ROSEMEAD (CA)
Whittier Daily News
[with court document]
By Juliette Funes and Maritza Velazquez, SGVN
ROSEMEAD – Franciscan Friars of California and the Diocese of Las Vegas have settled a lawsuit that alleged a student activities director at the University of the West sexually abused children while a member of the Roman Catholic order nearly 30 years ago.
Thomas Thing, 53, director of student life for the Rosemead Buddhist university, was sued last year by a Nevada resident who accused the former Catholic Franciscan brother of molesting and sexually assaulting him in the mid-1980s when he was in seventh grade.
Tim Coonce, now 38, settled the civil suit for $600,000.
Thing has never been charged with a crime. He declined to comment when reached by telephone Friday. His attorney, Robert Howie, said Thing denies the allegations.
“Tom has never admitted or failed to fight these allegations. He has denied them completely,” Howie said. “Basically, the institutions are settling these cases because they just don’t want to deal with them because there’s such a prejudice against them in the community.”
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