Rev. James E. Kleman

Summary of Case: In December 2003 a woman joined a class action suit against the diocese, alleging she was abused by Kleman in Northern Kentucky in 1959 when she was 10. She also alleged that Kleman abused her (now) deceased older brother when the boy was 12. Kleman reportedly also abused a teenage boy at least 50 times 1958-61. This claimant was also included in the settlement. Kleman died March 9, 1974.

Ordained: 1955
Died: March 9, 1074

     

Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1955

William Theodore Mulloy was Covington bishop (1944-1959)

1959 St. Anthony's

Forest Hills (Latonia)

• Kleman was accused in a 2003 lawsuit of having sexually abused a boy between 1958-1961. Some of the abuse is said to have occurred in St. Anthony's rectory and on one occasion of abuse the pastor is said to have walked in on the priest and boy. The pastor turned around and walked out, and nothing more was done. (Kentucky Post
July 2, 2010)

KY 2/2 Parish had a school with 101-120 boys and 130-152 girls.
    Covington Catholic High School

Park Hills

• The man who accused Kleman in the 2003 lawsuit of sexually abusing him as a boy between 1958-1961 said some of the incidents occurred at Covington Catholic, where the accuser was a student and Kleman was a teacher. (KY Post, July 2, 2010)

 KY religion and latin teacher Covington Catholic is a Marianist High school for boys.

1957

Richard Henry Ackerman, C.S.Sp. succeeded Mulloy (1960-1978)

 

 1961 Diocesan Director of Catholic Boy Scouts Covington KY    
1957 1960 Diocesan Directors of Catholic Youth Organization Covington KY    
1959 1960 Blessed Sacrament

S. Ft. Mitchell

• Kleman was accused in a 2003 lawsuit of having begun sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl at this parish in 1959. He was also accused in the suit of abusing the girl's brother, beginning when the brother was 12-years-old. (The Kentucky Post [Covington KY]
Downloaded December 24, 2003)

KY 3/4 Parish had a school with 384 boys and 330 girls.
1960 1961 Sacred Heart Bellevue KY 3/3 Parish had a school with 314 boys and 289 girls.
1960    Newport Catholic High School  Newport KY  faculty  
1961 1963 St. William's Lancaster KY 3/3, 4/4 Parish had a school with 18-16 boys and 10-12 girls.
1961 1963 St. Clare Berea KY   This was a mission of St. William's in Lancaster.
1961 1963 Our Lady of Loretto Mt. Vernon KY   This was a mission of St. William's in Lancaster.
1961 1963 St. Paul's McKee KY   This was a mission of St. William's in Lancaster.
1963 1966

On Leave

       
1966 1968 Blessed Sacrament Ft. Mitchell KY 4/4 Parish had a school with 475-478 boys and 409-437 girls.
1968 1970 St. Elizabeth Hospital Covington KY co-chaplain  
1970 1973 Sick Leave        
1973 1974 Corpus Christi Newport KY    
1973 1974 Catholic Mission Newport KY  

This was a mission of Corpus Christi.

Kleman died March 9, 1974.

In 2020 Kleman's name was included on the diocese's list of those with substantiated allegations. (Diocese of Covington, Jully 2020)


Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1956-1975)

Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy and Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.

This assignment record collates Kleman's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation we report, and we remind our readers that the U.S. legal system presumes that a person accused of or charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, individuals who may be defendants in civil actions are presumed not to be liable for such claims unless a plaintiff proves otherwise. Admissions of guilt or liability are not typically a part of civil or private settlements. For more information, see our posting policy.

This assignment record was last updated on Dec. 22, 2010