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	Lawyer from Exton Representing Client in Clergy Litigation By Eric S. Smith Daily Local News April 3, 2011 http://dailylocal.com/articles/2011/04/03/news/srv0000011309893.txt A Chester County lawyer is one of at least two attorneys who have filed civil lawsuits against priests they allege abused their clients and against the Philadelphia Archdiocese officials they allege covered up and facilitated the abuse. Daniel Monahan of Exton has filed four suits in Philadelphia all with John Doe named as the plaintiff. Kenneth Millman of Wyomissing has also filed a suit on behalf of Mark Bukowski. Monahan said he has litigated cases of victim abuse before but has never filed a case against the archdiocese. Millman said he tried cases against the Philadelphia Archdiocese and other dioceses in the state. Both attorneys said the grand jury report released in February was the first time high-ranking officials in the Catholic church were criminally charged in abuse cases for cover-up attempts. They said that is why they named Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, former archbishop of the diocese; Cardinal Justin Rigali, current archbishop; and Monsignor William Lynn, who served as secretary for the clergy under Bevilacqua. Lynn most recently was the pastor at St. Joseph's Parish in Downingtown. Their assertion is that Lynn helped priests find new assignments within the archdiocese when he should have known they had abused children, Monahan said. "He was moving priests around and not advising them that there were predators in their midst," Monahan said. Rigali placed Lynn on administrative leave a week after the grand jury report was released. Lynn was initially charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Recently, two charges of conspiracy were added. Rigali also placed 21 priests on leave in early March in conjunction with the grand jury report. Four priests in Chester County — Joseph Glatts of Ss. Simon and Jude in Westtown, Daniel Hoy of Our Lady of Assumption in Tredyffrin, Steven Harris of St. Isaac Jogues in Tredyffrin and Peter Talocchi of St. Patrick's in Malvern — were among those placed on leave. On Wednesday, Rigali placed two retired priests on leave. David Givey, who served as Newman chaplain at West Chester University, was one of the two. Rigali said all of his actions are interim measures and in no way admit guilt. The case filed by Millman alleges that the Rev. James Brennan abused the plaintiff. It also alleges that Lynn knew of past abuse by Brennan while he was at Cardinal O'Hara High School. The case states Lynn met with Brennan to discuss the alleged abuse at the school but did not attempt to correct or prevent the problem in the future. "Despite knowing of Father Brennan's illicit living arrangements with the aforesaid Cardinal O'Hara student, and reports from Cardinal O'Hara, Monsignor Lynn never discussed with Father Brennan his deviant interest in children," the case states. The various cases are seeking judgments of more than $50,000 in damages to the plaintiffs. "I know that for many people their trust in the church has been shaken. I pray that the efforts of the archdiocese to address these cases of concern and to re-evaluate our way of handling allegations will help rebuild that trust in truth and justice," Rigali has said in a statement. Contact: esmith@dailylocal.com
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