CALIFORNIA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Thursday, October 1, 2015
Statement by Melanie Jula Sakoda, East Bay Director for SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (925-708-6175 cell, melanie.sakoda@gmail.com)
A federal judge has ruled that the Archdiocese of San Francisco cannot dismiss accusations that it failed to prevent students at a boys’ school from sharing inappropriate photos of a teacher. SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, expressed gratitude for the judge’s ruling.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick found a triable issue existed on claims the Archdiocese contributed to civil rights violations that caused a female biology teacher at Junipero Serra High School emotional distress.
“I’m glad that the Archdiocese of San Francisco wasn’t able to wiggle out of this case,” said Tim Lennon, the San Francisco Director of SNAP. “Church officials’ response to Kimberly Bohnert’s harassment echoed their response to clergy sex abuse. That is, the Archdiocese used its resources to protect the perpetrators not the victim.”
Melanie Sakoda, the East Bay Director of SNAP agreed. “When Judge Orrick wrote that ‘[t]he school (and the Archbishop’s office) did not appear to learn from, or respond to, each instance of harassing conduct or to prevent similar occurrences in the future,’ the similarity was all too obvious.”
Lennon concluded, “We’re grateful that Ms. Bohnert will not be denied her day in court. The Archdiocese’s continuous efforts to block statute of limitations reform have closed that door to many abuse victims.”
Bohnert sued the Archdiocese last year, claiming it did nothing as students humiliated her for more than two years. The Church claimed that California workers compensation law barred the teacher’s emotional distress claims.
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