(NY)
Brooklyn Paper [Brooklyn NY]
February 7, 2025
By Lauren Rapp
Four individuals have filed lawsuits against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, alleging they endured sexual abuse and harassment by church officials between 1960 and 1980.
The defendants were between the ages of 10 and 14 at the time of the alleged assaults.
“The suit alleges that the Diocese had full knowledge that numerous priests in positions of trust were grooming and sexually abusing children and not only did nothing about it [but] intentionally concealed it,” stated the Clarkson Law Firm.
The four individuals, who are now adults, were able to file lawsuits against the Diocese under the updated Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act. The act opened a two-year window for victims to file civil suits against assailants and institutions that enabled sexual abuse, with no statute of limitations. The window to file similar cases closes on Feb. 28, 2025, after which a 9-year statute of limitations will apply.
Kristin Burnett, a defendant in the case, claims when she was 12 years old, she was groomed and publicly assaulted at a school event by Father Gribbon at St. Clare Academy in Queens.
“He was a young priest and constantly went out of his way to ingratiate himself with the young students, successfully procuring the students’—and the parish’s—trust,” states the complaint filed by Clarkson Law Firm on behalf of Burnett. “As a then-devout Catholic, Plaintiff [Kristin Burnett] similarly trusted Father Gribbon, which Gribbon intentionally cultivated, knowing it would make Plaintiff easier to exploit and manipulate.”
Burnett claims the alleged assault resulted in lifelong difficulties, including experiencing “tremendous instability” and emotional distress. She states the abuse prevented her from finishing high school and pursuing higher education, resulting in financial hardship.
The Diocese of Brooklyn became aware of allegations of abuse against Father Gribbon on Jan. 30, 2024, according to a spokesperson at the Diocese.
“The investigation was presented to the Diocesan Review Board, which voted on the case in November 2024,” shared Adriana Rodriguez, press secretary of the Diocese of Brooklyn, with Brooklyn Paper.
“The Board voted there was not sufficient evidence to substantiate the sexual abuse allegation against Gribbon,” stated Rodriguez.
Father Gribbon has continued his work with the Resurrection Church in Sheepshead Bay, according to a spokesperson at the church.
The Resurrection Church did not reply to requests for further comment.
The complaint filed against Father Gribbon listed him as a Chaplain at St. Edmund High School in Sheepshead Bay. As of Sept. 2024, Father Gribbon no longer works with the school, confirmed Colin Pinnavaia, a spokesperson at St. Edmund.
The other three defendants have chosen to stay anonymous but have accused church officials of abuse at Bedford-Stuyevesant Jr. High School as well as at St. Joachim & Anne Parish and Our Lady of Snow Parish, both located in Queens.
These lawsuits will be added to a mounting list of abuse-related cases filed against the Diocese of Brooklyn, including the almost 600 lawsuits filed between 2019 and 2021.
“There is a pervasive culture of permissiveness and denial surrounding sexual misconduct within the Catholic Church that has caused children irreparable harm,” said Sara Beller, an associate at Clarkson Law Firm. “These cases are not stand-alone incidents but illustrative of the experiences of the hundreds, potentially thousands, of minors whose vulnerability has been taken advantage of and abused by the Diocese of Brooklyn.”
The four lawsuits will be tried in the Supreme Court of the State of New York.