SNAP Looking into Alleged Sexual Abuse at Chaminade High School

By Vera Culley
Fox 2
February 7, 2012

http://www.fox2now.com/news/ktvi-chaminade-grads-allege-sexual-abuse-snap-plans-news-conference-20120207,0,4652416.story

Several Chaminade College Preparatory School graduates claim they were verbally and sexually abused by two former priests who served as teachers. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, SNAP, says that local Catholic officials sent letters to hundreds of Chaminade graduates admitting that two former Chaminade teachers had been accused of sex crimes and asking that any other victims come forward.

One former student says the abuse occurred during the 1970s by Brother Louis Mainhardt and Brother John Woulfe, both Marianist priests. This is the first complaint against Mainhardt. Woulfe has been sued for misconduct before. Both have passed away.

SNAP says church officials did not disclose the allegations soon enough. In a statement, SNAP said "We are dismayed to learn that Chaminade and Marianist officials received yet another credible accusation against yet another one of their clerics and, months or perhaps years later, when prodded, finally took the absolute minimal step of sending a letter to some their alumni. Why weren’t the police called? Why weren’t more people informed? As previous cases against the Marianists have shown, the abuse was not always confined to one school”

The Marianist Order runs Chaminade, Vianney and St. Mary’s high schools in St. Louis.