UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter
Brian Roewe | Feb. 1, 2017
The board chairwoman for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests on Wednesday defended the advocacy group from what she called “inflammatory and untrue allegations” made by a former employee, including a forceful denial of the existence of a kickback scheme swapping client referrals for attorney donations.
In a statement, Mary Ellen Kruger, chair of the SNAP board of directors, cast the lawsuit brought by former development director Gretchen Hammond in mid-January as “containing false and inflammatory allegations.”
“We are saddened and disappointed that Ms. Hammond would sue a group of volunteers — a group with whom she has never spoken about her concerns — in an attempt to challenge our mission,” Kruger wrote. “… Our work is its own reward. We do it because we want to stop the cycle of abuse.”
Hammond, who worked for SNAP from July 2011-February 2013, filed the lawsuit Jan. 17 for what she describes as her retaliatory discharge, and seeks compensatory damages and the cost of legal fees. The suit specifically names SNAP president Barbara Blaine, outreach director Barbara Dorris, and David Clohessy, its now-former national director, who resigned at the end of 2016. His decision to leave SNAP was made in October and was not related to the lawsuit.
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