St. Cat's Teacher Retires after 1970s Abuse Alleged

By Lindsay Fiori
Journal Times
January 18, 2012

http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/st-cat-s-teacher-retires-after-s-abuse-alleged/article_64989722-41cf-11e1-8d81-001871e3ce6c.html

RACINE — A St. Catherine's High School teacher retired this month after abuse allegations were raised regarding a previous school, according to St. Catherine's officials.

Gary Craanen, a religion teacher at St. Catherine's for more than 30 years, retired in January after the author of an upcoming book about sexual abuse in the Catholic Diocese of Trenton, N.J., notified St. Catherine's officials of allegations involving Craanen, according to a Jan. 13 letter to the school community from St. Catherine's President Christopher Olley.

The book alleges Craanen solicited two teenage boys for sexual services and performed a sexual act in front of one of them during the late 1970s while he was vice principal and disciplinarian at the Divine Word Seminary high school in Bordentown, N.J, according to Bruce Novozinsky, author of the book, which is scheduled for self-publication through Amazon in May.

"It was 30 years ago but it does matter," said Novozinsky, who attended the school himself with the alleged abuse victims.

Novozinsky contacted the Milwaukee Archdiocese about the allegations against Craanen and archdiocesan officials in turn contacted St. Catherine's Olley, said Brendan O'Brien, spokesman for the school, 1200 Park Ave.

"The allegations are serious and it's directly in contrast with everything St. Catherine's has stood for," O'Brien said. "It's a shocking thing and unsettling."

But, O'Brien added, Craanen was never charged or convicted for anything and in the more than 30 years he taught at St. Catherine's there was not a single complaint about his behavior.

There are also no known Racine abuse victims, according to Sgt. Marty Pavilonis, spokesman for the Racine Police Department, which is conducting an ongoing investigation based on information provided by St. Catherine's staff through their own internal investigation.

Craanen did not want to be present during the investigation and retired, O'Brien said. Olley declined to disclose any terms of the retirement or outcomes of the internal investigation.

Milwaukee Archdiocese spokeswoman Julie Wolf said St. Catherine's performed appropriate background checks when Craanen was hired and has taken appropriate steps since the abuse allegations came to light.

Craanen could not be reached for comment.

Contact: lindsay.fiori@journaltimes.com