CALIFORNIA
Fox LA
Manhattan Beach, CA – (FOX 11 / CNS) A married Catholic woman is suing the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and an assistant pastor after he allegedly touched her in an inappropriate way at a South Bay church last year.
Catherine Bergin filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court Tuesday, alleging sexual harassment, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She seeks unspecified damages.
An archdiocese spokeswoman could not be immediately reached for comment.
The suit states that the Rev. Nicholas Assi, the assistant pastor at St. Basil’s Catholic Church in Los Angeles, was assigned to American Martyrs Catholic Church in Manhattan Beach as an assistant pastor from 2009 until last May 2. Assi was known as Father Nick and he became a friend of the Bergin family while at American Martyrs, the suit states. He often brought Middle Eastern treats for Bergin’s children and “was always warm and friendly,” the suit states.
But last April 17, while doing volunteer work in the sacristy, Assi came up from behind Bergin, put his arms around her and whispered, “Hi, darling,” the suit alleges.
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