Priest Permanently Removed From Duties After Sex Abuse Allegations
PEARL RIVER, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A former Pearl River priest accused of sexual abuse has been permanently removed by the Archdiocese of New York.
As WCBS 880's Monsignor John O'Keefe will never again function as a priest. A church official said the former president of Archbishop Stepinac High School will not be returning to his ministry.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan suspended O'Keefe from his duties at St. Margaret of Antioch in Pearl River in December after allegations of sexual abuse more than three decades ago surfaced.
The archdiocese declined to comment while the case and its findings were still referred to the Vatican.
When he was a teacher in the Bronx in the 1980s, O'Keefe allegedly abused a student in a Virginia hotel room and an upstate retreat house. He claims he is innocent.
The statute of limitations ran out, so criminal charges were never filed. The alleged victim is seeking a monetary settlement.