By Peter Rugg
Peter Rugg
February 17, 2011
http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2011/02/kansas_city_priests_sexual_abuse.php
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| If your priest was accused of molesting a kid, would you want him still serving? |
At this point, it feels like there are almost as many lawsuits in Missouri charging priests with child abuse as there are saints' days on the calendar.
The latest one to be filed brings up some familiar names to anyone who has followed the history of these allegations against Kansas City's Catholic leaders, naming Thomas O'Brien, Thomas Reardon and Michael Tierney. The lawsuit alleges that O'Brien exposed himself to and abused an 11-year-old boy, while Reardon and Tierney made advances to the boy. Even more disturbing -- O'Brien is allegedly still active in the diocese.
Both Reardon and O'Brien have long since been out of the priesthood. Tierney is listed on the Christ the King parish website under staff as the pastor.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests has called for Tierney's removal, but he's yet to be convicted of anything. The first lawsuit against him was filed last October, alleging that he molested a 13-year-old boy. That case is still pending.
In this case, the accuser's identity is being kept secret. All that's been released on him is that he still lives in Missouri and is being represented by KC attorney Rebecca Randles. Over the last decade, Randles has represented dozens of men accusing priests of molesting them as young boys.
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