XPost: sac.general, alt.homosexual, ca.general   
   XPost: rec.scouting.issues   
   From: media@glaad.org   
      
   The priest left ministry on founding All American Boys Choir in   
   the 1970s. He never served as a priest of the Diocese of Orange,   
   they said.   
      
   ORANGE, CA — In response to a recent lawsuit filed in Orange   
   County alleging that a priest, who was the founder of the All   
   American Boys Chorus, was allowed to sexually prey on children   
   for years, Diocese of Orange officials Wednesday said he never   
   worked in the county.   
      
   The lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior Court on Feb. 3 does   
   not specify a defendant, but it refers to a priest, chorus and   
   Diocese.   
      
   The lawsuit alleges that the plaintiff, who is unnamed, was   
   molested by a priest, who also is not named. The Survivors   
   Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, identified the   
   accused as Fr. Richard T. Coughlin, the founder and former   
   director of the chorus in 1970.   
      
   Dogged by sexual abuse allegations in Boston, Coughlin was sent   
   to California, SNAP alleged.   
      
   The alleged victims believed that the chorus was "run by a   
   gregarious, charismatic and affectionate Catholic priest with an   
   Irish brogue (who) would serve to uplift and inspire," according   
   to the lawsuit.   
      
   "Instead (the priest) for decades since (the) 1950s had been   
   sexually molesting boys, sheltered, protected and enabled by his   
   church superiors," according to the lawsuit.   
      
   The Diocese of Orange issued the following statement:   
      
   "Our Diocese and the Church more broadly have publicly   
   acknowledged past failings and have apologized personally to the   
   victims of abuse and their families and worked to reach a fair   
   resolution of every legitimate abuse claim, enabling victims to   
   begin their healing.   
      
   The Diocese of Orange reached several such settlements with   
   victim survivors of Richard Coughlin as part of the global   
   settlement reached in 2003.   
      
   "This bold initiative to settle these long past clergy abuse   
   cases in a respectful and humble manner and to institute strict   
   procedures for the protection of children and young people has   
   been seen as a model for others," they said. "We also took the   
   unprecedented step of releasing all appropriate personnel files   
   related to this settlement in May of 2005. Additionally all   
   priests removed from public ministry related to the Charter for   
   the Protection of Children and Young People are publicly   
   available on our website.   
      
   "Richard Coughlin was ordained in the archdiocese of Boston in   
   1953 and incardinated in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in the   
   1960s, predating the Diocese of Orange, which was founded in   
   1976. Coughlin left parish ministry upon founding the All   
   American Boys Choir in the early 1970s. Coughlin never served as   
   a priest of the Diocese of Orange. "   
      
   Upon receiving allegations of abuse against Coughlin, then   
   Bishop Norman McFarland permanently removed him from ministry in   
   1993. He has not served in any ministerial capacity since that   
   time. Additionally, the Diocese of Orange has never and does not   
   support Richard Coughlin financially.   
      
   The plaintiff in the suit was 10 when the priest began to molest   
   him as a member of the chorus, the lawsuit alleges.   
      
   The lawsuit alleges that Coughlin, despite complaints of abuse,   
   was transferred to St. Michael's preparatory school in Orange.   
   Despite a complaint in 1974 elsewhere, he was "given permission   
   by the Los Angeles Archdiocese to teach and minister at St.   
   Michaels an all-boys boarding school and junior seminary," the   
   lawsuit alleges.   
      
   The priest "molested more children while he was assigned to St.   
   Michael's," the lawsuit alleges.   
      
   Diocese of Orange officials sought to reassure the public that   
   it is "deeply committed and remain vigilant in protecting and   
   caring for children, our most cherished resource. The Church has   
   worked hard to protect children. Much has been done but more   
   needs to be done. Until abuse is no longer a part of society,   
   the Church will continue its efforts to stop it."   
      
   http://patch.com/california/newportbeach/priest-abuse-lawsuit-   
   singles-out-diocese-orange-all-american-boys-choir   
       
      
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