Media Release – October 12, 2016

Road to Recovery
October 13, 2016

http://www.road-to-recovery.org/

Two civil lawsuits by childhood sexual abuse victims, one a female and one a male, filed in Essex County, New Jersey Superior Court against Fr. Michael “Mitch” Walters, a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey; St. Cassian’s Church and School, Upper Montclair, New Jersey; and the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey

David Ohlmuller (D.O.) and Danielle Polemeni (D.P.) claim that Fr. Michael “Mitch” Walters sexually abused them approximately during the years 1982 – 1983 when they were parishioners and students of St. Cassian’s Parish and School in Upper Montclair, New Jersey

David Ohlmuller(D.O.) and Danielle Polemeni (D.P.) seek justice through the civil courts of New Jersey. They are two of six known childhood sexual abuse victims of Fr. Michael “Mitch” Walters

What

A press conference announcing the filing of two civil lawsuits in Essex County, New Jersey, Superior Court, on behalf of two childhood sexual abuse victims of Fr. Michael “Mitch” Walters, David Ohlmuller (D.O.) and Danielle Polemeni (D.P.)

When

Thursday, October 13, 2016 at 1:00 pm

Where

On the public sidewalk outside St. Cassian’s Roman Catholic Church, 187 Bellevue Avenue, Upper Montclair, New Jersey 07043

Who

Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D., President of Road to Recovery, Inc., a non-profit charity based in New Jersey that assists victims of sexual abuse and their families

Why

Fr. Michael “Mitch” Walters’ was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in approximately1981. From approximately 1982 until 1989, he was assigned to St. Cassian’s Parish, Upper Montclair, New Jersey. Six childhood sexual abuse victims of Fr. Michael “Mitch” Walters (one woman and five men) have come forward to report that they were sexually abused by Fr. Michael “Mitch” Walters while he was assigned to St. Cassian’s Parish, Upper Montclair, New Jersey (5 victims between approximately 1982 and 1985) and St. John Nepomucene Parish in Guttenberg, New Jersey (1 victim in approximately 1994). Recently, two of the alleged victims of Fr. Walters, David Ohlmuller (D.O.) and Danielle Polemeni (D.P.), filed separate civil lawsuits in Essex County, New Jersey, Superior Court, alleging that between approximately 1982 and 1983, Fr. Michael “Mitch” Walters sexually abused them while they were parishioners and students at St. Cassian’s Parish in Upper Montclair, New Jersey. Copies of the lawsuits will be available.

Contacts

Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D., Road to Recovery, Inc., 862-368-2800 – roberthoatson@gmail.com

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, Boston, MA, 617-523-6250 – garabedianlaw@msn.com