New lawsuits filed in Missouri this week have brought to light allegations of abuse involving 60 individuals who claim they were victims of misconduct by various priests, nuns, and other figures within the church.
Among the accused is George Lucas, the current Archbishop of Omaha, Nebraska. The five separate lawsuits, lodged in St. Louis and nearby counties, name a total of 56 alleged perpetrators. They seek unspecified damages.
One lawsuit, filed in St. Louis County Circuit Court, accuses Lucas of sexually abusing a 16-year-old boy during the late 1980s at the now-closed St. Louis Preparatory Seminary, where Lucas served as a priest and dean of education. The complaint alleges that Lucas not only abused the boy but also offered improved grades in exchange for sexual favors.
In response, Lucas has strongly denied the allegations. “I categorically deny the accusation made by an anonymous person,” he stated. “I have never had sexual contact with another person. I referred the matter to the apostolic nuncio, Pope Francis’ representative in Washington, DC, for his guidance.”
The lawsuits cover abuse claims dating back to the 1940s and extending to 2015. David Clohessy from the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) noted that some of the accused are still alive and may pose a risk of further abuse.
One case describes the abuse of a girl with an intellectual disability by both a priest and a nun from 1999 to 2002, with further abuse occurring after she transferred schools. Additionally, the lawsuits name the Archdiocese of St. Louis and its current archbishop, Mitchell T. Rozanski, alleging a long-standing cover-up of abuse.
The Archdiocese of St. Louis has not yet responded to requests for comment. In 2019, the Archdiocese released names of 61 clergy with “substantiated” abuse allegations, following a 2018 Pennsylvania report detailing extensive abuse and cover-ups.