June 07, 2005

Woman accuses priest of sexual harassment

SPRINGFIELD (MO)
KYTV

By: Laurie Patton, KY3 News

SPRINGFIELD -- A woman from Branson says a Roman Catholic priest sexually harassed her when she worked for his church. Glenna McKitterick says she was fired for complaining about it.

Last week in federal court in Springfield, McKitterick sued Our Lady of the Lake Church, Monsignor Philip Bucher, the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese and Bishop John Leibrecht. McKitterick says, during the two years she worked for Our Lady of the Lake Church in Branson, Bucher harassed her and created a hostile work environment.

The lawsuit says Bucher made unwelcome sexual advances, "hugged" McKitterick in an inappropriate way and repeatedly made sexually suggestive remarks and advances to McKitterick, including "regular telephone calls by Bucher" to McKitterick at her home in the evening about "personal matters." The suit also says Bucher questioned McKitterick about her sex life and talked to her about a sexual relationship between Bucher and a woman that McKitterick said was his "girlfriend." McKitterick says Bucher invited her to business dinners "which he began conducting like personal 'dates.'"

McKitterick says "the Church and Liebrecht had been warned about Bucher's propensities and the Church and Liebrecht knew or should have known that Bucher was likely to sexually harass" McKitterick.

In the lawsuit, McKitterick says the church's attorney called her and told her she was terminated shortly after she "complained verbally and in writing to Bucher and the Church" about the harassment. McKitterick says she was fired despite numerous occasions when church leaders praised her for her work.

Posted by kshaw at June 7, 2005 06:17 AM