Fr. Leo J. Houseknecht
In a 1/2004 civil lawsuit, a woman alleged sexual abuse by Houseknecht when she was a student at Notre Dame High School in Bethlehem Township in the 1970s and Houseknecht was a teacher. She said Houseknecht spoke to her using crude/sexual language and that he inappropriately hugged her, his penis erect, at her family home. Per the 8/14/2018 PA Grand Jury Report, the woman said Houseknecht and another priest knew she was being abused by Rev. Richard J. Giuliani. Houseknecht was an active pastor when he died in 1990 at age 53. His name was included on the 8/19/2018 Allentown list of credibly accused.
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