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It takes a lot to grab the national spotlight given the continued unfolding of the Catholic priests’ sexual abuse scandal, which seemingly has reached into every corner of this country with its disgusting revelations for years.

But Kansas City has managed to do it once again, in another embarrassment for Catholics in this city.

On Monday the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese decided to pay the eye-popping total of $2.25 million to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit. It had been filed by the parents of a boy who allegedly killed himself 30 years ago because of sexual abuse by a local priest.

The case gain national attention this week given the size of the settlement and the fact that the Catholic church apparently had decided it was culpable, in some way, for the boy’s death. The church settled the lawsuit just as a trial was about to begin, a trial that might have reached a verdict awarding even more money in the boy’s death.

The settlement follows the national news created last year when current Bishop Robert Finn was convicted for failing to report a priest suspected of child sexual abuse to police. That incident was rekindled yet again in a New York Times column just this weekend.

The settlement Monday came in the case of Brian Teeman, who was 14 when he died at his home in Independence from a gunshot wound. The Star reported that the $2.25 million settlement was “the largest ever for the diocese in a single priest sexual abuse lawsuit.”

Kansas City Catholics must wonder when this nightmare of revelations against older priests will end. And when their current leaders, including Finn, will take real responsibility for what has occurred.

Finn, for example, remains in charge of the diocese despite his conviction and the national shame it has brought on Kansas City’s Catholics.

People have said it for years, but it bears repeating: The stain created by the sexual abuse cases — here and in other cities — is made so much worse by the fact that the people convicted of the crimes were trusted by the children and parents in the Catholic Church.

These priests supposedly were doing God’s work.

Turns out, they were working for the devil —especially, sadly, in Kansas City.

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The decision to enter into this agreement was made in consideration of the financial and emotional toll on all parties of an anticipated four-week trial. In these circumstances, the Diocese believes that the settlement is in the best interest of the Teeman family, Nativity of Mary parish community and the people of the Diocese as a whole.

While the facts surrounding Brian’s death have remained unclear, the tragedy of it is certain. The Catholic community prays that God’s face shines upon Brian, His peace descend on the Teeman family and His healing presence strengthen all hearts.

JoltinJoe wrote:The facts of this case are that a 14-year old boy committed suicide 30 years ago. He left no note explaining why.

In 2011, the family filed suit based on a statement from someone saying that he knew that the boy had been abused by a priest. The priest does have other verified abuse allegations (although he denied this one).

At trial, the family would have needed to prove that the boy had been actually abused and further that this abuse caused the suicide. That would not have been easy.

The diocese's statement on why it settled:

The decision to enter into this agreement was made in consideration of the financial and emotional toll on all parties of an anticipated four-week trial. In these circumstances, the Diocese believes that the settlement is in the best interest of the Teeman family, Nativity of Mary parish community and the people of the Diocese as a whole.

While the facts surrounding Brian’s death have remained unclear, the tragedy of it is certain. The Catholic community prays that God’s face shines upon Brian, His peace descend on the Teeman family and His healing presence strengthen all hearts.

The events happened 30 years ago and the diocese settled really based on the parents' belief that the abuse occurred and that the abuse was the cause of the suicide. None of that was really clear, but the diocese did the best it could -- now, in 2013 -- to avoid subjecting everyone to a difficult trial.

GannonFan wrote:If Joe's facts of the case are correct, shouldn't this be what we would want the Church to be doing in cases where it believes it may have done wrong, i.e. admit fault and compensate the family? The Church today should be commended in a case like this where they realized and admitted a past wrong, or even the possibility of being wrong, and took action to redress it.

Surely there are better stories out there to villify they Church with - this one doesn't seem to fit the same bill.

JoltinJoe wrote:

GannonFan wrote:If Joe's facts of the case are correct, shouldn't this be what we would want the Church to be doing in cases where it believes it may have done wrong, i.e. admit fault and compensate the family? The Church today should be commended in a case like this where they realized and admitted a past wrong, or even the possibility of being wrong, and took action to redress it.

Surely there are better stories out there to villify they Church with - this one doesn't seem to fit the same bill.

I agree. They acted and did the most compassionate thing under the sad circumstances.

D, what do you think the Church should have done here? Settle or not settle?

JoltinJoe wrote:Ok. Whatever.

JoltinJoe wrote:Ok. Whatever.

Kansas City Star - June 30, 2013


Don and Rosemary Teeman filed the case against Monsignor Thomas O’Brien and the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph last September after someone who served as an altar boy with their son, Brian, told them of the alleged abuse.

Brian Teeman, 14, died of a gunshot wound in November 1983 at the family’s home in Independence.

The diocese and O’Brien filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that too much time had passed.

“I feel this win on the motion to dismiss is a big, big plus for our case to get justice for our son, Brian, and for all the victims who are also trying to get justice,” Don Teeman told The Kansas City Star. “God has started to answer our prayers.”

The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, is thought to be the first wrongful-death case in Missouri involving priest sexual abuse in which the statute of limitations could be suspended based on “fraudulent concealment,” said Rebecca Randles, the Teemans’ attorney.

“This is a victory for us in a big way,” Randles said. “This means the case can move forward.”

The diocese issued this statement in response to the order: “This procedural ruling did not make any finding as to the factual allegations made by the plaintiffs, and the diocese will continue to defend the case.”

The lawsuit says the diocese shares responsibility for Brian Teeman’s death because officials knew that O’Brien was sexually abusing boys but covered it up.

O’Brien, who has been the subject of more than two dozen sexual abuse lawsuits since 2004, has repeatedly denied that he abused any boys. His attorney, Gerald McGonagle, was out of town Friday and could not be reached for comment.

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D1B wrote:

JoltinJoe wrote:
I agree. They acted and did the most compassionate thing under the sad circumstances.

D, what do you think the Church should have done here? Settle or not settle?

They fucking settled right before jury selection. Sugar coat it all you want, but they dragged this family through the mud and made every attempt to discredit or threaten them before they realized they were going to have to expose themselves to the light of secular justice, again.

GannonFan wrote:If Joe's facts of the case are correct, shouldn't this be what we would want the Church to be doing in cases where it believes it may have done wrong, i.e. admit fault and compensate the family? The Church today should be commended in a case like this where they realized and admitted a past wrong, or even the possibility of being wrong, and took action to redress it.

Surely there are better stories out there to villify they Church with - this one doesn't seem to fit the same bill.

Detroit Legal News

Barbara Dorris, outreach director for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, questioned the diocese’s motive for the settlement.

“We believe that church officials agreed to settle this case because proof of the cover-up of these horrific crimes would have been made public during the course of this trial,” Dorris said in a statement.

The diocese has had several recent high-profile abuse cases. In 2008, the diocese approved a $10 million settlement with 47 plaintiffs who filed sexual abuse lawsuits against 12 current or former priests.

The Rev. Shawn Ratigan is also incarcerated at a federal detention facility in Leavenworth, Kan., after pleading guilty last year to producing child pornography. The diocese also agreed to a $600,000 settlement in a civil lawsuit filed against Ratigan in federal court by the parents of a young Missouri girl.

CAA Flagship wrote:

D1B wrote:
They fucking settled right before jury selection. Sugar coat it all you want, but they dragged this family through the mud and made every attempt to discredit or threaten them before they realized they were going to have to expose themselves to the light of secular justice, again.

Doesn't it take two sides to settle?

The lawsuit alleged that O’Brien forced Brian Teeman and three other boys to perform sexual acts in the sacristy at Nativity of Mary in Independence. It said O’Brien warned the boys that if they ever told, they would be kicked out of the church, be disowned by their parents and go to hell.

“We now know the truth about what Brian wrote in his (suicide) note,” Donald Teeman told The Star on Monday: “ ‘I didn’t want to be yelled at. Love, Brian.’ ”

His mother has said she found the note next to Brian’s body the night he died.

The Teemans said they didn’t know about the sexual abuse or the reason for Brian’s suicide until Jon David Couzens, the former altar boy, contacted them in 2011. Their lawsuit said that the diocese shared responsibility for Brian’s death because church officials knew that O’Brien was sexually abusing boys but covered it up.

Couzens also filed a lawsuit in 2011 alleging sexual abuse by O’Brien. His case is scheduled for trial next year.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/07/09/43 ... rylink=cpy" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

D1B wrote:

GannonFan wrote:If Joe's facts of the case are correct, shouldn't this be what we would want the Church to be doing in cases where it believes it may have done wrong, i.e. admit fault and compensate the family? The Church today should be commended in a case like this where they realized and admitted a past wrong, or even the possibility of being wrong, and took action to redress it.

Surely there are better stories out there to villify they Church with - this one doesn't seem to fit the same bill.

Admit fault? They rallied around their pedophile, claimed there was no evidence, tried to hide behind statue of limitations and did everything in their power to discredit the family and shield themselves from financial loss and public disclosure of just how careless they were and are with the lives of children and the needs of their victims.

Here's more from that "noble archdiocese"

Detroit Legal News

Barbara Dorris, outreach director for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, questioned the diocese’s motive for the settlement.

“We believe that church officials agreed to settle this case because proof of the cover-up of these horrific crimes would have been made public during the course of this trial,” Dorris said in a statement.

The diocese has had several recent high-profile abuse cases. In 2008, the diocese approved a $10 million settlement with 47 plaintiffs who filed sexual abuse lawsuits against 12 current or former priests.

The Rev. Shawn Ratigan is also incarcerated at a federal detention facility in Leavenworth, Kan., after pleading guilty last year to producing child pornography. The diocese also agreed to a $600,000 settlement in a civil lawsuit filed against Ratigan in federal court by the parents of a young Missouri girl.

The catholic church is a disgrace.

GannonFan wrote:

D1B wrote:

Admit fault? They rallied around their pedophile, claimed there was no evidence, tried to hide behind statue of limitations and did everything in their power to discredit the family and shield themselves from financial loss and public disclosure of just how careless they were and are with the lives of children and the needs of their victims.

Here's more from that "noble archdiocese"



The catholic church is a disgrace.

Gee, you make Joe seem right with every post. It's obvious you hate religion and hate the Catholic Church - I don't think you've ever made any statement to refute that. But it's clear, no matter what they do - don't admit fault, admit fault, refuse to compensate, then pay out, as you say, the largest single compensation payment ever- that you'll always hate religion and the Catholic Church. It's cool, no one's asking you to feel differently. I think it's just important to know there is nothing they can do good in your eyes. Ever.

D1B wrote:

GannonFan wrote:
Gee, you make Joe seem right with every post. It's obvious you hate religion and hate the Catholic Church - I don't think you've ever made any statement to refute that. But it's clear, no matter what they do - don't admit fault, admit fault, refuse to compensate, then pay out, as you say, the largest single compensation payment ever- that you'll always hate religion and the Catholic Church. It's cool, no one's asking you to feel differently. I think it's just important to know there is nothing they can do good in your eyes. Ever.

Blow it out your ass you sanctimonious ****. You wanna give the church a gold star for throwing everything they got at a family and re-victimizing them, then only when the judge rules the trial will proceed they hurry up and pay off everyone to save themselves money and embarrassment, you go ahead and do it.

It's clear, you're another brainwashed automaton who's so deep in the cult you'll believe anything, including the church acting in the best interest of its victims.

GannonFan wrote:

D1B wrote:
Blow it out your ass you sanctimonious ****. You wanna give the church a gold star for throwing everything they got at a family and re-victimizing them, then only when the judge rules the trial will proceed they hurry up and pay off everyone to save themselves money and embarrassment, you go ahead and do it.

It's clear, you're another brainwashed automaton who's so deep in the cult you'll believe anything, including the church acting in the best interest of its victims.

Who's the automaton now? If anything, you, of anyone on this site, probably have the most entrenched and unmovable opinions, especially on this topic. I'm pretty sure I've been very vocal of calling what the Church has done in this scandal as abhorrent and disgusting and criminal. So how come when I call the Church all those things I get labeled as brainwashed, other than it just fitting in your preconceived and unable to modify view on all things religion. Maybe you're not an automaton, but you're certainly a stubborn horse with blinders so as not to see anything that contradicts your well established idea of how things are.

D1B wrote:Blow it out your ass you sanctimonious fuck.

If anything, you, of anyone on this site, probably have the most entrenched and unmovable opinions,