Utah Man Files Sex Abuse Case against Portland Archdiocese

Daily Astorian
June 26, 2013

http://www.dailyastorian.com/news/northwest/utah-man-files-sex-abuse-case-against-portland-archdiocese/article_32585822-7d3d-5d18-a8f8-c6f55fa151c4.html

A Utah man filed suit against the Archdiocese of Portland Tuesday, saying he was sexually abused by a Seaside priest during the 1980's.

43-year-old Scott Little alleges that when he was between the age of 10 and 12, he was sodomized on numerous occasions by Father Maurice Grammond.

Kelly Clark, Little's lawyer, says "We plan to prove that the Archdiocese of Portland had enough experience with child abuse by the time this man was abused, that for them to put a priest like Father Grammond in ministry, unrestricted with no warnings, essentially amounts to misrepresentation, and if you will fraud."

The lawsuit seeks more than $12 million in damages. Grammond is now dead, but he had denied any abuse.

In 2007, the Archdiocese of Portland settled with 23 men who claimed sexual abuse.

The terms of the settlement were not released, and the archdiocese did not admit fault. But it agreed to a task force to look into child-abuse complaints; "healing" services for those affected; and an apology from the then Archbishop, John Vlazny.

Archdiocese spokesman, Bud Bunce, said he can't comment on the new lawsuit. He stressed the church now has background checks and procedures to prevent abuse.

This story originally appeared on Oregon Public Broadcasting.