KANSAS CITY (MO)
The Kansas City Star
October 22
BY JUDY L. THOMAS
The Kansas City Star
A Kansas City priest who has been the subject of numerous sexual abuse lawsuits — including one settled this year for more than $2 million — has died.
Monsignor Thomas J. O’Brien, 87, died this week, his lawyer confirmed on Tuesday.
“I don’t know any of the details, and I just got that information from family members,” said Gerald McGonagle, who has represented O’Brien for years.
A spokesman for the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese said he had no comment on the death.
O’Brien has been the subject of more than two dozen lawsuits alleging sexual abuse and was among 12 current or former priests named in a 47-plaintiff case that the diocese settled for $10 million in 2008. He repeatedly had denied all abuse allegations.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.