Barred Volunteer's Lawsuit Claims Defamation by Catholic Diocese

By Elizabeth Campbell
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
December 16, 2012

http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/12/15/4487764/barred-volunteers-lawsuit-claims.html

Joseph Jordan spent more than 20 years volunteering to chaperone children on ski trips and pilgrimages to see the pope whenever he visited the United States.

He also taught a course on child safety because of the numerous incidents of sexual abuse by priests in the Roman Catholic Church.

So Jordan was shocked when he was summoned to the Fort Worth Roman Catholic Diocese offices July 27 and told that he was no longer allowed to volunteer in any capacity because of accusations of "boundary violations" involving youth and young adults. Jordan was also told that he could no longer participate in Knights of Columbus activities.

"This ban is diocesan wide and includes not showing up or participating in any youth or young people's events," wrote Vicar General Stephen Berg. Letters outlining Jordan's ban from volunteering were distributed throughout the diocese, which serves 710,000 Catholics in 28 counties.

For Jordan, also a high-ranking official in the Knights of Columbus who had worked with young people in San Antonio and the Fort Worth area, it was a crushing blow, not only to his reputation but one that has destroyed his life as a Catholic.

To restore his reputation and his place in the church, Jordan filed a defamation suit against the diocese earlier last week.

Pat Svacina, a spokesman for the diocese, said the church had not been served with the lawsuit but said, "Attorneys will review any filings that are received and take appropriate action."

Diocese officials named in the lawsuit include former Bishop Kevin Vann and Vicar General Stephen Berg as well as staff members at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Keller including the Rev. Monsignor James Hart and youth minister Gabe Gutierrez.

Vann, who led the Fort Worth diocese for seven years, was installed as bishop in Orange County, Calif., last week. Berg has been named diocesan administrator and will oversee the diocese until Pope Benedict XVI selects a new bishop.

The suit alleges that the diocese basically accused Jordan of being a pedophile and/or a child molester.

The court documents also contend that when the diocese circulated letters and e-mails stating that Jordan had been removed as a volunteer that crucial facts were omitted.

"Clearly, an ordinary reader would interpret the defamatory communications, both in total and individually, as accusations of [Jordan] being a child molester and/or pedophile and/or sexual abuser, particularly when considered along with the circumstance of the Fort Worth Diocese being the subject of numerous lawsuits and enormous publicity arising from allegations of sexual abuse by Catholic priests," the lawsuit states.

The Knights of Columbus, interpreting the communications as intended by the diocese, also asked Jordan to resign while he challenged the diocese's decision, according to court documents.

Jordan was also told that he could not contact, directly or via social media, any youth or young person he had been in contact with, particularly at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, court documents show.

Larry Thompson, Jordan's attorney from Houston, said he was not aware of any police investigations into the accusations against Jordan. Police officials in Keller and Colleyville said they were not aware of any investigations of Jordan.

Thompson said Jordan still has no idea of what he allegedly did or who complained to the diocese and that his client was denied any opportunity to face his accusers or to defend himself when Berg read the letter to him July 27.

"I am outraged about how the church has handled this, especially when I've read about how the diocese covered up incidents with priests and sent them other places," Thompson said.

According to court documents, Jordan and his wife, who have no children, taught a course called Keeping Children Safe to those who were active with Catholic youth about behavior standards outlined in the diocese's code of conduct.

Besides teaching about child safety, Jordan devoted much of his time to working with high school students in his church and through the Columbian Squires, a boys youth organization within the Knights of Columbus.

Jordan also served as grand Knight and as a trustee for Knights of Columbus council 759 in Keller.

"Now he [Jordan] cannot set foot in a Catholic church for Mass without people looking at him, wondering what he possibly could have done that resulted in his being banned from serving the youth of the diocese," the lawsuit states.

'Boundary violations'

The Fort Worth diocese, like many around the country, has been rocked by allegations of sexual abuse by priests. Under Vann's leadership, at least 27 people settled abuse claims, including three women. Most of the settlements were confidential.

Since the priest abuse accusations were made public years ago, the diocese has implemented safeguards for protection of children against abuse and trained thousands of employees, priests and volunteers how to take steps to prevent abuse.

In his July 27 letter, Berg wrote, "During the past few weeks, there have been reports of boundary violations by you involving youth and young adults. On behalf of Bishop Vann, I have looked in to these reports and determined that they are violations of the standard of behavior as described in the Code of Conduct and Behavior."

The letter described how Jordan had signed the code of conduct documents.

"As a result of these violations, Bishop Vann has concurred that you cannot serve as a volunteer with children or young people in parishes, schools and other ministries within the Diocese of Fort Worth."

The letter also referred to Jordan's history at Good Shepherd Parish in Colleyville.

Thompson said "boundary violations" are serious and can include inappropriate touching or emotional trauma, but he does not know which violations Jordan is accused of.

Thompson said the incident at the Good Shepherd Parish in Colleyville was a "run-in that Jordan had with nuns." Thompson said Jordan told Vann about the incident when he moved to Elizabeth Ann Seton from Colleyville, and that the bishop "did not think it was a big deal."

Gutierrez, the youth minister at Elizabeth Ann Seton, is accused of sending an e-mail to the parish and the school with accusations against Jordan that could have been seen by more than 1,000 families.

Jordan is seeking punitive damages against diocese officials and stated that his potential to earn wages has been "diminished."

Thompson said Jordan no longer attends Mass, and that the accusations have ruined his life as a Catholic.

"He still knows people who know he wouldn't do anything wrong, but this is going to impact his life."

Contact: liz@star-telegram.com