Church Choir Director Accused of Sexual Misconduct Hit with $400,000 Civil Verdict

By Christian Nolan
Connecticut Law Tribune
September 8, 2015

http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202736645439/Church-Choir-Director-Accused-of-Sexual-Misconduct-Hit-With-400000-Civil-Verdict?mcode=0&curindex=0&slreturn=20150810142540

Michael Doe v. Shawn Pahl, et al.: A member of a church youth choir who was sexually abused by the choir's director has been awarded $400,000 in damages by a judge.

Because he was a minor when the abuse occurred, the male plaintiff is known only as Michael Doe in court documents. The defendant, Shawn Pahl, was hired as a part-time organist and choir director more than a decade ago at St. John the Evangelist Church in New Britain.

Lawyers involved in the case did not respond to repeated messages for comment. But according to court documents, Doe was 12 years old when he first met Pahl. Doe liked music and expressed an interest in playing the organ and singing in the youth choir. The two developed a friendship and when Doe was confirmed in the Catholic church, he asked Pahl to be his confirmation sponsor. When Doe was confirmed, he was 14; Pahl was 33.

After the confirmation, the two went back to Pahl's parent's home for dinner. Later, the two discussed various topics, including homosexuality. Doe had suspected from the rainbow stickers on Pahl's car that he was gay. Doe was excited to talk to someone about what he was going through with his own sexuality. He was not close with his mother and his father was not in his life. Pahl became a father figure.