By Bridgette P. LaVictorie
Lez Get Real
December 14, 2010
http://lezgetreal.com/2010/12/knights-of-columus-sued-over-two-cases-of-child-sexual-abuse/
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The Roman Catholic men’s fraternity Knights of Columbus has been one of the leading advocates against same-sex marriage often claiming that gay men prey upon children and that society had to stop same-sex marriage from happening in order to not have children being preyed upon by gay men. Now, something of the truth has come out with a lawsuit filed in Texas against the Knights of Columbus. Two men are alleging that they were sexually molested by Juan Rivera, leader of the K o C youth group Columbian Squiers, during the 1970’s and 1980’s. The two have been identified as Jim Denanny and “John Doe No. 1?, and each of them is seeking $5 million in damages.
Columbian Squires is the official youth organization of the Knights of Columbus, and is open to boys between the ages of ten and eighteen. The lawsuit states that the organization was made aware of the abuse back in 1986, but that they “concealed this report of abuse and intimidated the vitim into not making the abuse by Rivera public.”
K o C’s vice president for communications Patrick S. Korten has said that this is the first time a complaint of sexual abuse has been made against the organization.
John Doe has alleged that he was abused by Rivera between 1978 and 1986 and Dennany has stated he was abused between 1973 and 1977 when both were part of the Columbian Squiers. Korten maintains that the group was not aware of the abuse until 2009, and that Rivera was removed from the Squires immediately there after. He also said that the group was cooperating with Brownsville police. He is denying that the group was notified in 1986 saying “There is no indication of any kind in any of the records of which we’re aware that would indicate such a complaint was made.”
The Knights of Columbus donated some $1.4 million to ensuring that Prop 8 passed in California, and, thus, removing the right of lesbians and gays to get married from state law. They have been vocal foot soldiers in pushing the edicts of Pope Benedict on society.
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