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	Christian Bros. Bankrupt after Sex Abuse Settlement By Colleen Fontana The Spectator May 11, 2011 http://www.su-spectator.com/news/christian-bros-bankrupt-after-sex-abuse-settlement-1.2226843 When Brother Dominic Murray, principal of O'Dea High School, heard that the Congregation of Christian Brothers had filed for bankruptcy due to the number of sexual abuse settlements the group had undergone, he insisted the occurrence would not affect his school. "As principal, I can state with confidence there will be no short or long-term impact on the viability and continuity of our school, or on the quality of education that is the benchmark of this institution," wrote Murray in a letter to the O'Dea community after the filing. The order of the Christian Brothers runs O'Dea High School as well as several other schools across the country. Last week the Brothers filed for bankruptcy due to the $25.6 million owed from nearly 50 settlement cases of sexual abuse. "Most of the abuses occurred with the most vulnerable children who had nowhere to turn and no one to tell," said Michael Pfau, a Seattle attorney who has represented numerous victims of sexual abuse, in a recent Seattle Times article. Leonardo Rozal, however, a Seattle University sophomore and graduate of O'Dea High School, recalls his days at O'Dea fondly. "To sum up O'Dea, it's pretty much camaraderie," Rozal said. Though he says he was aware of the abuse allegations while at school there, he admits it wasn't a serious focus of conversation. "It was more of a side topic among students," he said. "In fact, sometimes I think it was seen as a little butt of a joke just because at O'Dea there was a very friendly atmosphere between students and teachers. It was never really a big topic that we debated just because it never related to us and we never experienced any of that and we never had any suspicions to believe that was occurring within our school." Seeing the settlements and bankruptcy now, it doesn't change his opinion about his alma mater. "It's a shame because I know that doesn't represent what O'Dea was about," he said. "As I see it, it's an individual's mistake. Definitely the institution doesn't support that or condone any of those actions." Rozal doesn't think there needs to be any policy changes at O'Dea. For him, change could lie in simply being open to dialogue on the issue. Murray did not agree to an interview to answer whether policies would undergo change, but in his letter, he highlights that safeguards are already in place. "The Archdiocese of Seattle has mandatory policies in place which provide pastoral care for victims, legal due process for all concerned, full cooperation with law enforcement and, most importantly, strong emphasis upon prevention and education for all who serve the church community. All O'Dea employees undergo background checks and Professional Ethics training," Murray wrote. But Pfau argues that such a promise isn't good enough. "The Christian Brothers came to New York at the turn of the last century and they slowly moved west," said Pfau in an article on the attorney's website. "They operated schools in many states, including New York, Chicago, Montana, Washington, California, and Hawaii. Given the severity of sexual abuse we have seen in their internal documents, and their cover-up of that abuse, it is difficult to imagine how many children were likely abused at their schools." Contact: cfontana@su-spectator.com
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