MASSACHUSETTS
Cape Cod Times
By AMY ANTHONY
aanthony@capecodonline.com
April 10, 2014
The state Supreme Judicial Court on Wednesday upheld the dismissal of a defamation lawsuit filed by a former Falmouth priest against two other priests, agreeing the suit was filed beyond the statute of limitations.
In November 2010, the Rev. John P. Harrington, formerly a priest at St. Patrick’s Church on Main Street in Falmouth, filed suit in Norfolk Superior Court against the Rev. John H. Perry – the former pastor of St. Patrick’s – and the Rev. William M. Costello, the former pastor of St. Anthony’s Parish in East Falmouth.
The suit stems from an incident beginning in January 2005, when Costello told Perry that a parishioner of St. Patrick’s had accused Harrington of stalking her minor son, according to the court decision. In response, Perry told the two directors of religious education at St. Patrick’s about the accusation against Harrington, according to the decision.
Perry then informed Harrington of the accusation, which was false, the decision says.
In response Harrington spoke with Costello, who told Harrington the accusation had not been made by a parishioner but by the parishioner’s co-worker, according to the decision. Costello refused to give Harrington the name of the co-worker.
In November 2007, Harrington learned the identity of the co-worker but after speaking with the co-worker discovered the co-worker had never made any accusation and that Costello had fabricated it, according to the decision.
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