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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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