Joelle said WHAT?
Joelle yacks about a lot of stuff in a lot more places than just this blog. So, for those of you who can’t get enough … The San Jose Mercury News interviewed me about J. Patrick Foley, one of the...
View ArticleUPDATED: Francis put the brakes on Baltimore. Now what?
UPDATED 5:14 pm: From the Washington Post: Instead, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo — the president of the U.S. bishops’ conference — told the group that the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops had asked the...
View ArticleDid the Vatican save the US Bishops from themselves?
Michael Sean Winters has written an excellent piece on the Baltimore USCCB Bishops’ Conference. He called the entire conference—from DiNardo’s leadership to the proposed reforms—”amateur hour.” My take...
View ArticleA New Series ~ Settlement Class Action Sex Abuse Lawsuits
~Part one in a multi-part series~ Class Actions: BAD for Victims. BAD for Justice. BAD for Transparency Class action lawsuits are a bishop’s dream and a victim’s nightmare. Let me explain: Earlier this...
View ArticleClass Action Sex Abuse Lawsuits Part 2: Lessons from Covington
~Part two in a multi-part series~previous post Settlement Class Actions Lawsuits are BAD for victims and BAD for transparency. But they are mighty good for bishops. Here is what we know about victims...
View ArticleClass Action Sex Abuse Lawsuits Part 3: The Evil Opt-Out
~Part three in a multi-part series~previous post Settlement Class Actions Lawsuits are BAD for victims, BAD for justice, and a PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD. And the opt-out? It’s every bishop’s dream. I talked...
View ArticleClass Action Sex Abuse Lawsuits Part 4: Class Actions vs. IRCPs
Part Four in a multi-part series ~ Previous post The enemy of sex abuse and cover-up is the light of truth: Statute of Limitation Reform. Why? Because civil justice—properly executed—demands that such...
View ArticleThe New York Child Victims Act: How will you change the world today?
It’s been a crazy couple of weeks in the child sex abuse survivors’ movement. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the news and the emotions involved (Heck, even I’m overwhelmed). After years of little...
View ArticleIndependent compensation programs hit California
Yesterday, six of California’s Catholic bishops announced an independent compensation program for survivors of clergy sexual abuse. I wrote an extensive series on these programs a while back. While the...
View ArticleJoelle on KJZZ: Preventing Sexual Abuse By Starting A Conversation With Your...
Click here to listen to my entire August 28, 2019 interview with Phoenix’s KJZZ on how to prevent child sexual abuse. The post Joelle on KJZZ: Preventing Sexual Abuse By Starting A Conversation With...
View ArticleA Brief History of Child Sex Abuse and Cover-up in Arizona
You want a juicy scandal? Don’t go to Hollywood. Instead, look no further than State 48. And because of a new law, it’s time for a dive into the history of child (and vulnerable adult) sex abuse and...
View ArticleCivil windows open questions. Here are some answers.
Survivors of child sexual abuse often don’t know what to do when a civil window opens in their state. Here I answer some of the most common questions from my own experience in California’s 2003 civil...
View ArticleDiocese of Rochester Bankruptcy: Let’s Talk Turkey
This morning, New York’s Rochester Diocese became the 20th U.S. diocese to seek bankruptcy protection when faced with child sex abuse and cover-up lawsuits. Why did the diocese choose to seek...
View ArticleOrange Bishop Kevin Vann needs a History Lesson, or
Why Independent Compensation Programs are a Sham, Reason 3,298 It was a throwaway quote by Orange Bishop Kevin Vann that gave him away. Yesterday, six dioceses across the state of California launched...
View ArticleCalifornia opens three-year window for victims of child sexual abuse
California Enacts AB 218: Landmark Bill Protects Children from Sexual Abuse California Enacts AB 218: Landmark Bill Protects Children from Sexual Abuse Zero Abuse Project Commends the New Law, Which...
View ArticleA note to my friends about AB 218
CA AB 218 is now law. Victims of child sexual abuse—no matter how old they are or when the abuse occurred (public or private institutions are both included, as well as victims in the family)—can come...
View ArticleThe Archdiocese of San Francisco is Having a Party for Abuse Survivors
Funny, the Archdiocese didn’t care about victims until Gavin Newsom signed AB 218 into law. The new law allows adult survivors of child sex abuse in California to use the civil courts to expose abuse...
View ArticleNew Jersey Opens Window for Survivors
On December 1, New Jersey opened its two-year window for adult survivors of child sexual abuse. From WHYY: A landmark New Jersey law, that takes effect Sunday, opens a two-year window for all past...
View ArticleSurvivors: I need your insight
Friends and colleagues: I am compiling data for a research project that is going to do a deep-dive into insights about the survivor community. The first phase is a five-minute survey for SURVIVORS OF...
View ArticleSurvivor Insights Survey Update
The data is in and the key take-aways, I believe, are surprising: the Survivor Insights Survey results will be published soon. For once, COVID 19 has actually provided some benefits. Because work and...
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