News & Events

Mar 22, 2016: Survivor Breaks Silence, Files Lawsuit for Abuse by Stephen Adamczak at Children’s Theatre Company

(Minneapolis, MN) – A lawsuit was filed today on behalf of a sexual abuse survivor, Erin Nanasi, in Hennepin County District Court naming Children’s Theatre Company as the defendant. Nanasi was sexually abused by Stephen Adamczak in the early 1980s when she was a student at Children’s Theatre Company. Adamczak worked at Children’s Theatre Company as a Sound Technician, Sound Designer, and Instructor.  Attached and included below is a statement from Erin Nanasi.This is the eighth lawsuit filed on behalf of five sexual abuse survivors since early December 2015 naming Children’s Theatre as…

Mar 15, 2016: Media Advisory: Fr. Antonio Marfori, Diocese of St. Cloud Named in Lawsuit; Hearing Tomorrow on Public Nuisance Claim

In Hearing Tomorrow, Diocese of St. Cloud Seeks to Dismiss Public Nuisance Claim from First Marfori Suit (St. Cloud, MN) – In a hearing tomorrow in Stearns County District Court, the Diocese of St. Cloud will ask the court to dismiss a public nuisance claim brought by survivor Doe 75 in October 2015. In his lawsuit, Doe 75 claims the Diocese of St. Cloud created a public nuisance by concealing the identities and information pertaining to priests in the diocese who were accused of sexually abusing children. This allowed the known child molesters to live freely in the community without…

Mar 15, 2016: Criminal Charges Filed Against Franciscan Priests in Pennsylvania

Today the Attorney General charged 3 priests of the Franciscan, Catholic Religious Order in connection with their role regarding notorious predator Fr. Stephen Baker. Religious Order Priests are associated with a particular Catholic Order (i.e. Franciscans) and can move more freely from Diocese to Diocese and Jurisdiction to Jurisdiction.  This jurisdictional mobility allows Religious Order priests to likely be the most unreported group of clerical sexual abusers in existence.  Often a particular Diocese claims to not have authority or information regarding a Religious Order..

Mar 11, 2016: Media Advisory: Monday News Conference in Chicago Announcing Lawsuit Filed Against Melkite-Greek Catholic Church

At a news conference on Monday, attorneys Jeff Anderson and Marc Pearlman will:? Announce a civil lawsuit on behalf of Jane Doe 247 who was sexually abused as a young girl by Fr. Albert Wehby. The lawsuit names the Melkite-Greek Catholic Church and St. John the Baptist in Northlake, IL as defendants. Jane Doe 247 was sexually abused by Wehby at St. Johns…

Mar 08, 2016: Media Advisory: In Hearing Tomorrow, Diocese of Crookston Seeks to Dismiss Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

(Crookston, MN) – Tomorrow at 1:30 PM at the Polk County Justice Center, the Diocese of Crookston will ask the Court to dismiss a lawsuit filed on behalf of a sexual abuse survivor, Doe 19, who was sexually abused as a young boy by Fr. J. Vincent Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald worked as a priest at St. Anne’s in Naytahwaush, MN, where he abused Doe 19. Prior to working at St. Anne’s in the Diocese of Crookston, Fitzgerald also worked at St. Catherine’s parish in Squaw Lake, MN, in the Diocese of Duluth, where he sexually abused another young boy, Bill Weis.

Mar 02, 2016: Jerome Christenson: In diocese abuse cases, we owe it to the children

A letter arrived at my house last week that, right away, caught my attention. Now I don’t know about you, but there’s something about an attorney’s return address on an envelope addressed to me that makes finding out what’s inside a lot more important than the latest missive from Publisher’s Clearinghouse. So I stood there, barely in the door, coat still on and read, “We are sending this letter to anyone who may have attended a parish or school in the Diocese of Winona …”The letter was from Jeff Anderson & Associates…

Mar 02, 2016: Jerome Christenson: In diocese abuse cases, we owe it to the children

A letter arrived at my house last week that, right away, caught my attention. Now I don’t know about you, but there’s something about an attorney’s return address on an envelope addressed to me that makes finding out what’s inside a lot more important than the latest missive from Publisher’s Clearinghouse. So I stood there, barely in the door, coat still on and read, “We are sending this letter to anyone who may have attended a parish or school in the Diocese of Winona …”

The letter was from Jeff Anderson & Assoc…

Feb 29, 2016: “Spotlight” on Sexual Abuse at the Academy Awards

The impact Spotlight has made on the child protection movement became
even more apparent yesterday when the movie won Best Original Screenplay
and Best Picture at the Academy Awards.  This is in addition to several
other awards claimed by the movie this year.  Based on a true story,
Spotlight portrays the Boston Globe’s uncovering of the clergy abuse
scandal in the early 2000s.  It is a powerful film exposing the global
concealment and cover-up of sexual abuse by Catholic officials for
decades at the expense of children.

Feb 15, 2016: Media Advisory: Doe 84 to Speak Publicly for the First Time Tuesday

At a news conference on Tuesday in St. Paul, Doe 84 along with his attorneys will speak publicly using his name for the first time regarding his experience as a student at Children’s Theatre Company. Doe 84 and Laura Adams filed the first lawsuit in December 2015 naming Children’s Theatre, John Clark Donahue and Jason McLean as defendants. Doe 84 was sexually abused by former director John Clark Donahue in 1977. Will also announce the filing of two sexual abuse lawsuits on behalf of Doe 170 and…

Feb 11, 2016: News Release: Vatican Lifts Suspension of Convicted Sex Offender Fr. Joseph Jeyapaul

(Kochi, India/Crookston, MN) – Bishop Amalraj of the Diocese of Ootacamund, India, announced today that he has lifted the suspension of convicted predator priest, Father Joseph Jeyapaul. Jeyapaul’s suspension was lifted on January 16, 2016 after the Bishop consulted with the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Statement of Jeff AndersonOn behalf of two survivors we have represented, and no doubt countless others Jeyapaul has abused, we are appalled…

Feb 09, 2016: News Release: Jason McLean Named in Fourth Civil Lawsuit

(Minneapolis, MN) – A lawsuit was filed today on behalf of a sexual abuse survivor, Doe 114, in Hennepin County District Court naming Jason McLean, a former Children’s Theatre Company staff member, as the defendant. McLean sexually abused Doe 114 in 1983 when she was a student at Children’s Theatre Company. Throughout his tenure with Children’s Theatre, McLean worked as a company actor, staff member, and teacher.In addition to McLean, other staff members have been accused of sexually abusing students at…

Feb 02, 2016: Diocese of Honolulu Discloses Settlement of Dozens of Child Sexual Abuse Cases

(Honolulu, HI) – On January 14, 2016, the Diocese of Honolulu filed a lawsuit naming First Insurance as a defendant and releasing information pertaining to ongoing negotiations in a court-ordered mediation between survivors of childhood sexual abuse and the Diocese of Honolulu and other parties. This suit disclosed that dozens of lawsuits have been settled since the mediation process began in September 2015. Mark Gallagher of Kailua, working with…