Today, our firm and Anthony DeMarco, an attorney in Los Angeles, filed a suit on behalf of a courageous survivor who was abused as a young boy by a Salesian priest, Fr. Gerald Wertz, at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California. You can find a copy of the lawsuit here. Importantly, Fr. Gerald “Jerry” Wertz is still considered to be in ministry, and is residing in the Salesian Provincial House in San Francisco, adjacent to a high school with over 1,000 students. Even in a 2006 bulletin, the Salesians praised Fr. Wertz for his 25 years of Salesian life. We praise the courage of this survivor in standing up, speaking out, and doing what he can to protect other kids by making this offender’s name known to the public. Across decades, the Salesian Order has orchestrated a massive cover up and concealment of numerous priests and brothers who have molested children, and despite knowing that they were a danger to children, the Salesians continued to place these predators in ministry. In filing this lawsuit, we hope to protect other children from harm, expose the dangerous practices of the Salesians, and hold those accountable who allowed this young boy to be molested by Fr. Gerald “Jerry” Wertz. We are proud to stand by this brave survivor.