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  Lawsuit against Germantown Church Expands, Names Convicted Sexual Abusers, Former Priests

WHAS
February 14, 2011

http://www.whas11.com/news/local/Lawsuit-against-Germantown-church-expands-names-convicted-sexual-abusers-former-priests-116208279.html

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- A man named as the parish council chairman at St. Therese Catholic Church in Germantown, previously convicted of rape has now been added to a lawsuit. The lawsuit from Gary and Margie Weiter says she was fired for complaining that Father James Schook was secretly living at the rectory. Schook had been removed from another parish after allegations he sexually abused five young boys. Those allegations the archdiocese later called credible.

The lawsuit says Schook's presence was especially troubling for Gary Weiter, who was abused by another priest at Saint Therese when he was a child.

On Monday WHAS11 learned an amended lawsuit now names Bruce Ewing as the parish council chairman. In 2007 Ewing, a former priest, was convicted of raping a 15-year-old girl in the 1970s. Ewing, who also spent years working for the city as an aldermanic aide, is now on Kentucky's sex offender registry. The Weiters say they were never told of Ewing's past and that Ewing, as parish council chairman, did not adequately respond to their concerns about Schook.

However, the archdiocese says Ewing was only a church member, not council president. They have released an official statement:

"We have not seen the amended case and just learned about it late this afternoon. Our attorney also has not seen the document. Therefore, we cannot respond to specifics since we don't know what it says, and we do not comment on pending litigation.

Bruce Ewing left active ministry decades ago. He was formally dismissed from the clerical state by the Holy See in November of 2004.

Bruce Ewing was not the parish council president, but he is a member of the church. We are unsure of his role and how this parish advisory group was formed. We will have to look into this further. "

 
 

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