Sisters of Mercy Settle with 6 Guam Clergy Sex Abuse Plaintiffs

By Haidee V Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
January 5, 2019

https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2019/01/05/sisters-mercy-settle-6-guam-clergy-sex-abuse-plaintiffs/2480115002/

Religious order Sisters of Mercy settled with six Guam clergy sex abuse plaintiffs, who filed separate notices of voluntary dismissal of claims in federal court on Friday.

Attorney Delia S. Lujan Wolff, counsel for the plaintiffs, said the filing of notices was a result of a settlement between the six plaintiffs and defendants Sisters of Mercy.

Wolff would not say the type of settlement reached, including whether it's monetary or not.

The plaintiffs who filed notice of voluntary dismissal with prejudice of certain claims include Timothy Ryan Shiroma, Jive Lee Kai, Troy Torres, A.J.R., N.P.J.D. and B.W.J., whose lawsuits demanded a combined $30 million in damages.

The Sisters of Mercy was named defendant only in cases where the alleged sexual abuses of minors happened decades ago at schools that it operated or oversaw such as Cathedral Grade School in Hagatna, Santa Barbara Catholic School in Dededo, and Saint Anthony Catholic School in Tamuning.

Wolff said while the claims against defendants Sisters of Mercy were voluntarily dismissed, the claims against all other defendants including the Archdiocese of Agana were "not dismissed."

The archdiocese was named defendant in the six specific cases that accused the late Archbishop Felixberto C. Flores, the late priest Raymond Cepeda and former Saint Anthony Catholic School teacher Ray Caluag of sexually abusing minors decades ago, because the abuses allegedly happened at Sisters of Mercy-operated schools.

"All claims against any and all defendants, other than the Sisters of Mercy Defendants, are not hereby dismissed," according to the notices of voluntary dismissal signed by Wolff and approved as to form and content by Sisters of Mercy counsel, Duncan G. McCully.

The Archdiocese of Agana is filing a reorganization bankruptcy this month to help settle the estimated 200 clergy sex abuse cases filed against it since 2016.