April 14, 2006

Man claiming abuse sues priest, archdiocese

CHICAGO (IL)
Chicago Sun-Times

April 14, 2006

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and a priest who has been removed from ministry are defendants in a lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court on Thursday by a "John Doe" who says he was molested in his early teens.

The unnamed plaintiff alleges that from 1994 to 1996, when he was 13 to 14 years old, he was repeatedly sexually molested by the Rev. James C. Hagan while at St. Denis parish in Chicago. The six-count sex abuse lawsuit, which includes charges of negligence and fraud on the part of the archdiocese, is asking for compensation in excess of $50,000.

Hagan was put on administrative leave in 1996, ending an eight-year stint as pastor of St. Denis, according to a statement issued by the archdiocese Thursday night. Hagan has not been a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago since April 1997.

Posted by kshaw at April 14, 2006 06:58 AM