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  State Supreme Court Drops Suit against Green Bay Diocese

New Richmond News

September 3, 2008

http://www.newrichmond-news.com/articles/index.cfm?id=30642§ion=Wisconsin%20News&property_id=9&freebie_check&CFID=81010104&CFTOKEN=19472513&jsessionid=88307847a43c41347611

The State Supreme Court has decided not to consider punishing the Green Bay Catholic Diocese after one of its priests sexually abused a young boy 20 years ago.

David Schauer lost a civil suit in Brown County Circuit Court, but an appeals court later said the case should be reconsidered.

The Supreme Court rejected that action Tuesday, dropping the matter for good.

Schauer was 10 when former priest Donald Buzanowski molested him in 1988 at St. Peter and Paul Catholic School in Green Bay. Buzanowski was sentenced to prison for two felony sexual assault convictions.

Schauer said the church was liable as well and he said the time limit for filing a civil suit should have been waived, because a church official discouraged his mother from filing suit back in 1990.

Schauer, 30, lived in Marshfield when he civil case was first being tried, but he now resides in Arizona.

His lawyer, Jeff Anderson, called the Supreme Court’s decision to drop the case “heart-breaking.” Schauer says he hopes the state Legislature can change the law on filing deadlines for priest abuse suits, so he can try again.

A recent effort to change the law failed.

 
 

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