$2.5 Million Deal in Church Abuse

By Manya A. Brachear
Chicago Tribune
September 11, 2008

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-mccormack-12-sep12,0,3470001.story

[NOTE: See correction below.]

Two teenage brothers and their family will receive $2.5 million from the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for sexual abuse the boys suffered at the hands of Daniel McCormack, a lawyer for the victims said Thursday.

The agreement is the most recent settlement reached between the archdiocese and victims of McCormack, the former pastor of St. Agatha Catholic Church, who pleaded guilty last year to fondling five boys ages 8 to 12 at St. Agatha.

Both victims were members of the basketball team McCormack coached at nearby Our Lady of the Westside School, Presentation Campus, said lawyer Kenneth Cunniff. They also were part of the criminal case, he said.

According to the complaint, McCormack abused the older brother once in August 2005 in public during a White Sox game at U.S. Cellular Field. McCormack abused the younger boy multiple times from late 2004 into 2005 by "grabbing his buttocks and genitals over and under [his] clothes." The abuse continued after initial allegations against McCormack surfaced and the archdiocese assigned a monitor to supervise the priest.

Last month, Cardinal Francis George released a legal deposition that disclosed the steps, missteps and lies that led to McCormack's tenure at St. Agatha years after allegations of misconduct surfaced during his seminary days in 1988. According to the document, as many as 23 people have alleged abuse by McCormack, who is serving a 5-year prison sentence. [See Deposition page 282.]

CORRECTION
September 13, 2008

A story in Friday's Metro section misstated who will receive a $2.5 million settlement from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for sexual abuse suffered at the hands of former priest Daniel McCormack. The settlement went to one boy, and his brother's case is still pending.

Contact: mbrachear@tribune.com