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Two Lawsuits Filed Against Archdiocese of Newark for Child Sexual Abuse by Serial Offender Spanning Years

By Trusha Goffe January 21, 2020

Two Lawsuits Filed Against Archdiocese of Newark for Child Sexual Abuse by Serial Offender Spanning Years

Two Survivors Speak Out: One Survivor Who is Speaking Publicly for the First Time is Currently an American Orthodox Priest

Survivor to Reveal Past Details of Abuse in Late 1960s at Our Lady Help of Christians

(New Jersey) – On Wednesday in Newark, attorneys from Jeff Anderson & Associates and Gianforcaro Law, clergy sexual abuse survivors, and survivor advocates will:

  • Reveal and discuss two lawsuits filed under the New Jersey Victims’ Rights Bill against the Archdiocese of Newark for child sexual abuse perpetrated by Fr. David A. Ernst while assigned to Our Lady Help of Christians Parochial School in East Orange where he was a sex education teacher (1955–1968) and to Saint Mary’s in Rutherford (1977–1980).
  • Provide the opportunity for one of Fr. Ernst’s survivors and plaintiff in this case, now an Orthodox Priest, to speak publicly about the abuse he suffered as a child under Fr. Ernst at Our Lady Help of Christians (East Orange). The other plaintiff was abused approximately a decade later by Fr. Ernst at Saint Mary’s (Rutherford), between the ages of 11-12, and will not be speaking at the event. Another survivor of Fr. Ernst will speak at this event about his own abuse at Saint Mary’s.
  • Demand full disclosure by Archbishop of Newark Cardinal Joseph Tobin of the identities, histories, and current whereabouts of all clergy accused of child sexual abuse who worked in the Archdiocese of Newark.
  • Discuss New Jersey’s historic Victim’s Rights Bill, a new law that extends the statute of limitations and provides a two-year window for sexual abuse survivors to bring lawsuits in cases that were previously barred by the statute of limitations, no matter when the abuse occurred or how old the survivor is.
  • Discuss the changing landscape of child protection in New Jersey by reason of the Victims’ Rights Bill.
  • Release The Anderson List identifying priests publicly accused of child abuse who worked in New Jersey dioceses.

When
Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at 11:00 AM (ET)

Where
Hilton Doubletree Newark Penn Station
Monmouth Room
1048 Raymond Blvd
Newark, NJ, 07102

The press conference will be live-streamed via YouTube and on Facebook.