St. Ignatius Priest Named in Alleged 50s Abuse Died Decades Ago, WKYC, August 25, 2011

St. Ignatius Priest Named in Alleged "50s Abuse Died Decades Ago

WKYC
August 25, 2011

http://www.wkyc.com/news/education/article/203792/35/St-Ignatius-priest-named-in-alleged-50s-abuse-died-decades-ago

Thousands of St. Ignatius High School alumni, as well as current students, staff and parents, are being notified of abuse allegations that happened in the '50s.

Channel 3 News first reported the story Wednesday night and learned Thursday that the Jesuit priest named in the allegations taught at the school for only four years and died nearly 30 years ago.

St. Ignatius says counseling and therapy will be offered to all the victims.

Last night Channel 3 reported that a letter was written by the school president, Reverend William Murphy, on August 15, with the intention to make people aware of the allegations that recently surfaced.

In the letter, Rev. Murphy writes that he became aware of the allegations himself only several weeks ago "when an alumnus wrote to his classmates... that he was the victim of sexual abuse by a Jesuit priest who was on the faculty at Saint Ignatius in the 1950s."

Rev. Murphy tells the alumni, "He was deeply troubled by [the victim's] letter and reached out to apologize for what he had suffered."

Rev. Murphy writes, he then "sent letters to all alumni who were at the school during that period. Sadly, those letters uncovered several more stories of sexual abuse from the 1950s."

All of the reports recalling the 1950s incidents have been turned over to the Director of Victim Advocacy at the Chicago-Detroit Province of the Jesuits.

The Director will assure that civil authorities are made aware of the allegations, and counseling and therapy will be offered to all victims.

In the school president's letter, sent to all alumni, students, parents, faculty and staff this week, Reverend Murphy writes, "No one should have to suffer what victims of sexual abuse have been made to suffer. As the current president of Saint Ignatius and as a member of the Jesuit community, I am deeply and profoundly saddened by what I have heard."

Channel 3 News first received a copy of the letter Wednesday evening.

The August 15 letter reiterates the number of steps Saint Ignatius has taken to protect students from predators over the years. The school encourages students to approach any adult at Saint Ignatius to report any behavior that concerns them.

Rev. Murphy writes, "the care and safety of our students is paramount to us. All of our faculty and staff share a commitment to the mission of developing each young man and guiding him in his journey to Christ. "We do not tolerate any form of abuse, and we absolutely do not support any efforts to protect abusers. In today's environment, if students told one another about inappropriate behavior, someone would come forward and we would address the allegations immediately."