PENNSYLVANIA
Altoona Mirror
October 12, 2013
By Kay Stephens ( kstephens@altoonamirror.com ), The Altoona Mirror
HOLLIDAYSBURG – Efforts are being made to resolve pending cases of suspected child abuse involving the late Brother Stephen Baker, the Altoona-Johnstown Catholic Diocese said Friday.
In response to Judge Jolene G. Kopriva’s recent order giving Altoona attorney Richard Serbin 30 days to file complaints detailing the allegations, Bishop Mark L. Bartchak revealed the ongoing effort.
“The parties believe that it would serve everyone’s interest to devote time and resources to resolving the claims as opposed to engaging in formal litigation,” Bartchak said. “We are optimistic that we can continue to work together to reach a fair and appropriate resolution.”
The pending lawsuits stem from alleged abuse at the hands of Baker, who served at Johnstown’s Bishop McCort High School as an athletic trainer in the 1990s. Baker was a Franciscan friar who was living at St. Bernardine Monastery in Hollidaysburg when he committed suicide Jan. 26.
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