Fr. James “Jamie” R. Lara
Ordained: 1973
- 1974-1976: St. Barbara’s, Brooklyn, NY (BRK)
- 1977-1985: St. Francis Xavier, Brooklyn, NY (BRK)
- 1986-1989: In Residence: St. Patrick, Brooklyn, NY (BRK)
- 1986-1990: Released from Diocesan Assignment, N.E. Catholic Pastoral Center for Hispanics, 1011 First Ave., New York, NY 10022 (NY)
- 1990-1992: Released from Diocesan Assignment, St. Bernard, Oakland, CA (OAK)
- 1992: Released from Diocesan Assignment, Holy Names College, Oakland, CA (OAK)
- 1993-1995: In Residence: St. Rita, Brooklyn, NY (BRK)
- 1996-2019: Unknown
Fr. James Lara was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn. Fr. Lara was reportedly removed from ministry in 1992. In 2017, the Diocese of Brooklyn reported that Fr. Lara was laicized in 2007 for allegedly sexually abusing children. At least five survivors have alleged they were abused as minor children by Fr. Lara. The abuse allegedly occurred while Fr. Lara worked at St. Francis Xavier in Park Slope, New York between approximately 1976 and 1985. Fr. Lara reportedly worked as a chaplain in the Boy Scouts and was head of the altar boys. In 1995, Fr. Lara became a professor and taught at Yale University and Arizona State University. Fr. Lara was reportedly asked to resign from his position at Arizona State University in 2017 after the Diocese of Brooklyn publicized the allegations. Fr. Lara was named on the Diocese of Brooklyn’s 2019 “List of Diocesan Clergy for Whom the Diocese Received Allegations of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor,” in the subsection “Clergy Members of the Diocese of Brooklyn With Credible Allegations: Credibility Deemed by Diocesan Review Board Determination and/or Admission on Behalf of the Cleric.” Fr. Lara’s current whereabouts and whether he has access to children are unknown.