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	Protesters Confront Fresno Diocese Officials Three Seek to Raise Awareness of Sex Abuse by Priests By Vanessa Colon Fresno Bee September 25, 2007 http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/147540.html Three protesters who demanded full disclosure of a sexual abuse complaint from the Diocese of Fresno were confronted Monday by diocese school officials who accused them of trespassing. The exchange occurred as two San Diego men and a Newport Beach woman campaigned on a public sidewalk outside the diocese offices to raise awareness about sexually abused Catholics. The three, who represent the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, were themselves abused by clergy or parochial schoolteachers. The three said Bishop John Steinbock failed to appropriately address a complaint of sexual abuse made against Bishop Tod Brown. Brown, who once worked for the Fresno Diocese in Bakersfield, was accused in 1997 of molesting a boy in the 1960s. He is now the bishop of the Diocese of Orange. "This is where the ball was dropped ... We want complete disclosure. We want all the files released and the allegations made public," said Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, a regional director of Survivors Network. The Fresno Diocese said earlier this month it received a letter in 1997 "alleging sexual misconduct" by Brown more than 40 years ago in Bakersfield. "Bishop Steinbock promptly initiated an investigation into the allegations," diocese spokesman the Rev. Jesse Avila said in a statement dated Sept. 13. Avila said a diocese board found that there "was absolutely no factual or credible basis whatsoever to believe that the priest named in the allegations committed any misconduct." The protesters, who had been standing in front of San Joaquin Memorial High School, crossed the street after they were told to get off the public sidewalk. School officials also called police, who then questioned the three. They were not arrested. At one point, Marcus Rodriguez, Memorial's dean of students, asked the three why they are "crying about it" now. Rodriguez said he felt provoked when one of the protesters asked how he would feel if one of his children had been sexually abused by a priest. He said he wasn't trying to be sarcastic but was upset by the question. "If I said something to offend him, I definitely apologize," he said. But the protesters said they were appalled by his comments. "That's what you call revictimizing a victim," said Paul Livingston, 42, of San Diego. The reporter can be reached at vcolon@fresnobee.com or (559)441-6313.
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