Two San Antonio priests accused of sexual assault of child in lawsuit

By Kaley Fowler
San Antonio Express-News
May 27, 2015

http://sanantonio.suntimes.com/sa-news/7/128/99539/lawsuit-alleges-san-antonio-priests-sexually-abused-child

A civil lawsuit that alleges sexual abuse on the part of two priests in the Archdiocese of San Antonio was filed this month in Bexar County Court.

Father Jesus Armando Dominguez and Father Virgilio Elizondo are named as defendants in the suit, alongside the Archdiocese of San Antonio and three archbishops, who, according to the allegations laid out in the 19-page suit, conspired to cover-up the abuses rather than report them to authorities.

The plaintiff is identified as John Doe, who claims Dominguez sexually abused him from 1980 to 1983 when he was living in an orphanage and Dominguez was attending seminary school at Assumption Seminary. Court documents allege that the abuse took place in Dominguez’ dormitory.

The plaintiff also claims Elizondo touched him in appropriately. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff went to Elizondo “to seek clarity from Father Elizondo regarding his past interactions with the now, Father Dominguez.”

Court documents describe a 1983 incident in which Elizondo allegedly “reached over, kissed him, and began to fondle him…” at which point the plaintiff “fought off Father Elizondo and then ran from his vehicle.”

According to WSBT, the lawsuit was filed against the Archdiocese of San Antonio on Tuesday. The lawsuit claims the diocese did “nothing to expose these incidents of molestation.”

Elizondo is an endowed professor in the University of Notre Dame’s Department of Theology. The university provided this statement to WSBT:

“We can confirm that Father Elizondo is on the faculty, but we are just learning of the allegation through your inquiry. We are reserving further comment until we examine the plaintiff’s San Antonio filing and make further inquiries.”

Elizondo is not facing criminal charges. It is unclear how much money the plaintiff seeks in damages.