CLEVELAND (OH)
WOIO - CBS 19 [Cleveland OH]
April 5, 2024
By Brian Koster
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – St. Ignatius High School released a statement in response to allegations of sexual abuse by a priest named Fr. Frank Canfield, S.J., against a student that allegedly occurred in the 2011-2012 Academic Year.
We were deeply saddened to hear about this incident that happened 12 years ago at our school.
We immediately reached out to the alumnus, encouraged him to bring it to the attention of the Midwest Providence to investigate, and offer him our deepest apologies along with pastoral care. We are glad he came forward and hope that by doing so, he has begun the healing process he deserves.
The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority and most sacred obligation.
Today, we have aggressive policies in place to protect student safety, including some of the strictest background checks in the country, annual training, and a zero-tolerance policy for any type of abusive behavior.
We have equipped every student with a mobile app that empowers them to report incidents while protecting their confidentiality and anonymity.
We are deeply committed to transparency and accountability. This commitment has guided all of our actions to do the right things—including informing parents, students, and the news media—upon learning of the situation.
We hold everyone at Saint Ignatius to the highest standards of integrity. We have zero tolerance for any type of abuse and any infractions of this trust will continue to be dealt with immediately.
St Ignatius also released a letter that was sent to Alumni from the classes of 2007-2017.