Salon.com > Joann Loviglio

New civil suits allege Philadelphia priest abuse

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 16:03:00 +0000

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Eight more priest-abuse lawsuits were filed Tuesday against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and its priests, including a jailed monsignor who now says he was convicted of child endangerment following a sham abuse plea by a defrocked co-defendant.

The civil lawsuits were filed by nine plaintiffs. Two spoke at a news conference, saying the abuse they suffered as children still haunts them and they wanted to go public to help other victims.

Michael McDonnell held up a photo of himself as a sixth-grader at St. Titus School in suburban East Norriton, where he said he was abused by two priests for several years beginning in 1980.

“When I look at that picture I remember what happened … I see a sad face in that photo,” said McDonnell, who was joined by his wife and 6-year-old son. He said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, mental illness and drug addiction because of the abuse.

Andrew Druding said the abuse he suffered when he was 9 at the hands of a priest at St. Timothy School in northeast Philadelphia strained relationships with his family and friends and caused flashbacks that persist 40 years later.

8 new lawsuits allege Philadelphia priest abuse

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:45:00 +0000

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Eight more priest-abuse lawsuits were filed Tuesday against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and its priests, including a jailed Roman Catholic monsignor who now says he was convicted following a sham abuse plea by a co-defendant former priest.

The civil lawsuits were filed by a total of nine plaintiffs. Two of them spoke at a news conference, saying the abuse they suffered as children still haunts them and they wanted to go public to help other victims.

Michael McDonnell held up a photo of himself as a sixth-grader at St. Titus School in suburban East Norriton, where he said he was abused by two priests for several years beginning in 1980.

"When I look at that picture I remember what happened ... I see a sad face in that photo," said McDonnell, who was joined by his wife and 6-year-old son. He said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, mental illness and drug addiction because of the abuse.

Andrew Druding said the abuse he suffered when he was 9 years old at the hands of a priest at St. Timothy School in northeast Philadelphia strained relationships with his family and friends and caused bad dreams and flashbacks that persist 40 years later.

Coroner releases report on “Jackass” star’s death

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:59:21 +0000

"Jackass" daredevil Ryan Dunn and his passenger died from the impact of the violent car crash and the resulting fire, according to a coroner's report Tuesday.

The Chester County coroner listed blunt force trauma and thermal trauma as the official causes of death for both men. Toxicology results will take four to six weeks to complete, coroner's office spokeswoman Patty Emmons said.

The 34-year-old Dunn and passenger Zachary Hartwell died early Monday, shortly after leaving a pub in West Chester where Dunn had tweeted a photo of the pair and a third man drinking just hours before the crash. The photo has since been taken down.

Barnaby's of America manager Jim O'Brien declined through an employee to speak to The Associated Press. He told The Philadelphia Inquirer that Dunn was drinking with several friends at the bar but didn't appear drunk.

West Goshen Township police declined Tuesday to discuss the ongoing investigation in detail but believe speed may have been a factor in the suburban Philadelphia crash.

A preliminary examination of the crash site suggested that Dunn's Porsche might have been traveling more than 100 mph in the 55 mph zone when it jumped a guardrail, flew into a wooded ravine, struck a tree and burst into flames.

“Jackass” star Ryan Dunn dies in fiery car crash

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:38:00 +0000

"Jackass" star Ryan Dunn, who along with his castmates made Americans cringe and snicker through vulgar stunts in their multimillion-dollar TV and movie franchise, was killed early Monday in a fiery car crash. He was 34.

Dunn, a daredevil whose most famous skits included diving into a sewage tank and shoving a toy car into his rectum, was driving his 2007 Porsche in suburban Philadelphia when it went off the road into the woods and burst into flames. A passenger was also killed, and speed may have been a factor in the crash, West Goshen Township police said.

Dunn appeared on MTV shows "Jackass" and "Viva La Bam" and the three "Jackass" big-screen adaptations. He also was the star of his own MTV show, "Homewrecker," and hosted "Proving Ground" on the G4 cable network.

His longtime friend and fellow "Jackass" daredevil Johnny Knoxville tweeted on Monday afternoon, "Today I lost my brother Ryan Dunn. My heart goes out to his family and his beloved Angie. RIP Ryan, I love you buddy."

Dunn also starred in the yet-to-be-released film "Living Will." The film's website describes Dunn's character as a "party bum slacker (who) returns from the dead as a mischievous and perverted ghost."