WHEELING (WV)
The Intelligencer
March 27, 2019
By Joselyn King
A civil lawsuit filed in Ohio County Circuit Court alleges Bishop Michael Bransfield to be “a sexual predator” prone to binge drinking liquor, then molesting young men.
The suit filed Friday lists the complainant only as someone with the initials “J.E.,” described as having been a personal altar server and secretary to Bransfield, former bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. The suit alleges the plaintiff was sexually assaulted by Bransfield in 2014 and was a victim of sexual harassment by him for years prior to that.
J.E. is listed as a current resident of Pocahontas County, West Virginia, but was a resident of St. Clairsville when the alleged incidents took place between 2008 and 2014.
The defendants named in the suit are Bransfield, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston and numerous “John Does” associated with the diocese.
Tim Bishop, spokesman for the diocese, said the diocese does not comment on pending litigation.
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