MAINE
Bangor Daily News
By Judy Harrison, BDN Staff
Posted Aug. 17, 2016
PORTLAND, Maine — Having had a $14.5 million defamation judgment in their favor overturned in federal court, the nonprofit organization and the former Catholic brother linked by a Freeport man to unproven abuse allegations involving Haitian orphans are now seeking redress in state court.
Attorneys for Hearts with Haiti, Inc., headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Michael Geilenfeld, 64, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, sued Paul Kendrick, 66, on Monday in Cumberland County Superior Court.
The new lawsuit claims Kendrick, an advocate for children sexually abused by clergy, was reckless and negligent in publicly accusing former Catholic brother Geilenfeld of molesting children in his care and accusing the charity of ignoring abuse allegations against Geilenfeld.
Kendrick posted accusations online, sent out mass emails and mailed letters to potential Hearts with Haiti donors alleging that Geilenfeld sexually abused orphans in his care. On Sunday, he again accused Geilenfeld of sexually abusing children in Haiti.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.