SAN FRANCISCO (CA)
SNAP - Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests [Chicago IL]
March 28, 2025
Yesterday, federal bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali soundly rejected arguments that there was no bankruptcy purpose for the disclosure of meeting minutes prepared by the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Independent Review Board and of anonymous claims data submitted by survivors of childhood sexual abuse in the bankruptcy. SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is grateful to the judge for his ruling, as well as to the creditors committee and their attorneys for pursuing the public release of this information.
Pachulski, Stang Ziehl & Jones attorney Brittany Michael, who represented the creditors’ committee, called the ruling “unprecedented.” Along with the creditor’s committee co-chair Margie O’Driscoll, we hope that this decision will set a precedent so that all Catholic dioceses will be forced to be accountable and transparent about abuse, even if they file for bankruptcy.
California SNAP leader and survivor, Dan McNevin, observed that “The knowledge gleaned from raw files in similar clergy cases in San Diego revealed a much more complete story of cover up.”
SNAP Survivor Support Director, Melanie Sakoda, added, “San Francisco is the only California diocese without a list of “credibly accused” clergy. It is long past time secular authorities put an end to the secrecy.”
The Independent Review Board (IRB) minutes were prepared by an Archdiocese Advisory Board that was responsible for investigating accusations of abuse and making recommendations to the Archbishop regarding the appropriate response. The creditor’s committee believed that the IRB Minutes should be publicly disclosed because, despite the Archdiocese’s assurances that the Board was independent and that its mission was to protect children, the minutes showed undue concern for the perpetrators and their reputations, and were too skeptical of victims’ credibility.
The Claims Data was from survivors’ proofs of claim submitted as part of the bankruptcy. It included the age range of victims when the abuse began, the current age range of survivors, the specific types of abuse alleged, the named perpetrators and how many claims are associated with each, and the locations where abuse occurred. According to PSZJ, no survivor objected to disclosure of this information.
We hope that this ruling does indeed set a new legal precedent in Catholic bankruptcy cases, so that information important to parishioners and the public cannot be hidden by filing for bankruptcy protection. But at the very least, we hope that the public disclosure of the IRB meeting minutes and the claims data will provide information to help protect today’s children from previously hidden abusers, and provide survivors who came forward in the bankruptcy, as well as those who were unable or not ready to come forward, with a measure of vindication.
Healing begins with knowing that you are not alone, and that your perpetrator has been publicly exposed.