The Oakland Diocese declared bankruptcy in 2023 when forced to pay settlements to 330 victims of sex abuse at the hands of priests. Now victims’ attorneys say the church transferred more than $100 million into an inactive nonprofit to hide their assets.

We reported in 2023 that the Catholic Church’s East Bay stronghold, the Oakland Diocese, was forced to pay settlements to some 330 sex abuse victims who’d suffered abuse by priests in the diocese, and that the Oakland Diocese declared bankruptcy to stem their financial losses from the myriad settlements. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco did the same thing later that year, as did dozens of others nationwide, as this is a tactic to bundle all of the hundreds or thousands of sex abuse lawsuits into one large settlement, and therefore avoid individual civil trials.

It seems shady, but it might be getting even shadier. Now NBC Bay Area reports that attorneys for the victims say that the diocese transferred $106 million to a dormant nonprofit in order to hide the money from bankruptcy creditors, and therefore keep that pot of $100 million-plus unavailable to the sex abuse victims.

“I think any bankruptcy judge would recognize that you can’t take $100 million out of the debtor and then say, ‘my pockets are empty,’” an attorney for the victims, Rick Simons, told NBC Bay Area.

The “fund” that the diocese transferred the money to was the Oakland Parochial Fund, a nonprofit operated by the diocese. But an NBC Bay Area investigation showed that the fund had not only been completely inactive since 2017, but its nonprofit status had also been suspended by the California Secretary of State’s Office.

“In other words, this ‘fund’ was nothing more than a corporate shell until shortly before the bankruptcy was filed,” a representative of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) said to NBC Bay Area. “Now, that shell has $106 million in liquid assets that [Diocese of Oakland Bishop Michael] Barber claims is off limits to victims who have sued the Diocese.”

Honestly, is that what Jesus would do?

For their part, the Oakland Diocese gave NBC Bay Area a statement that was indignant, but short on facts.

“The Roman Catholic Bishop of Oakland (RCBO) rejects the Committee's allegations which are the subject of litigation between RCBO and the Committee in the chapter 11 case,” the statement said. “The Committee's allegations you reference are not supported by the facts and RCBO is fully addressing the allegations in response to the litigation filed by the Committee.”

In addition to the $106 million, victims argue that the diocese has hundreds of millions of dollars in real estate that could also be used for victim compensation.

The $106 million transfer may not hold up, as a bankruptcy judge has not yet approved the Oakland Diocese’s financial reorganization.

Related: Here Are the Hundreds of SF Archdiocese Catholic Clergy Accused of Sexual Abuse [SFist]

Image: Skier Dude via Wikimedia Commons

On the heels of the local SF Catholic Archdiocese declaring bankruptcy over sex-abuse lawsuits, one prestigious prep school affiliated with the archdiocese is facing a lawsuit alleging that a teacher kissed and groped multiple students.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco just declared bankruptcy Monday, and made no secret of the fact they did this for financial protection from the 500-plus child sex abuse lawsuits they are facing. And there are 90 private Catholic schools under the jurisdiction of the archdiocese, though legally, schools and individual parishes are separate entities and not affected by the Chapter 11 bankruptcy declaration. But one those schools, St. Ignatius College Preparatory School, is now facing its own staff sexual misconduct lawsuit, according to the Chronicle.

The teacher in question is Peter Devine, who’d taught English and drama at the school for more than 40 years before “retiring” last year once the lawsuit hit. The above report from NBC Bay Area discusses the lurid allegations in detail. But it also reveals another surprising tidbit: as seen in the video above, Devine actually got a shout-out from SF native and St. Ignatius alum Darren Criss at the 2015 Tony Awards.

But, apparently, multiple other alums were left rattled by Devine’s advances when they were high school students, and they were not such fans.

As the Examiner explains, the lawsuit is from a now 41-year-old former student who is not named. That plaintiff alleges that after a school theater meeting in 1996, Devine put his hands on the plaintiff's shoulders and said "We're men and men can kiss on the lips. Isn't that right?" The lawsuit claims Devine then "aggressively" kissed the plaintiff, who admits he "froze as the kiss continued." The lawsuit alleges Devine continued "further touching and physical manipulation" with the plaintiff for the rest of his education at St. Ignatius.

Devine has not returned comment to multiple media organizations since the story broke. St. Ignatius told NBC Bay Area that they “do not comment on pending litigation.” But the school did send an email to parents Monday letting them know that yeah, some very bad headlines about the school were on the way.

The Examiner references a separate 2006 incident, where another teacher allegedly saw Devine "pinning a male student against a wall" backstage at the school theater. The suit says once Devine realized the faculty member was watching him, he "immediately stepped away from the boy, appeared embarrassed and annoyed, and walked away." That faculty member is not named.

But NBC Bay Area’s report seems to have tracked her down. “I saw a student pinned up against the wall by Mr. Devine,” former St. Ignatius instructor Sara Phillips-Ritchey told the station. “The student looked trapped. He looked very uncomfortable. Mr. Devine had one hand on either side of the student’s head.”

Phillips-Ritchey reported the incident but there appears to have been no follow-up. “Nobody ever spoke to me,” she told NBC Bay Area. “Nobody ever asked me to describe what I saw. I was not interviewed. And to me, that was very, very concerning.”

To their credit, St. Ignatius (SI) did hire an outside investigator after the lawsuit was filed in April 2022. That investigator turned up more alleged abuse. In their report, the investigator noted, “Another former SI Teacher said that in September 2020, she received a text or saw a post from a former female SI student who said that ‘three different alums’ from ‘different years of graduation’ had alleged that Devine had assaulted them.”

Still, the school is in damage control mode. NBC Bay Area obtained the full email that the school sent to parents Monday, when it was clear this would be all over the newspapers.

“In April of 2022, the alum informed Principal Michelle Levine about the incident from 1996. Principal Levine immediately filed a report with the SFPD and put the teacher on administrative leave,” the email said. “The school hired an outside independent investigator to investigate the allegations. Upon receiving the results of the investigation, SI immediately and promptly took appropriate action, and the teacher no longer works at SI.”

“We take allegations of abuse very seriously and do everything we can to support the victim,” the email continues, before concluding, “If you or someone you know has been abused, please contact me or local authorities."

If you or someone you love is suffering from the effects of abuse, you can contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) online or at 1-800-656-4673. If the abuse involves the Catholic Church, you can contact SNAP at  1-877-SNAP-HEALS (1-877-762-7432).

Related: Here Are the Hundreds of SF Archdiocese Catholic Clergy Accused of Sexual Abuse [SFist]

Image: St Ignatius College Preparatory School via Yelp

The Diocese of Oakland is trying to get ahead of what appears to be around 330 looming clergy sexual abuse lawsuits, announcing they may file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which critics say is just a tactic to avoid testifying and paying damages.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland had a pretty ugly run of sexual abuse of children allegations back in the early 2000s, and in 2005, they paid a $56 million settlement to 56 victims. (The settlements ranged from $200,000 to $2 million-plus, but averaged $1 million apiece.) In today’s dollars, those settlements would likely be larger. And that’s a crucial consideration, as KRON4 reports that the diocese now suspects it's facing “approximately 330” sex abuse lawsuits from victims, and announced Thursday that they may file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

It is not publicly known who the alleged victims are, or when the incidents occurred. A 2019 California law called AB-218 allowed a new window for assault allegations whose statute of limitations had passed, but that law only applies specifically to “childhood sexual abuse.” And that window has already expired (it was from 2020 to December 31, 2022), but it’s fair to assume that many were filed in 2022, and are working their way through the courts now.

“Since the closing of the filing window on December 31, 2022, we have been informed there may be approximately 330 lawsuits filed against our diocese,” Bishop of the Diocese of Oakland Michael C. Barber said in a Thursday afternoon announcement. “I want to let you know the Diocese is giving strong consideration to filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. After much prayer and thoughtful advice, I believe bankruptcy can provide a way to support all survivors in their journey toward healing in an equitable and comprehensive way. It will also allow the diocese to reorganize our financial affairs.”

But that “financial affairs” language has survivors upset that the church may be more concerned about their finances rather than the suffering of victims.

“It’s a tactic to dissuade, stall or beat down victims and other dioceses have tried that,” Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) Northern California California Northwest leader Joey Piscitelli tells the Bay Area News Group. “If they were truly sorry for what they did, they wouldn’t pull tactics like this.”

And it may indeed be a tactic, as Chapter 11 can provide protections to limit payouts, or to prevent church higher-ups from having to testify about what they knew and when they knew it.

"If the Diocese of Oakland files for bankruptcy, all of the trials against them will immediately be frozen,” attorney for survivors Mike Reck tells KGO. “That's one of the really important powers that the bankruptcy court has that the diocese will probably value."

"I think it is highly likely that the Diocese of Oakland has been preparing for this move for some time," he adds.

And this may be a pattern we see more of. Just this past Monday, the Diocese of Santa Rosa filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with KPIX reporting the diocese “could be facing more than 200” sex abuse lawsuits.

Related: Here Are the Hundreds of SF Archdiocese Catholic Clergy Accused of Sexual Abuse [SFist]

Image: Skier Dude via Wikimedia Commons

Salvatore Cordileone, San Francisco's archbishop-elect, was caught driving under the influence in San Diego over the weekend. He was arrested and booked at an area jail. Now the man of God publicly apologized for driving drunk.

Associated Press reports that Cordileone was "driving home from a dinner with friends in San Diego with his mother and a visiting priest friend early Saturday when he was pulled over at a DUI checkpoint near San Diego State University."

In a statement issued Monday, via Queerty, Cordileone mea culpa'd:

“While visiting in San Diego this past weekend, I had dinner at the home of some friends along with a priest friend visiting from outside the country and my mother, who lives near San Diego State University. While driving my mother home, I passed through a DUI checkpoint the police had set up near the SDSU campus before I reached her home, and was found to be over the California legal blood alcohol level.

“I apologize for my error in judgment and feel shame for the disgrace I have brought upon the Church and myself. I will repay my debt to society and I ask forgiveness from my family and my friends and co-workers at the Diocese of Oakland and the Archdiocese of San Francisco. I pray that God, in His [sic] inscrutable wisdom, will bring some good out of this.”

San Diego Officer Mark McCullough said of the arrest, "He was a driver that was obviously impaired but he was quite cordial and polite throughout ... He was not a belligerent drunk at all ... There were no problems with him throughout the night."

Though Cordileone has apologized for risking the life of his mother and others while getting behind the wheel wasted on Saturday night, it is important to note that he was also part of a network of anti-civil rights clergy who boosted Proposition 8, California's same-sex marriage ban. The troubled drinker personally handed over at least $6,000 to back the ban.

Meanwhile, his mother, Mary, who is downright adorable if not a wee bit bigoted, gave an interview to San Diego’s KMFB to defend her son. She said,"We were invited to some friend's house and he loved his wine and they kept filling his glass and filling his glass. And I didn't want to seem like a bossy mother." Regarding his new gig in toot toot beep beep Frisco Disco, she went on to say, "It's gonna be a tough job because, you know he's always preached against same-sex marriages and then the gays are very active there."

Photo: AP

Former Roman Catholic priest and Alameda resident Patrick Joseph McCabe was hurled back to Ireland this week to face charges of sexually assaulting "six young boys" in Dublin during the '60s and '70s. As far as harming children while residing in the states, several children came forward with harrowing allegations against the man of God back in the 1980s.

"McCabe, 75, worked in several churches in the Santa Rosa Diocese between 1983 and 1987 when he was forced to resign amid allegations he molested four young parishioners in Humboldt County in Northern California," reports SF Appeal. "The alleged victims sued the Santa Rosa Diocese, alleging the diocese knew McCabe was treated in New Mexico for pedophilia."

However, according to the Press Democrat, the Santa Rosa diocese said "there is no evidence of misconduct in McCabe's file and no evidence that former Bishop Mark Hurley, who is deceased, was aware of the priest's history."

Meanwhile, back in Ireland...the disgraced priest "faces nine counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted indecent assault on six boys 10-14 years old" at two Dublin Archdiocese parishes, McCabe "surrendered to U.S. Magistrate Maria-Elena James in San Francisco on July 30."

He was defrocked back in 1988.

The main man who gives something so important as religion a bad name, Pope Benedict XVI, has publicly said that "saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behavior is just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction." Surprise! This backwards bit of wisdom came during his year end-of-year hate speech to senior Vatican staff.

According to reports, his chat went something like this.

Rainforests deserve, yes, our protection, but the human being ... does not deserve it less," the pontiff said.

It is not "out-of-date metaphysics" to "speak of human nature as 'man' or woman'", he told scores of prelates gathered in the Vatican's sumptuous Clementine Hall.

"We need something like human ecology, meant in the right way."

Somebody needs to sic Bambi Lake (at left at right) on this sick man. Because more of this is bound to happen whenever Benedict opens his mouth.

Speaking of men who give conservative thought a bad name, Debra J. Saunders' shout out to gays as intolerant faggot stupidheads, "Intolerance 2009," was sad. Pro-Obama gay leaders are hypocrites for not loving those who oppress them? Becoming unglued over politically incorrect terms like "bigot" and "hater"? THIS argument? Again?

Really, Chronicle, you can, and yet won't, do better. Thank God for Melanie Morgan.

Image: Moon Trent's Celebrity Gallery

While his Holiness is more or less meh when it comes to non-consensual sex between a man and a boy, same-sex marriage just ain't cool in his book. So stop, says Pope Benedict.

While not directly referencing yesterday's California Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage, the Pope spoke to family values groups in Europe (white trash chic!) yesterday, saying:

The union of love, based on matrimony between a man and a woman, which makes up the family, represents a good for all society that can not be substituted by, confused with, or compared to other types of unions...[families should be] founded on matrimony between a man and a woman, to be the natural cradle of human life.

It should be noted that the Roman Catholic Church "teaches that homosexuality is not sinful but homosexual acts are." Hence Queer Eye, et al.

While the Vatican's latest turn toward keeping the earth green is a breath of fresh air, literally, they've also heavily denounced any coverage by the media of the numerous scandals or sin within the church, which "discredits the church." God forbid. Read more about the Catholic churches latests sins here.

Say it ain't so, Bernie!

Wow. Former Catholic priest and SF radio talk show host has been "indicted on federal child pornography charges," according to the Chronicle.

It seems that the popular KGO 810 AM host turned himself in to authorities earlier today. Although the "specifics of the allegations against him are under seal," said the authorities, we're dying to know exactly what happened. Because: whoa. Like, really.

In addition to being a reporter for KGO, Ward hosts both "the Bernie Ward Show" and "Godtalk." (Bet he yearns for the halcyon days of only having to apologize to the Jewish community.) More -- much, much more -- on this later.

Update: According to Dan Noyes at ABC7:

Ward’s attorney, Doren Weinberg, tells the I-Team the charges relate to Ward’s book project from several years ago. According to Weinberg, Ward was exploring "hypocrisy in America", and decided to look at child porn – how it’s acquired and hidden from society. As part of the research for the book, Weinberg says Ward acquired several images of child porn from websites, and "he exchanged them with adults who do the same thing."

Read more about it here.