18th Sex Abuse Case against Former Priest Filed
By Mindy Aguon
Allegations of decades-old sexual abuse at San Vicente Catholic School in Barrigada have surfaced as the 18th civil complaint filed against former Guam priests and the Archdiocese of Agana was filed in the District Court of Guam yesterday. In the most recent lawsuit, Anthony Lujan, 50, claims he was sexually abused by former priest Louis Brouillard. The alleged sexual abuse occurred when Lujan was an altar boy at the San Vicente/San Roke Catholic Church in Barrigada and while he attended San Vicente Catholic School. Lujan alleges he met Brouillard around 1979 during weekly outings that were conducted by Brouillard to recruit young boys to become altar boys, or join the Boy Scouts. At that time, Brouillard served as scout master of the Guam Chapter of the Boy Scouts, in addition to his role as priest. Alter server, boy scout, victim At the age of 12, Lujan became an altar boy at the village parish and joined the Boy Scouts. During that period, the former altar boy was sexually abused by Brouillard, the lawsuit states. The abuse occurred after Lujan’s duties as an altar boy during Mass. Documents state that in the presence of other altar boys, Brouillard would call Lujan over to hug him and say he did a “fine job” during Mass. Brouillard allegedly would pull Lujan closer to him and begin fondling him. “Anthony was confused, scared and speechless as a result of Brouillard’s sexually abusing him,” the lawsuit states. The abuse continued at school, where every month, Lujan was forced to be alone with Brouillard to receive the sacrament of penance. Brouillard worked as a teacher, counselor and/or church officiant for San Vicente Catholic School. Lujan alleges that Brouillard would put his hand on his leg as he gave confession. “Anthony was further traumatized at the forced intimate, physical contact with Brouillard,” the complaint states. Lujan alleges he and other boys were sexually molested and abused by Brouillard on “numerous occasions” during Boy Scout swimming outings. The lawsuit alleges “Brouillard routinely instructed (Lujan) and the other boys to remove their clothes, and Brouillard would grope and touch their private parts.” Admitting to the abuse Brouillard, 96, a retired priest, who now lives in Minnesota, has been accused and sued by at least nine other individuals who claimed they were sexually abused when they served as altar boys at various parishes around the island. Brouillard has been personally served in Minnesota with documents in eight of the cases filed in the District Court in Guam. The former priest was served with notices of lawsuits filed on behalf of Norman Aguon, Bruce Diaz, James Bascon, Felix Manglona, Vicente Perez, Vicente San Nicolas, Leo Tudela and Anthony Vegafria. On Oct. 3, 2016, Brouillard released a signed statement to the public admitting he sexually abused at least 20 boys. In that statement, he recalled some instances of abuse that occurred at the Mangilao rectory of the Santa Teresita Church, and possibly at San Vicente Catholic School and Father Duenas Memorial School. Brouillard also said Bishop Apollinaris Baumgartner, and other priests and representatives of the archdiocese were aware of the sexual abuse. The plaintiffs’ attorneys, David Lujan and Gloria Rudolph, announced yesterday that they anticipate additional lawsuits to be filed, and some of the victims were not altar boys, but school children who allege they were abused while enrolled at Catholic schools on the island. Anthony Lujan’s lawsuit, like the 17 other cases filed by attorney Lujan, seeks a minimum of $5 million in damages for each case.
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