St. John's Abbey to Release Filed on 19 Monks Accused of Abusing Children

Fox 9
April 28, 2015

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/28923204/st-johns-abbey-to-release-filed-on-19-monks-accused-of-abusing-children

St. John's Abbey has reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought by a former student who was sexually assaulted by a priest at the Collegeville, Minn. prep school in 1977. The settlement is being called an important step forward in the ongoing battle against clergy sex abuse.

Troy Bramlage says he was abused by the Reverend Allen Tarlton during his freshman year at the school. The lawsuit says St. John's leadership repeatedly sent Tarlton for treatment, but allowed him to continue working at the prep school. Bramlage says there are still many victims out there.

“The guilt and the shame that we feel doesn't belong to us,” he said.

As part of the deal, St. John's must now release files for 19 monks accused of sexually abusing minors.

St. John's Abbey is one of the largest Benedictine monastic communities in the western hemisphere, with an abbey, prep school and university all on one campus.