MAINE CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE LAWSUITS

Representing Survivors of Child & Adult Clergy Abuse

If you or someone you love were sexually abused by a member of the Catholic clergy in Maine, you may be entitled to compensation.

Thanks to a growing number of legal filings against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, we now know that clergy sex abuse has been a decades-long problem in Maine Catholic Churches, and that Church officials overwhelmingly failed to stop abusive priests and protect victims. And while the Portland Diocese is now waging an attack on laws that give child sexual abuse victims the right to file lawsuits against the institutions that failed to protect them, survivors continue to step forward to seek justice.

Maine’s Child Sexual Abuse Laws Are Being Challenged by the Church

Maine has passed several important legislative amendments to bolster the rights of childhood sexual abuse survivors. This includes.

• A 2000 law that indefinitely extended the state’s statute of limitations for victims of childhood sexual abuse, giving those who were abused as minors an unlimited amount of time to file civil lawsuits.
• A 2021 law that retroactively lifted the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits based on childhood sexual abuse, giving survivors with previously barred claims the right to file lawsuits.

Maine’s 2021 law was viewed as a victory by advocates who say that the law passed in 2000, though well intentioned, failed to address the rights of survivors with claims where the statute of limitations was already expired. By retroactively lifting the statute of limitations for all childhood sexual abuse claims, it gives survivors the right to file lawsuits against their abusers and the institutions that failed to protect them no matter how long ago the abuse occurred.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, which serves all of Maine, has faced a growing number of civil lawsuits since the 2021 law took effect. In fact, the lawsuits have posed such a threat to the Diocese that it has raised legal challenges arguing that the new law is unconstitutional and that survivors should only be able to file claims against the priests and church employees (many of whom are now dead) who committed the abuse. That challenge will soon head to the Maine Supreme Court.

While the Portland Diocese is working tirelessly to protect itself from the growing liabilities it now faces, the fact remains that the law giving child sexual abuse survivors a new chance for justice is still in effect. This means that if you were sexually abused by a priest of other church member in Maine at any time in the past, you have the right to take legal action.

Our sexual abuse team at Levy Konigsberg is closely tracking the Maine Supreme Court case and is available to discuss your rights and legal options during a consultation.

Legal Filings Detail Dark History of Sexual Abuse in Maine Catholic Churches

Legal filings that have poured in after the passing of the latest child sexual abuse law, as well as high-profile cases and settlements from years prior, have revealed alarming claims about the scope of child sexual abuse within Maine Catholic Churches and how Church officials failed for decades to report abusive priests and protect victims. Some examples include:

• In August 2023, six men filed suit against the Portland Diocese alleging that they were sexually abused as children between 1954 and 1988 and that Church leaders went to great lengths to conceal the abuse, often by reassigning priests to different parishes. The suits include allegations against Rev. John Harris over abuse that occurred at the Rumford Boys’ Home, Rev. John Audibert of St. Catherine Church in Washburn, Rev. Maurice Plourd of St. Rose of Lima in Chisholm, Rev. Clement Thibodeau of the Notre Dame Institute in Alfred, and Rev. Antonio Girardin, who worked in Pittsfield, South Berwick, and Millinocket, and the Healy Asylum in Lewiston.
• In April 2023, four members of the Penobscot Nation filed lawsuits over claims that they were sexually abused as children by priests at St. Ann Church in the 1970s and 1980s. Priests named in the lawsuits include Rev. David Paul Cote, who worked at St. Ann in the mid to late 1970s and eight other Maine parishes over the course of 45 years, Rev. Leo James Michaud, and Rev. Marcel Robitaille, who was previously accused of sexual abuse and removed from ministry.
• In March 2023, six survivors filed suit against the Portland Diocese over claims that they were sexually abused by Father Lawrence Sabatino between 1958 and 1967 and that the Church failed to warn the victims and their families about allegations against the priest.
• In December 2022, two survivors filed lawsuits against the Portland Diocese over sexual abuse that occurred in the 1950s and 1960s in Bangor. The suits included claims from one survivor who was sexually abused at the age of nine by Rev. Monsignor Edward Ward at Saint Mary Church and another who was abused by Sister Mary Geraldine Walsh at St. John Parochial School.
• In December 2022, three lawsuits filed against the Portland Diocese included claims from survivors who were sexually abused by two Cumberland County Priests. Two of the survivors were abused by Rev. Michael L. Plourde while serving as altar boys at St. Hyacinth Church in Westbrook in the late 1970s, while the other was abused Rev. J. Raymond Lauzon, a priest at St. Joseph Church in Portland. Plourde and Lauzon have both been accused of abusing multiple victims.
• In August 2016, prior to the state retroactively lifting the child sex abuse statute of limitations, the Portland Diocese agreed to pay $1.2 million to settle a lawsuit filed by six men who accused Church officials of concealing sex abuse allegations against a former priest. All the men were abused as children by Rev. James Vallely.

There have already been more than 100 lawsuits filed against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland since the state retroactively lifted the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse but given evidence of rampant abuse and the Church’s efforts to conceal allegations and protect priests by moving them from parish to parish, many more survivors are expected to step forward.

Do I Have A Case?

You may have a sexual abuse claim against the Catholic Church if:

• You were sexually abused as a minor or an adult within the Church.
• The abuser was a priest, clergy member, or some other Church volunteer or employee.
• Your abuse occurred at any time in the past.

As with civil sexual abuse cases, claims filed with the bankruptcy settlement fund are separate from any criminal proceedings that may arise from abuse. Instead, they focus on holding the Archdiocese liable for damages. This means you may still have a claim even if:

• Your abuser is no longer alive.
• Your abuser was never charged or convicted of a crime.

Determining whether you have grounds to pursue a claim can be challenging, which is why our team at Levy Konigsberg is readily available to help.

Recoverable Damages in Sexual Abuse Claims

In addition to providing accountability and a sense of justice, civil sex abuse lawsuits allow survivors to recover financial compensation for their damages, which may include:

• Past medical and mental health expenses
• Future mental health expenses, including therapy, medications, etc.
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional anguish and psychological harm
• Lost income
• Other economic and non-economic damages

Maine Sexual Abuse Attorneys

Thanks to several legislative amendments, survivors of childhood sexual abuse in Maine have considerable protections when it comes to filing civil claims for compensation against abusers and responsible institutions. This includes:

• A 2000 law that indefinitely extended the state’s statute of limitations for victims of childhood sexual abuse, giving those who were abused as minors an unlimited amount of time to file civil lawsuits.
• A 2021 law that retroactively lifted the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits based on childhood sexual abuse, giving survivors with previously barred claims the right to file lawsuits.

Maine’s current laws regarding for child sexual abuse lawsuits are among the most expansive in the nation but were once criticized for falling short. That’s because prior to the latest amendment, Maine’s unlimited filing window for child sex abuse lawsuits did not apply to survivors with claims where the statute of limitations had already expired.

Fortunately, state lawmakers finally pushed to retroactively lift the statute of limitations on previously time-barred claims in 2021. Thanks to this significant move, survivors who were sexually abused as minors now have the right to file lawsuits against their abusers and the institutions that failed to protect them no matter how long ago the abuse occurred.

Legal Update: Maine’s 2021 legal amendment has been challenged by entities that view civil sex abuse lawsuits as major financial and reputational threats. This includes the Maine Catholic Church, which has led legal challenges arguing that the new law is unconstitutional and that survivors should only be able to file claims against individuals (many of whom are no longer alive or lack the ability to sufficiently compensate victims) who committed the abuse.