PENNSLVANIA
CBS Pittsburgh
Lynne Hayes-Freeland
PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) – The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh says a clergyman awaiting trial on charges he molested four students 30 years ago at a school in Australia is the subject of a “credible” allegation of abuse from when he taught at the city’s North Catholic High School.
Fr. Ronald Lengwin, spokesman for the diocese, tells the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that the complaint against Marianist Brother Bernard Hartman has been turned over to authorities.
Fr. Lengwin says a former student at the school, since renamed Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School, came forward as the diocese was preparing a letter to North Catholic alumni about the Australian charges.
“’You should also, in terms of how you can handle this, because I was sexually abused by him.’ We have staff that met, believe the allegation to be credible,” said Fr. Lengwin.
The diocese then sent a letter stating its policy to more than 4,000 graduates of North Catholic, alerting them to the allegation.
The letter states: “Only on March 20, 2014, after a newspaper reporter contacted the Diocese about the court case in Australia, did the Diocese and Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School learn of the serious charges against Brother Hartman.”
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