MILWAUKEE (WI)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By MARY ZAHN
mzahn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: March 25, 2006
How the Archdiocese of Milwaukee determines monetary settlements for deaf victims of a Catholic priest who molested them as boys is being questioned by some victims and others. The amounts have varied from $5,000 to $200,000.
Examples include:
• Pat Cave, 57, of Seattle received a $200,000 settlement last year through a mediation program for victims of clergy sexual abuse started by the archdiocese in 2004. Cave said he was molested once by Father Lawrence Murphy in his dormitory bed at St. John's School for the Deaf when he was 14.
• Steve Geier, 55, of Madison accepted a $100,000 settlement through the same program in January. Geier said he was molested four times by Murphy beginning at about age 13. He questioned why his settlement was less than Cave's.
• Gary Smith, 55, of Texas said he was told last year that because of a $5,000 settlement agreement he signed with the archdiocese in 1994, he could not participate in mediation. Smith said he was molested by Murphy 50 to 70 times beginning at age 13.