Friday, February 18, 2011

Couple Adds Priest To Church Lawsuit

An organization that keeps an eye on the Catholic Church urged Louisville's archbishop to keep the wolves away from the flock.

This is related to a lawsuit filed against the church by a Louisville couple.

Gary and Margie Weiter claimed priest James Schook, accused of sex abuse, was secretly placed in a different Catholic church. 

The suit claimed when Margie Weiter complained, she was told to keep quiet and eventually lost her bookkeeping job with the church.

The couple has added another former priest to their lawsuit.

They said Bruce Ewing, a convicted sex offender, was active in a parish council.

“Predators rarely quit molesting, especially predators who stay in essentially the same place and culture where they original crimes took place,” said Colleen Powell with Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

Powell said they are not accusing Ewing of anything new.

Gary Weiter was among those who settled with the Archdiocese in 2003 for $25.7 million over past sexual abuse claims.

In a statement issued moments ago, the archdiocese said Ewing's volunteer role on the St. Therese parish council was not correct and will not continue.

He resigned from his position as of Tuesday.