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Jesuit Dallas Reveals Names Of 11 Former Priests Credibly Accused Of Molesting Children

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - More allegations of abuse against Catholic priests, this time at the prestigious all-boys private Catholic prep school Jesuit Dallas.

Eleven names of predator priests with ties to Jesuit Dallas were made public Friday.

Four of them are accused of abusing underaged children while working there, but the school refused to say how many victims they think were abused.

During Friday morning's prayer service, students at Jesuit Dallas were told about the ministry leaders now accused of molesting kids, who walked the halls of their school and prayed where they now kneel.

Eleven predators accused of sexually assaulting children while they served at the school.

"I equate the list that we seeing from Jesuits as the same thing that comes out of the back end of a paper shredder," said clergy abuse survivor Paul Peterson. "We have no corroboration from the authorities."

Petersen was abused by a priest, not associated with Jesuit Dallas, when he was a child. He didn't speak about it until his 30s.

He takes issue with this statement, released by the school's president Friday:

These allegations involve heinous acts committed many years ago.  I personally know of no credible reports of sexual misconduct with a minor occurring here in more than 20 years.

"The fact that it happened decades ago just speaks to fact that it should have been made public decades ago," said Peterson.

Some of the priests named have passed away.

Petersen also rejected the school's call on victims to report abuse to the school or church itself.

"But to simply go forward to the Dallas Police Department, to the authorities," said Peterson.

He called on Jesuit Dallas to turn its files over to police if they really want to help victims.

"By in large, the victims of sexual assault are under reported dramatically. What I always like to say is it's never 11. It's to a power of 11," said Peterson.

According to the letter sent out to the Jesuit Dallas Community by the school'sPresident Michael A. Earsing:

The list includes four past members of the Jesuit Dallas community who were the subject of credible accusations of inappropriate conduct with a minor during their tenure here. They are:

Don Dickerson (1980-81)
Thomas Naughton (1973-79)
Claude Ory (1966-67; 1987-94)
Vincent Malatesta (1981-85)

There are seven others who were accused of misconduct with a minor elsewhere, but who had been assigned for a certain period of time by the New Orleans Province Office to Jesuit Dallas:

Claude Boudreaux (1967-73)
Charles Coyle (1959-60)
Tom Hidding (1982-83)
Francis Landwermeyer (1958-59; 1960-61)
Vincent Orlando (1968-71; 1975-79)
Norman Rogge (1958-60)
Benjamin Wren (1955-58; 1962-63)

To see the full letter by Jesuit Dallas' President, click here.

Bishop Edward J. Burns of the Diocese of Dallas released the following statement on the matter:

 I commend the Jesuits and other religious orders who, together with bishops in the United States, are working for truth and transparency in order to keep children and youth safe.  As announced and reported in October,  the Diocese of Dallas will join the other Catholic dioceses around the state of Texas in releasing a list on January 31, 2019, of all priests credibly accused of the sexual abuse of a minor since 1950.  I continue to pray for all victims and their loved ones in the Diocese of Dallas and around the world.

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