UNITED STATES
Bishop Accountability

U.S. Bishops Accused of Abuse

In the sexual abuse crisis, attention has focused on priests who have
sexually abused children; the problem of bishops and major superiors who
abuse has not received systematic scrutiny. Yet a bishop who is himself
guilty of child abuse, or who has other violations of celibacy to conceal,
has compromised his role in the formation of his priests and in assigning
them properly. Bishops who sexually abuse seminarians, as Anthony J.
O'Connell has admitted doing, may establish a generational pattern of
clergy abuse. The following list comprises bishops who have been publicly
accused of sexually abusing minors. It does not include bishops accused of
sexual misconduct with adults, such as Archbishop Robert F. Sanchez of
Phoenix.

Arzube, Juan A.
1954 Ordained
1954-71 LA priest
1971-93 LA auxiliary bishop
1993-2007 LA emeritus
2007 Died
Accused in 2003 of abusing a boy age 11 in 1975-1976. LA archdiocese and
LA Times list 1 allegation. Named in civil suit which was included in
$660M settlement in 2007.
LA Archdiocesan Report 2.17.04 page 1; Tidings 1.11.08; LA Times 1.12.08
Assignments:
LA Archdiocesan Report Addendum 11.15.05; LA Times Database 4.20.06

Brown, Tod D.
1963 Ordained
1963-88 Monterey-Fresno CA priest
1988-98 Boise City ID bishop
1998-now Orange CA bishop
Accused in 2007 of sexually abusing a boy age 12 in 1965. Brown admitted
in 9/07 deposition that he had been accused and that diocese had
investigated. He denied the abuse.
Orange County Weekly 4.24.07; Brown Deposition 9.10.07; LA Times 9.14.07;
OC Register 9.30.07

Dudley, Paul V.
1951 Ordained
1951-76 St. Paul MN priest
1976-78 St. Paul & Minneapolis auxiliary bishop
1978-95 Sioux Falls SD bishop
1995-2006 Sioux Falls emeritus
2006 Died
Accused in 5/02 of fondling an altar boy age 11 or 12 in 1950s. Dudley
denied the charges. Two women also complained that he had molested them
years previously. Church investigation found no evidence to support
complaints.
Star Tribune 5.08.02; Pioneer Press 5.08.02; Argus Leader 5.08.02;
Associated Press 2.12.03; Argus Leader 2.13.03; Star Tribune 2.13.03;
Argus Leader 11.22.06

Dupr¨?, Thomas L.
1959 Ordained
1959-90 Springfield MA priest
1990-95 Springfield MA auxiliary bishop
1995-2004 Springfield MA bishop
2004 Indicted and resigned
2004-now Springfield MA emeritus
Accused in 2004 of sexually abusing two youths 20 years previously.
Resigned same day and was sent to St. Luke's Institute where he was
apparently still in treatment as of 6/06. Was sued in 2004. Indicted on
two counts of rape 2004 but not prosecuted because statute of limitations
had expired.
Springfield Republican 2.11.04; Springfield Republican 7.22.06;
Springfield Republican 3.28.04; Springfield Republican 3.12.04; BA.org
compulation of accused in Springfield Diocese; Springfield Republican
8.03.04; Boston Globe 9.30.03; Springfield Republican 2.06.05; Springfield
Republican 10/23/05; Dallas Morning News 6.12.02
Assignments:
Springfield Republican 9.28.04

Ferrario, Joseph A.
1951 Ordained
1951-77 Honolulu HI priest
1977-82 Honolulu HI auxiliary bishop
1982-93 Honolulu HI bishop
1993-2003 Honolulu HI emeritus
2003 Died
Accused in 1989-90 and sued in 1991 for repeated sexual abuse of a
teen-age boy, after Ferrario succeeded in the parish the boy's first
priest-abuser, who had begun to abuse the boy at age 5. Ferrario denied
the charge.
Time 8.19.91; Honolulu Star Bulletin 2.27.04

Gelineau, Louis E.
1953 Ordained
1953-71 Burlington VT priest
1971-97 Providence RI bishop
1997-now Providence RI emeritus
Accused in 1997 of taking an 11- or 12-year-old boy at St. Joseph's
Orphanage in Burlington VT off by himself in 1951and pulling the boy's fly
down. When the boy fled, Gelineau allegedly pursued him and tried to drown
him. At the time, Gelineau was a brother at the orphanage, scene of much
physical and sexual abuse. Gelineau's accuser also alleged sexual abuse by
the orphanage chaplain. In a 1997 deposition, Gelineau stated that he
remembered the boy at the orphanage. In his deposition, Gelineau also
denies having any sexual contact with an altar boy in 1993.
Cadorette Deposition 5.16.97; Gelineau Deposition 4.2.97

Harrington, Timothy J.
1946 Ordained
1946-68 Worcester MA priest
1968-83 Worcester MA auxiliary bishop
1983-94 Worcester MA bishop
1994-97 Worcester MA emeritus
1997 Died
Accused in 3/29/05 suit of sexually abusing a boy from age 11 to 15 three
times; abuse consisted of genital fondling, anal penetration, and oral
copulation. The diocese examined diocesan records and stated that it
"found no basis of credibility to the claims."
MA Superior Court No. 05-0331(B); AP 3.31.05

Hart, Joseph H.
1956 Ordained
1956-76 Kansas City MO priest
1976-78 Cheyenne WY auxiliary bishop
1978-2001 Cheyenne WY bishop
2001-now Cheyenne WY emeritus
In 2002 the diocese of Cheyenne announced allegations that Hart had
sexually abused 2 junior HS boys in the early 1970s in Kansas City; the
allegations had come to the diocese in 1989 and 1992. An allegation
pertaining to Hart's time as an auxiliary in Cheyenne was deemed not
credible. In 2004, Hart was sued by 3 other men alleging abuse when they
were boys. Hart is alleged to have repeated sex with one boy during
out-of-state trips, and of bringing boys back to Kansas City for sexual
purposes while Hart was bishop of Cheyenne.
Wyoming Tribune Eagle 4.25.02; Wyoming Tribune Eagle 5.15.02; Wyoming
Tribune Eagle 7.30.02; Kansas City Star 1.22.04; NCR 2.6.04; NCR 9.16.05

Hubbard, Howard J.
1963 Ordained
1963-77 Albany NY priest
1977-now Albany NY bishop
Accused in 2004 of paying a teenager for sex on two occasions in the
1970s. Hubbard commissioned an investigation to examine this charge, as
well as other allegations of sexual misconduct with adult males. The
investigation, which did not have access to the complainant, found no
credible evidence that Hubbard had violated his vow of celibacy.
White Report 6.24.04; Times Union 6.25.04

O'Connell, Anthony J.
1963 Ordained
1963-88 Jefferson City MO priest, seminary teacher, and rector
1988-98 Knoxville TN bishop
1998-2002 Palm Beach FL bishop
2002 Admits abuse and resigns
2002-now Palm Beach FL emeritus
Accused in 2002 of sexually abusing a student from 9th through 12th grade
at St. Thomas Aquinas Preparatory Seminary in Hannibal, where O'Connell
was rector. Complainant had gone to O'Connell because of prior abuse by
another priest. O'Connell admitted the abuse and another similar case and
resigned. Others came forward, totaling 9 by 2004, when 2 of 3 cases were
settled. O'Connell moved to the Trappists' Mepkin Abbey near Moncks Corner
SC.
St. Louis Post Dispatch 3.08.02; Miami Herald 3.09.02; Kansas City Star
4.19.02; St. Louis Post Dispatch 4.03.03; Times Daily 7.18.03; Palm Beach
Post 2.28.04; Palm Beach Post 5.17.04; Palm Beach Post 7.29.04; Kansas
City Star 11.14.04; Metro-Pulse 11.16.06

Rausch, James S.
1956 Ordained
1956-73 St. Cloud MN priest
1973-77 St. Cloud MN auxiliary bishop
1977-81 Phoenix AZ bishop
1981 Died
Accused in a 2001 affidavit of repeatedly having sex with a 17-year-old
boy and giving him money, and then passing the boy on to Revs. Robert C.
Trupia and William T. Byrne, who also had sex with the boy, no longer a
minor, and employed him at the marriage tribunal to ensure his silence.
Trupia would later win an appeal to the Vatican regarding his suspension.
Boston Globe 8.20.02

Rueger, George E.
1958 Ordained
1958-87 Worcester MA priest
1987-2005 Worcester MA auxiliary bishop
2005-now Worcester MA emeritus
Sued in 2002. Accused of abusing a boy aged 13-14 in 1960s after giving
him alcohol. Suit dropped 2003 by plaintiff. Diocesan investigation found
no proof of charges and Pope's representative to the US agreed with the
findings.
Telegram & Gazette 8.1.03; Catholic Free Press 7.20.03; Telegram &
Gazette 4.21.03; Telegram & Gazette 4.01.03; Telegram & Gazette 7.15.03;
Telegram & Gazette 7.07.06; Telegram & Gazette 7.18.06

Ryan, Daniel L.
1956 Ordained
1956-81 Joliet IL priest
1981-83 Joliet IL auxiliary bishop
1983-99 Springfield IL bishop
1999-now Springfield IL emeritus
Accused in 1999 suit of having multiple homosexual relationships,
including one involving a 15-year-old boy in 1984.
AP 10.28.99; Herald News 5.05.02; Herald News 8.11.02; St. Louis Post
Dispatch 9.4.02

Skylstad , William S.
1960 Ordained
1960-77 Spokane WA priest
1977-90 Yakima WA priest
1990-now Spokane bishop
Accused in 2005 of sexually abusing a girl under age 18 in 1961-64.
Skylstad denied the allegation.
Spokesman-Review 3.09.06; USA Today 3.08.06; Seattle Times (AP) 6.08.06;
Spokesman-Review 3.08.06

Soens, Lawrence D.
1950 Ordained
1950-83 Davenport IA priest, HS teacher, and principal
1983-98 Sioux City IA bishop
1998-now Sioux City emeritus
Accused of sadistic abuse of 3 high school boys in 1960s. 1 claim settled
for $20K in 2004. 2 suits pending as of 5/06. 7 new suits filed 5/06.
Apparently 1 new suit with 13 plaintiffs filed 8/06 alleging abuse
1959-67. In 2/06 diocese investigative panel found behavior may have been
inappropriate, was apparently not sexual.
Des Moines Register 1.19.05; KCCI Channel 8 Television 3.09.06; Des
Moines Register 5.03.06; WCF Courier 5.23.06; Iowa City Press-News
8.10.06; KTIV 9.06.06; Des Moines Register 1.04.06; Quad-City Times
2.24.06; KTIV 8.10.06; Des Moines Register 2.08.06; Gazette (AP) 2.08.06;
Des Moines Register 6.08.05; Quad-Cities Times 8.17.05; Quad-City Times
2.09.06; Des Moines Register 9.06.06;
Plaintiff's Statement of Disputed Facts from Gould v. Soens with
affidavits; Sioux City Journal 9.08.06; Daily Iowan 5.08.07; The Gazette
2.01.08; Quad-City Times 2.16.08; Quad-City Times 2.16.08

Symons, Joseph K.
1958 Ordained
1958-81 St. Augustine FL priest
1981-83 St. Petersburg FL auxiliary bishop
1983-90 Pensacola-Tallahassee FL bishop
1990-98 Palm Beach FL bishop
1998 Admits abuse and resigns
1998-now Palm Beach FL emeritus
Resigned 6/98 when accused of molesting a boy who reported the abuse to a
church official. Symons admitted abuse and also the abuse of 4 other boys.
Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee knew of abuse in 1995 but did not act.
Palm Beach Post 6.03.98; Sun-Sentinel 4.24.02; Dallas Morning News
6.12.02; St. Petersburg Times 3.22.03; Palm Beach Post 2.28.04; Detroit
News 10.20.06

Weldon, Christopher J.
1929 Ordained
1929-50 New York NY priest
1950-77 Springfield MA bishop
1977-82 Springfield MA emeritus
1982 Died
Accused in 3/29/05 suit of sexually abusing a boy from age 11 to 16 about
three times; abuse consisted of genital fondling, anal penetration, and
oral copulation. The diocese examined diocesan records and stated that it
"found no basis of credibility to the claims."
MA Superior Court No. 05-0331(B); Republican 3.31.05

Williams, J. Kendrick 1963 Ordained
1963-84 Louisville KY priest
1984-88 Covington KY auxiliary bishop
1988-2002 Lexington KY bishop
2002 Resigned when accused
2002-now Lexington KY emeritus
Resigned 2002 after accusations in suits by 3 altar boys abused in the
Louisville archdiocese in 1969 and 1981. Accused of abusing another altar
boy in Covington diocese. Williams denied the allegations but resigned.
Louisville Courier Journal 6.12.02; Courier Journal 9.29.02

Ziemann, G. Patrick
1967 Ordained
1967-86 LA priest
1986-92 LA auxiliary bishop
1992-99 Santa Rosa CA bishop
1999 Resigned
1999-now Santa Rosa CA emeritus
Named in archdiocesan report as abuser of 3 between 1967-1986. Resigned
as Bishop of Santa Rosa Diocese 1999. 2002 suit alleges abuse of youth in
1968 and lasting several years. Living in Tucson without faculties.
LA Archdiocesan Report 2.14.04 page 3; SF Weekly 3.19.03; LA Weekly
3.18.03; OC Weekly 3.04.05; LA Times 12.18.03; John Roe 4 vs. Does, Cause
No. 1156450, Superior Court of California; City of Angels 12.07.07
Assignments:
LA Times Database 4.20.06; OC Weekly 3.04.05

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