Jesuits reached settlement of 2 lawsuits against former St. Louis University President Daniel O’ Connell

MISSOURI
Lawyer Herald

A former president of St. Louis University was sued by two women over sexual abuse. Daniel O’ Connell was a known professor at St. Louis and in the late 1960. On Wednesday, according to an activist group, one woman was said to have received a total of $281,000 to settle Daniel O’ Connell’s case. The woman also claimed that officials breached an agreement to bar the professor from teaching.

During the counselling sessions in 1960, a female undergraduate alleges that Daniel O’ Connell used his authority in school to sexually abuse. And in 2012, the same woman filed a lawsuit stating that the professor held her on his lap while indulging in masturbation. The woman said that Daniel O’ Connell told her that sex would bring her closer to God. Daniel O’ Connelly and the lawyers of St. Louis University denied such allegations.

From 1974-1978, Daniel O’ Connell became St. Louis University’s president, however the allegations of sexual abuse did not stop. It was reported last week that St. Louis University and the Jesuits of Missouri Province agreed to pay ‘Jane Doe 929′ $200,000 to settle the 2012 case filed against the professor. Days before reaching an agreement with Jane Doe 929, another victim went to file lawsuit against Daniel O’ Connell again. The University then agreed to pay her $81,000.

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.