TOLEDO (OH)
Abuse Survivors Coalition [USA]
July 15, 2026
Yesterday, the Toledo City Council voted 8-2 to remove the honorary street sign bearing the name of Monsignor Jerome Schmit, despite staunch opposition from the Catholic Diocese of Toledo. The vote culminates a crusade begun more than 20 years ago by the family of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl and survivor advocate Claudia Vercellotti, who believed that evidence uncovered at Father Gerald Robinson’s 2006 trial for Sister Margaret Ann’s murder showed that Monsignor Schmit interfered with the original investigation. The Abuse Survivors Coalition (ASC) applauds the long-awaited action of the City Council.
David Lorenz, a member of the ASC Operations Team and an ASC MD Contact, said, “There is simply no reason to honor a priest who, by all accounts, acted to protect Father Robinson from prosecution for murdering Sister Margaret Ann. Ultimately, Father Robinson was found guilty. It is a common reaction by the Catholic Church to circle the wagons and protect the reputation of the institution or its priests. However, in our view, we should not be honoring a clergyman who, it appears to us, stood in the way of justice for a murder victim and her family.”
The survivors’ group wants victims and their family members to know that their collective voices matter. The ASC knows we can be a powerful force when we work together and are persistent.
CONTACT: David Lorenz, ASC Operations Team, ASC MD Contact (glydonct@gmail.com, 301-906-9161), Melanie Sakoda, ASC Media Statement Working Group, ASC CA Contact (melanie.sakoda@gmail.com, 925-708-6175), Susan Vance, ASC Operations Team, ASC TN Contact (Susan8324@gmail.com, 865-748-3518)
Contact(Susan8324@gmail.com, 865-748-3518)
(The Abuse Survivors Coalition is a survivor-led, peer-run organization dedicated to supporting individuals affected by abuse and advocating for accountability within institutions where abuse has occurred. ASC is informed by decades of collective experience in survivor support, advocacy, and public education. The organization focuses on facilitating peer support, sharing information about available survivor resources, and engaging in advocacy efforts centered on survivor-led principles. Survivors remain the central priority of the ASC’s work. Our website is: www.ascoalition.org)
https://www.ascoalition.org/media-statements/for-immediate-release%3A-july-15%2C-2026-yesterday%2C-the-toledo-city-council-voted-8-2-to-remove-the-honorary-street-sign-bearing-the-name-of-monsignor-jerome-schmit%2C-despite-staunch-opposition-from-the-catholic-diocese-of-toledo.-the-vote-culminates-a-crusade-begun-more-than-20-years-ago-by-the-family-of-sister-margaret-ann-pahl-and-survivor-advocate-claudia-vercellotti%2C-who-believed-that-evidence-uncovered-at-father-gerald-robinson%E2%80%99s-2006-trial-for-sister-margaret-ann%E2%80%99s-murder-showed-that-monsignor-schmit-interfered-with-the-original-investigation.-the-abuse-survivors-coalition-(asc)-applauds-the-long-awaited-action-of-the-city-counsel.-david-lorenz%2C-a-member-of-the-asc-operations-team-and-an-asc-md-contact%2C-said%2C-%E2%80%9Cthere-is-simply-no-reason-to-honor-a-priest-who%2C-by-all-accounts%2C-acted-to-protect-father-robinson-from-prosecution-for-murdering-sister-margaret-ann.-ultimately%2C-father-robinson-was-found-guilty.-it-is-a-common-reaction-by-the-catholic-church-to-circle-the-wagons-and-protect-the-reputation-of-the-institution-or-its-priests.-however%2C-in-our-view%2C-we-should-not-be-honoring-a-clergyman-who%2C-it-appears-to-us%2C-stood-in-the-way-of-justice-for-a-murder-victim-and-her-family.%E2%80%9D-the-survivors%E2%80%99-group-wants-victims-and-their-family-members-to-know-that-their-collective-voices-matter.-the-asc-knows-we-can-be-a-powerful-force-when-we-work-together-and-are-persistent.-contact%3A-melanie-sakoda%2C-asc-media-statement-working-group%2C-asc-ca-contact-(melanie.sakoda%40gmail.com%2C-925-708-6175)%2C-susan-vance%2C-asc-operations-team%2C-asc-tn-contact(susan8324%40gmail.com%2C-865-748-3518)-(the-abuse-survivors-coalition-is-a-survivor-led%2C-peer-run-organization-dedicated-to-supporting-individuals-affected-by-abuse-and-advocating-for-accountability-within-institutions-where-abuse-has-occurred.-asc-is-informed-by-decades-of-collective-experience-in-survivor-support%2C-advocacy%2C-and-public-education.-the-organization-focuses-on-facilitating-peer-support%2C-sharing-information-about-available-survivor-resources%2C-and-engaging-in-advocacy-efforts-centered-on-survivor-led-principles.-survivors-remain-the-central-priority-of-the-asc%E2%80%99s-work.-our-website-is%3A-www.ascoalition.org)-
