By Kavita Kumar
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
October 9, 2007
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/education/story/A9540CCDE22B69758625736F00147770?OpenDocument
The Catholic Church settled a sexual abuse case in California last week against a man who is now the music director at St. Louis Community College at Meramec, prompting demands Monday for his removal from the college.
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| Larry Stukenholtz |
Larry Stukenholtz was accused in a lawsuit of raping a 17-year-old girl nearly a decade ago at a school where he had previously taught. On Friday, his case and three others were settled with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange for a total of $6.7 million.
Three activists with the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, stood outside the college's headquarters Monday, demanding that the college fire Stukenholtz — or at least suspend him.
"We believe the community college has a sexual predator on its payroll," said David Clohessy, national director of SNAP. "Students and staff should be protected from him." Stukenholtz told the Post-Dispatch last year that the accusations against him were "ridiculous" and that he did not abuse anyone. He could not be reached for comment Monday.
The lawsuit was first filed in California's Orange County in June 2006. In it, Sarah Gray, who has decided to identify herself publicly, alleged that Stukenholtz raped her in 1998 when he was choir director at Mater Dei High School, a prestigious Catholic school in Santa Ana, Calif.
Today, Gray is 26 and a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
"I am happy with the settlement," she said Monday. "It gives me some degree of satisfaction, but this is really just the beginning."
Gray said she hopes criminal charges will be brought against Stukenholtz, adding that she believes he remains a danger to young people.
"He is still in a position to do what he does best, which is to lure young people into his RELATED LINK
College employee is accused in lawsuit
control," she said.
| RELATED LINK College employee is accused in lawsuit |
Stukenholtz has been employed at St. Louis Community College since August 2001.
Pat Crowe, a college spokeswoman, said the school investigated the case after the lawsuit was filed. She declined to reveal the findings, citing confidential personnel matters. Stukenholtz remains a paid employee.
The four sexual abuse lawsuits settled last week involved lay personnel at Catholic institutions. The settlement represents the church's "moral obligation" for the "behavior by adults in positions of responsibility," Bishop Tod Brown, head of the Diocese of Orange, said in a statement.
"I sincerely hope that it will enable the women who brought these actions to begin the process of healing and reconciliation."
John Manly, one of Gray's attorneys, said she will receive more than $1 million from the settlement.
"I think it shows the gravity of harm," he said.
On Monday, in the college's lobby, SNAP activists asked to speak with interim Chancellor Zelema Harris. While they waited, Harris walked by them and left the building.
The group chased her down the street as she talked on her cell phone. Harris told them she was late for a meeting and that a spokeswoman would speak with them.
Crowe told them the college had just learned of the settlement an hour earlier and would review the information. She said she would give their letter to Harris.
"We hope to hear from the chancellor very soon," Clohessy said.
Contact: kkumar@post-dispatch.com or 314-340-8017.
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