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	Judge Dismisses Sex-Abuse Suit against Archdiocese By Manya Brachear Chicago Tribune January 11, 2011 http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-01-11/news/ct-met-archdiocese-lawsuit-dismissed-20110111_1_phillip-aaron-victims-of-sexual-abuse-minority-victims A judge has dismissed a federal lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago that claimed the church discriminated against minority victims of sexual abuse. Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman ruled Monday that even if the plaintiffs' allegations were true, they didn't violate the U.S. Constitution or federal anti-discrimination laws. The suit was filed in December 2009 by Seattle attorney Phillip Aaron on behalf of 41 men and eight women. It accused church officials of trying to silence the claims of African-American and Latino victims and proposing smaller settlements than those offered to white victims. It also accused the archdiocese of conspiring with a Chicago law firm that found in an audit that the average settlement for African-American victims is more than 28 percent higher than settlements with white victims and 19 percent higher than the average of all settlements. The archdiocese released a statement saying it was "pleased" with the ruling. "The allegations in the lawsuit were without merit," the statement said. "We remain committed to just and fair resolution of misconduct claims and encourage anyone who believes they were abused by a priest to come forward." Aaron said he withdrew from the case for health reasons. Zubair Khan, the Chicago lawyer who took over the plaintiffs' representation, could not be reached for comment.
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