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	Clerk Insists Judge Neglected to Warn Him of Ex-Priest's Past By Laura Frank The Tennessean July 27, 1999 Juvenile Court Clerk Kenny Norman said yesterday he was never warned one-time employee Edward J. McKeown, a former Roman Catholic priest, was a suspected pedophile. This directly contradicts former Juvenile Court Judge Andy Shookhoff, who last week told The Tennessean he went to Norman in 1990 after hearing McKeown had been treated for pedophilia and was forced to leave the priesthood because of child sex abuse. Last year, while McKeown held a part-time job that brought him to the Juvenile Court records department, he was awarded temporary custody of the boy he later was convicted of raping. "Nobody came to me," Norman said in an interview. "They should have." Norman said he heard nothing about McKeown's child sex abuse until McKeown's arrest last January. But Shookhoff said he told Norman about the allegations immediately after hearing them in 1990 and Norman "assured me he would take whatever action was appropriate." "It is inconceivable to me that Mr. Norman does not remember me bringing this to his attention," Shookhoff said yesterday. The Juvenile Court clerk is elected, not appointed by the judge. Shookhoff heard the allegations from a Juvenile Court probation officer, who had been alerted by a church worker. McKeown, 55, was sentenced last month to 25 years without parole for repeatedly raping and molesting a boy, starting when the boy was 12. That boy's mother and another mother who said her son was sexually abused by McKeown said the boys had visited Norman's farm with McKeown and helped out at political functions with the men. (The Tennessean does not name sexual abuse victims without their consent, and is not naming the mothers to protect the identity of their sons.) Norman said he could not comment on the custody case of the raped boy because it is still before the court. However, he issued a written statement saying he had "absolutely no idea and had no information that would ever lead me to believe that (McKeown) had horrific behavioral problems. "Fortunately, his job description did not put him in direct contact with juveniles while under my employ. "Even after his short employment with the Juvenile Court clerk's office, when I would see Mr. McKeown at political events, I still had no idea regarding his problems. Like many, I was shocked that he was found to be involved in behavior beyond comprehension." Norman declined further comment, directing questions to his lawyer and brother-in-law, state Sen. Joe M. Haynes. Haynes did not returned a phone message left at his home last night. In his written statement, Norman said McKeown worked directly for him for only six months, from Norman's swearing-in Sept. 1, 1990, to McKeown's departure for another job in the Metro property assessor's office. However, McKeown returned to Norman's office in March 1994 as a part-time worker for Maximus Inc., a private company contracted to handle Metro's child support collections. McKeown worked in the clerk's office in the evenings. Norman does not address this in his statement. McKeown first went to work in the Juvenile Court clerk's office six months before Norman took office. Vic Lineweaver, then Juvenile Court clerk, said McKeown applied for the job through the Metro Personnel Department, which recommended him and no allegations of misconduct were ever brought to his attention. Lineweaver said he could not recall asking McKeown why he left the priesthood. Norman, in his statement, said he did not return calls for comment from The Tennessean last week because he was vacationing with his family. However, calls to his office beginning last Wednesday were answered by employees who first said Norman was expected at the office and later said he was checking in and receiving his messages. Messages also were left at his home. TEXT OF NORMAN'S STATEMENT This is the full text of a written statement released by Kenny Norman, Juvenile Court clerk: Today I want to respond to news reports regarding the brief employment of Mr. Edward McKeown in the office of the Juvenile Court Clerk. A news report said that I was unavailable for comment that's because I was on vacation with my family last week. First, let me make it clear that state statutes prohibit me from discussing any on-going Juvenile Court case. Those records are closed for the protection of children and their families. Second, I want to set the record straight regarding the length of Mr. McKeown's employment. Recent news reports have incorrectly given the impression that Mr. McKeown was a long-time employee of the clerk's office. In fact, Mr. McKeown was hired by a former clerk in February of 1990. I was sworn in as clerk on September 1, 1990. Mr. McKeown left employment with my office six months later, on March 5, 1991. Third, during Mr. McKeown's short employment with my office, I had absolutely no idea and had no information that would ever lead me to believe that he had horrific behavioral problems. Fortunately, his job description did not put him in direct contact with juveniles while under my employ. Even after his short employment with the Juvenile Court Clerk's office, when I would see Mr. McKeown at political events, I still had no idea regarding his problems. Like many, I was shocked that he was found to be involved in behavior beyond comprehension.
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