A recent lawsuit was filed against the Tulsa Catholic Diocese as well as former priest Ken Lewis, reports Tulsa World. The former priest, was "defrocked" in 2007 after several accusations of sexual abuse. The case was investigated by the District Attorney at the time, but the statute of limitations had expired and no charges were filed.
The recent lawsuit names both former priest Lewis and the Diocese, as it is claimed that the diocese failed to protect children by not warning parishioners about the past accusations of sexual abuse. Lewis, who was ordained in 1991 at Holy Family Cathedral in Tulsa, faced accusations of inappropriate behavior with young boys as early as 1993. This was during his tenure at St. Mary's Catholic Church. He was then removed from St. Mary's by the Diocese, who sent him to a psychiatric treatment center and was returned to the ministry in 1995. It is reported that he was returned to the ministry under the condition that he not be alone with minors.
However, the suit also claims that after he was appointed pastor at St. John's Catholic Church in McAlester in 2001, which was a prominent and important position, he did not stop working with children and had access to them in his position through the Church. Bishop Edward Slattery is also named in the lawsuit.
If you or a loved one has suffered from the crime of sexual abuse committed by a priest or other clergy, it is crucial that you get legal assistance from a clergy abuse lawyer. The legal team at the Zalkin Law Firm assists individuals who have been victims of this crime to seek compensation for damages for the harm that was suffered by the innocent.
