November 12, 2005

3 more suits filed against diocese

PUEBLO (CO)
The Pueblo Chieftain

By PATRICK MALONE
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
New lawsuits filed against the Catholic Diocese of Pueblo on Friday include allegations that a school administrator was aware of accusations by a student that he was being sexually abused by a brother at Roncalli High School in the late 1960s.

Three suits were filed electronically on Friday by the Miami law firm of Herman & Mermelstein, but aren't likely to appear in court records until Monday because courts were closed Friday for Veterans Day. The new filings bring to 11 the total number of suits brought against the diocese and the Marianist religious order during the past two months over allegations that Brother William Mueller molested students at Roncalli between 1966 and 1971.

Each of the suits filed in Pueblo alleges that Mueller gained the confidence of students on the pretense of performing scientific experiments. When he was alone with the boys, Mueller allegedly used ether to render them helpless, then sexually assaulted them.

Posted by kshaw at November 12, 2005 06:54 AM