I am biased based on my experiences with mom’s who I cared about and respected saying it was my fault. In my case, I was 16 working at a Houston church. A priest I loved and cherished molested me and raped me for years until I left for college.

I did not got forward until I was 19 because I felt like it was all my fault. I had low self esteem and was being abused by another family member. I had gone to the church to get away from abuse at home. It wasn’t until years later in therapy that I realized it was not my fault. I was confused about love. I thought all love turned sexual. Now I know about love.

The abuse was bad but the part that has stayed with me the longest is the church’s reaction saying it was not true even though the youth minister walked in on him twice abusing me. They moved him to Oregon.

when I think that and cry now, it is not about the abuse anymore, it is the parents of my friends’ who said it was my fault and I brought down a good priest. It was awful.

I’m 47 now and it still bothers me.

I feel awful for this child. I hope she can move on. Press is brutal. I went to the Houston Chronicle myself and suffered the additional blows and trauma of that as a choice only because I did not want him returned to the priesthood in Sugarland. That choice sucked years off of my life. This victim is probably reading all of the comments just like I read all of the backlash about me on the Chronicle site. It was awful. I’ll never forget all of the catty remarks about me. And, I was the most pitiful kid back then at 16. Words are like knives. Be careful knowing she is probably reading this.

To her: it is not your fault.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2001-08-02/news/0108020211_1_stewart-girl-fbi-agent

Again, Ms. Aldous is an angel. Her heart and priorities are in the right place, unlike the Episcopal School and its teachers. It takes a person like Ms. Aldous to make a difference in the world in which we live. We need more individuals like Ms. Aldous. God Bless Ms. Aldous (and Lisa Blue Baron).

FED UP, is Lisa Blue Baron even involved in the trial of this case? I haven’t seen her name mentioned. OR are you just after the great attorneys in Dallas that have and continue to make a difference in the lives of others by helping the little man? That statement by you sounds very personal.

FED UP, in case you didn’t know, most attorneys work for money. And most attorneys work on a contigency basis. Whether it’s 33.3 or 40% doesn’t matter…they are helping someone. Thus, I hope they get all they deserve by helping this young girl and her family.

Oh and FED UP, since you believe “this is a teacher’s fault but you don’t see how the school is liable”, go look up the term “Respondeat Superior”. (Since you have plenty of time on your hands.”

This horrific behavior happens everywhere – not just in the Catholic Church – and ESD should be just as liable whether or not they are affiliated with the Episcopal church or not. Sadly money is what gets the attention of corporate structures. You cannot volunteer on the field or in the classroom, let alone teach, in a Catholic diocesan school without Safe Environment training ANNUALLY and a criminal background check every three years. Punitive damages do serve a person beyond rewarding victims and their lawyers.

It’s funny that you have a problem with a professional (someone paid to render services) getting paid for their services, but have nothing to say about a “Man of God” who lives in a nearly-million-dollar-home, who drives a new Porsche every year, and who has worked hard to keep his salary a secret in this case. A “Man of God” who has bronze statues of himself, full-length oil paintings of himself, buildings named after.. himself…

But hey, it’s all about those greedy lawyers. Greed is terrible, isn’t it?