more than 38 years.