Our decades-long fight to uncover the truth about pedophile priests in the Seattle Catholic Archdiocese continues, as another victim of sexual abuse has come forward after decades of suffering in silence.
Darrell Cochran with his colleagues Ian Bauer and Patrick Brown, have just filed a new lawsuit against the Archdiocese for concealing known molesters and stonewalling efforts to right the wrongs that have destroyed so many lives.
Our client (who we’re calling J.M. to protect his identity) was a young boy who attended St. Anne’s Parish in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood from approximately 1968-1974. He was repeatedly abused by sexual predators Father Bernard Cremer, Father Richard Stohr, Father Dennis Muehe and Father Lott throughout that period.
Evidence shows the Archdiocese – under the disgraceful reign of Archbishop Thomas Connolly – knew for decades the priests were among many abusing boys like J.M. But they allowed the priests to continue having continuous and unfettered access to the boys, failing in its most basic morality to protect children from sexual predators.
As a direct result of the Seattle Archdiocese’s gross negligence, misfeasance, and reckless disregard for the safety of children, J.M. and many other boys have suffered profound and permanent damages, including but not limited to trauma, addictions, dysfunction in employment and/or relationships, and other damages stemming from child sexual abuse.
We know Archbishop Connolly received a continuous stream of reports warning that priests within the Seattle Archdiocese were sexually abusing children. Rather than address the seriousness of these reports, Connolly and the Archdiocese chose to conceal the abuse, shuffling or reassigning priests from parish to parish, even into St. James Cathedral itself and, perhaps most destructive of all, into St. Edward’s Seminary where the sexually abusive priests were assigned to train young boys, teenage boys, and young men in the ways of the priesthood.
This suit is just the latest in a long line against the Seattle Archdiocese. It has paid tens of millions of dollars to settle many of them. But despite claiming contrition and revealing the names of some priests as a result of legal action and outside investigations, it continues to hide the identity of many others. The Archdiocese has employed sophisticated tactics designed to discredit and marginalize victims, mislead both survivors and the public, and conceal its own misconduct.
We are not alone in this fight. The Washington State Attorney General’s office has aggressively pursued the Seattle Archdiocese for its ongoing cover-up of abuse. This is not just about seeking reparations for survivors; it’s about demanding that the Archdiocese put known abusers, like Father Bernard Cremer and Father Lott, on a credible list of accused priests. As an aside, The term “credibly accused” is an inadequate shield for those who have been caught in acts of violence against children. We must acknowledge these men for what they truly are—child rapists and predators.
J.M is far from an isolated survivor. The community is vast, and together we can raise our voices to demand justice. If you are a survivor still suffering in silence, I encourage you to contact me confidentially. Together, we can help you heal, shine a light on the darkness that has long been hidden within the Church, and demand the transparency and accountability the Archdiocese owes all of its parishioners and society at large.