Fr. Donald Starks
Accused in a 10/2004 lawsuit of sexually abusing a boy in 1976, in Albany and Boston. Per the alleged victim, he was abused by Starks and Fr. Mark Haigh, beginning when he was age 14, at St. Francis de Sales in Colonie. A second suit filed in 3/2005 claimed abuse in the same time- frame. One accuser said Starks and another priest abused him for three years in the early 1960s, starting when he was age 14, at St. Patrick’s in Albany. Starks died 11/16/89. He was the brother of accused priest R. Mansfield Starks. A lawsuit filed in 8/2019 claims of abuse of a boy 1964-1968 at St. Patrick’s; the plaintiff also claimed abuse by Rev. Robert Hatela. Another suit, filed in 9/2020, alleges abuse of an altar boy, ages 11-13, during 1966-1968, by Starks and Fr. Daniel J. Maher.
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