SEATTLE (WA)
Seattle Times
Twenty-six men have filed two lawsuits against the Seattle Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church and the Congregation of Christian Brothers religious order, claiming past sexual abuse at Briscoe Memorial School, a now-defunct boarding school in Kent, and at Seattle's O'Dea High School.
The suits were filed Friday in King County Superior Court.
Both Briscoe, which closed in 1970, and O'Dea were owned by the Seattle archdiocese and managed by the Christian Brothers.
The abuses alleged in the suits range from the 1940s to the 1970s. Plaintiffs described physical and sexual abuse at Briscoe, including whippings and beatings, late-night molestations, oral sex and rape.
Brother Daniel Casey, with the Christian Brothers-Brother Rice Province, said he hadn't seen the lawsuits and declined to comment. Brothers with the Christian Brothers-Eastern American Province and their attorneys did not return calls seeking comment.
Greg Magnoni, Seattle archdiocese spokesman, said "we're confident [the Christian Brothers] will respond appropriately to these lawsuits."
Posted by kshaw at December 23, 2004 10:18 AM