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Victims Advocacy Group Announces Leader's Resignation in Wake of Lawsuit

By Manya Brachear Pashman
Chicago Tribune
January 24, 2017

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-snap-director-resigns-met-20170124-story.html

David Clohessy has resigned as national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, the organization announced on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests announced Tuesday that its longtime national director, accused by a former SNAP employee of referring potential clients to attorneys in return for financial kickbacks to the group, resigned at the end of last year.

The announcement that David Clohessy, of St. Louis, left the Chicago-based organization comes a week after he and other leaders were named in a lawsuit filed by a former employee who said she was fired shortly after asking superiors whether SNAP was referring victims to attorneys in exchange for donations to the organization.

In addition to Clohessy, defendants named in the lawsuit are the organization itself, Barbara Blaine, its founder and president, and Barbara Dorris, outreach director. Dorris could not be reached for comment.

In a statement sent to volunteers Tuesday morning, Mary Ellen Kruger, the chairwoman of the board, thanked Clohessy for his nearly 30 years of service to the organization.

"His passion, his voice and his kindness have touched us all," Kruger said. "We will miss David, and we wish him much happiness. David will always be a friend and an inspiration to SNAP and its many dedicated and hardworking volunteers."

In an interview Tuesday, Clohessy said he remains on the organization's board of directors for the time being. But his resignation, which he said he told SNAP's board about in October, is the best choice for him and the organization.

"It's healthy for nonprofits to get fresh blood and new perspectives," said Clohessy, who said he was stunned by the lawsuit and its allegations.

According to the suit filed in Cook County Circuit Court, Gretchen Rachel Hammond worked as a director of development from July 2011 until she said she was fired in February 2013. She grew suspicious when she was not permitted to participate in an internal audit of SNAP by an accounting firm and was barred from attending programs to help generate material for grant proposals, the suit said.

She also was given access to a list of lawyers who regularly donated to SNAP but was told to never tell anyone that lawyers donate to the organization, according to the lawsuit. It was when Clohessy accidentally copied her on an email to an attorney, asking when SNAP could expect the next donation, that Hammond began to ask questions and the workplace climate dramatically changed, she alleged in the lawsuit.

Clohessy said he did not recall, but doubts such an email exchange would take place.

"I send hundreds of emails, and I can't imagine writing that one," he said.

Hammond said she was fired two days after a volunteer came to Hammond's apartment to collect a flash drive she used to work from home. She did not disclose that she had copied it, the lawsuit said.

Contact: mbrachear@chicagotribune.com

 

 

 

 

 




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