BishopAccountability.org
 
 

Church in Crisis
Rev. Louis E. Miller

Louisville Courier-Journal
September 29, 2002

[Note from BishopAccountability.org: One survivor's name, photograph, and some personal details have been removed from this page at the survivor's request. See also the main page of this special section on the Church in Crisis.]

Retired priest Louis E. Miller, center, was accompanied by his brother, Kenneth Miller, left, after posting bond and leaving the Jefferson County jail on June 27. Miller has been charged with abusing 15 children in Jefferson County. He also faces abuse charges involving eight children in Oldham County. By Pat McDonogh, The Courier-Journal.
Miller, 71, has been accused in 70 lawsuits of sexually abusing children at parishes where he worked, as well as some of his relatives when they were children. Miller, who also has been indicted on criminal charges involving some of the same alleged victims, faces far more allegations than any other priest. He denied some of the initial allegations but he and his lawyer have since declined comment.

In the indictments, Miller is charged with abusing 15 children in Jefferson County and eight in Oldham County. He has pleaded innocent.

Miller was ordained in 1956 and has served at Holy Spirit, St. Athanasius, St. Aloysius and St. Elizabeth of Hungary parishes and as chaplain at the former SS. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital and Sacred Heart Village. He retired after church officials received a complaint against him in March.

Miller is also named in a suit filed by James R. Sullivan Sr. that appears under the listing of the Rev. Robert Gray.

One of the suits accusing Miller of sexual misconduct also accuses the late Rev. C. Patrick Creed of emotional abuse. The plaintiff, Joseph A. Ball Jr., contends he suffered the abuse when Creed made him feel guilty in confession when Ball told of an incident that involved Miller.

HOLY SPIRIT

PLAINTIFF: Julie A. Baker
AGE: 51
ADDRESS: Maui, Hawaii
OCCUPATION: Medical technologist
FILED SUIT: May 23
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1961, Miller's car
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Baker said Miller sexually abused her while taking her home from a rehearsal dinner the night before her sister's wedding. She said he fondled her and placed her hand on his genitals.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "The reason I remember this so well is that my sister was getting married and it was the night before her wedding. He officiated at my sister's wedding the next day."



PLAINTIFF: Tim Baker
AGE: 53
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Businessman
FILED SUIT: May 7
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1960 and 1961, church, school and gym at Holy Spirit.
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Baker said the priest would trap him alone at the church and gym and once in an empty classroom. An indictment against Miller said the priest sexually abused Baker, then 11 and 12, six times when he fondled the boy's genitals and forced the boy to fondle him.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? Baker said he told his father, who with other parents went to the senior pastor, the Right Rev. John Vance, demanding Miller be removed.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I've been living with this for 40 years."



PLAINTIFF: [Name redacted and photograph removed.]
AGE: 53
ADDRESS: Northern California
OCCUPATION: [Profession redacted.]
FILED SUIT: June 14
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1960 and 1961, Holy Spirit sacristy
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: A state indictment said Miller made [Name redacted] fondle his genitals and Miller bounced the boy on his lap against his erect penis when [Name redacted] was 11 and 12.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? In 1992, [Name redacted] wrote to Archbishop Thomas Kelly, reporting his alleged abuse.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "He was somebody we were afraid of. He was a very intimidating person."



PLAINTIFF: Michael L. Clark
AGE: 52
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Architect
FILED SUIT: May 13
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1961, Holy Spirit church basement
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Clark said Miller sent him on an errand to the basement, then followed him and fondled him.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? Some classmates.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I think most people would just like to see Miller admit he did it. I think that would mean so much if he would come out and admit he did it. That means more to me than beating up on the church."



PLAINTIFF: Andrew J. Corcoran
AGE: 53
ADDRESS: Northern Kentucky
OCCUPATION: Businessman
FILED SUIT: May 23
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1958 to 1961, rectory, sacristy and other locations at Holy Spirit
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Corcoran said Miller first sexually abused him when he was around age 9, when the priest summoned Corcoran into the rectory after he scuffled with another boy on the playground. Corcoran said Miller fondled him and forced him to fondle Miller. Such incidents continued until around the seventh grade, when Corcoran said he was big enough to push Miller away.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? Corcoran said he told his mother, but she thought he was overreacting or had misinterpreted Miller's actions.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I'd never had a sexual encounter before. He was touching me, grabbing me, forcing me to fondle him. . . . I remember all this stuff."



PLAINTIFF: James B. Corcoran Jr.
AGE: 52
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Artist and sculptor
FILED SUIT: May 1
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1961, Holy Spirit sacristy
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: The indictment said in one count that Miller sexually abused Corcoran, then 13, by fondling his genitals. Corcoran said he was abused by Miller in the sacristy after Mass.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? Corcoran said he told his parents, who with several other parents reported it to the senior pastor at Holy Spirit.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "Look at all the people that are damaged because of this guy. I made my mind up I was going to do something to stop this guy."



PLAINTIFF: Paul Fischer (declined to be interviewed)
ADDRESS: Louisville
FILED SUIT: June 21
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1961, Holy Spirit sacristy
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Fischer's lawsuit said that in the spring of his sixth-grade year at Holy Spirit Elementary, Miller sexually abused him. The indictment against Miller alleges the priest sexually abused the boy in the sacristy by fondling his genitals.



PLAINTIFF: William Handelman
AGE: 53
ADDRESS: St. Petersburg, Fla.
OCCUPATION: Cardiologist
FILED SUIT: May 1
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1960 and 1961, Holy Spirit church basement
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Handelman said he recalls the abuse starting around the sixth grade when he was about 11. Most of his encounters with the priest involved sports -- in the locker room or trying on football uniforms. The indictment alleges Miller sexually abused Handelman four times by fondling the boy's genitals and forcing Handleman to fondle him.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? Handelman told his parents, who were among a group that complained to Miller's superior. When no immediate action was taken, one of the parents asked Isabel Maloney Diebold to intercede through her brother, Bishop Charles G. Maloney. Miller was transferred after that.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I think everybody was affected in different ways, but the underlying theme was that you were helpless. You are helpless at that age."



PLAINTIFF: L. Thomas Hulsewede (declined to be interviewed)
AGE: 56
ADDRESS: Louisville
FILED SUIT: May 31
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE OF ALLEGED ABUSE: Late 1950s
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse



PLAINTIFF: James Jewell [photo missing from our printout]
AGE: 53
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Obstetrician/gynecologist
FILED SUIT: May 13
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: Around 1960, locker room at Holy Spirit
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Jewell said he was changing clothes alone after basketball practice when Miller cornered him. Jewell said there was some inappropriate touching but he couldn't recall the details.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I never mentioned a word to a soul. I didn't even know what it was. We were pretty naive compared to kids today."



PLAINTIFF: Craig E. Koch
AGE: 54
ADDRESS: Pompano Beach, Fla.
OCCUPATION: Works for light bulb company
SUIT FILED: June 26
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: About 1961, Holy Spirit school and on a camping trip
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Koch said he was about 13 when Miller fondled him on two occasions at school and a third time during the night when he took several boys from Holy Spirit camping at Rough River.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "It had a devastating effect on me. I lost my Catholic faith over it. . . . I've talked to potential therapists. My goal is to get my faith back."



PLAINTIFF: Ronald L. Landry
AGE: 54
ADDRESS: South Florida
OCCUPATION: Self-employed
FILED SUIT: May 1
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1959 to 1961, church and gym at Holy Spirit and in Miller's car
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Landry said Miller abused him while he was an altar boy. The indictment against Miller said he sexually abused Landry four times when the boy was between 11 and 13 by fondling his genitals or by making the boy touch his penis.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? Landry's family, but he said they dismissed his accusations.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: Miller's abuse "was the worst kept secret at Holy Spirit, but even I didn't know how many people he had done this to."



PLAINTIFF: Robert Andrew Natalie (declined to be interviewed)
ADDRESS: Orange Park, Fla.
FILED SUIT: June 21
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1964 or 1965, Holy Spirit
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit said he was sexually abused by Miller when he was 7 or 8 and a student at Holy Spirit.



PLAINTIFF: Vincent Paul Natalie (declined to be interviewed)
ADDRESS: Louisville
FILED SUIT: June 21
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1964 or 1965, Holy Spirit
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit said he was sexually abused by Miller when he was about 9 or 10 years old and a student at Holy Spirit.



PLAINTIFF: Bernard K. Queenan
AGE: 53
ADDRESS: Louisville
FILED SUIT: May 9
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1960, Holy Spirit church after confession and in church basement
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: The indictment said Miller sexually abused Queenan twice by fondling the boy's genitals and by pressing the boy against his genitals. Queenan said he was about 11 at the time.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I am telling you the truth as best I know it. It is so vitally important for this to be believed."



PLAINTIFF: N. Clark Rechtin (could not be reached for interview)
AGE: 54
ADDRESS: Louisville
FILED SUIT: July 5
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: Early 1960s, Holy Spirit
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit said Rechtin was sexually abused while he was an altar boy.



PLAINTIFF: John F. Robertson
AGE: 52
ADDRESS: Mount Pleasant, Mich.
OCCUPATION: History professor
FILED SUIT: May 31
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1960 or 1961, Holy Spirit rectory
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Robertson said he went to Miller for counseling when he was about 11 and Miller had the boy unzip his pants and fondled his penis.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I don't care about money. But the fact that the archdiocese will not own up, that just boggles my mind. If they would at least have the decency to admit what happened, I would feel a little more at ease with the whole thing."



PLAINTIFF: Martin Robertson [photo missing from our printout]
AGE: 50
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Portrait artist
FILED SUIT: May 1
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1960, confessional at Holy Spirit
ACCUSATION: Sexually explicit discussion, masturbation
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Robertson said that when he was age 8, he was sodomized by a stranger who lured him into a building near his home. The boy was afraid to tell his parents, so he told Miller during confession. The priest asked him sexually explicit questions about the encounter and masturbated in the confessional, Robertson said.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I was very scared; I couldn't tell my parents. I feared I'd be punished."



PLAINTIFF: Geoffrey C. Schilling (declined to be interviewed)
AGE: 54
ADDRESS: Louisville
FILED SUIT: May 17
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: Early 1960s, Holy Spirit
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit said Miller sexually abused him while he was an altar boy.



PLAINTIFF: Kenneth L. Schweitzer (declined to be interviewed)
AGE: 54
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Retired
SUIT FILED: June 14
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: Early 1960s, Holy Spirit
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit said Miller sexually abused him while he was an altar boy.



PLAINTIFF: Jim Strader
AGE: 53
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Sportsman, produces hunting and fishing trade shows
SUIT FILED: May 21
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1961, Holy Spirit
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit said he was sexually abused while he was a altar boy.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "Most of my classmates and I had shared stories and . . . several of our parents went" to church officials. "You can imagine our horror at finding out years later all they did was move him from parish to parish where he could continue to prey on innocent youths."



PLAINTIFF: J. Boswell Tabler
AGE: 53
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Psychiatrist
FILED SUIT: May 8
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1960 and 1961, Holy Spirit sacristy and in Miller's car
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Tabler said he was sexually abused by Miller around age 11 or 12 -- once in the sacristy and twice in Miller's car when he was giving the boy rides home from events.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
In PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "You just cannot comprehend what it's like. I can remember saying to him one time 'This is not right.' And he said, 'I'm a priest. I wouldn't do anything that's not right.' How do you argue with that?"



PLAINTIFF: Mark W. Talley
AGE: 54
ADDRESS: Falmouth, Ky.
OCCUPATION: State clerical worker
FILED SUIT: May 15
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1959, after Mass at Holy Spirit
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Talley said Miller attempted to force the boy to fondle his penis while hugging him when he was 11 and an altar boy.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? The Right Rev. John Vance, pastor of Holy Spirit. Vance, who died in 1976, brushed off his complaints, Talley said.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I dared not say anything; I thought God would punish me in some way for ratting out one of his priests. I'd been an altar boy for three years. It was just something that totally grossed me out; it scared me half to death, too."



PLAINTIFF: Thomas Carson Torpey
AGE: 53
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Bicycle shop owner
FILED SUIT: June 14
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1960, Holy Spirit sacristy
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Torpey said Miller called him into the sacristy on the pretext of congratulating him on learning Latin, which he needed to know to serve as an altar boy. He put Torpey on his lap and fondled the boy's genitals, Torpey said.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "It was just like, shock. I remember rising up and swinging my head around to look him right in face. He was off in a different world. He had a silly little smile on his face; his eyes weren't focused on me at all. When it was over he told me go to back to class."



PLAINTIFF: Frank Viviano
AGE: 53
ADDRESS: Los Angeles
OCCUPATION: Lamp designer
FILED SUIT: May 13
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: Between 1960 and 1962, sacristy and school at Holy Spirit
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Viviano said Miller sexually abused him on several occasions by fondling his genitals, usually in church after a service where Viviano had assisted as an altar boy.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "Altar boys used to serve Mass four at a time and at the end of Mass, three servers got to take off their cassocks and go to school. The one chosen that day got to clean up, turn off the lights and then you have to go back through the sacristy and there's Father Miller waiting for you and you know he's going to be waiting for you. Guys were always trying to con off the job."



PLAINTIFF: Martha Brotzge Weinert
AGE: 53
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Businesswoman
FILED SUIT: May 14
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1960, Holy Spirit school gym and at Weinert's home
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Weinert, who was 11 at the time, said that on one occasion, she awoke to find Miller -- who had been attending a meeting at her parents' house -- in her bedroom lying on her. Weinert said she got away from him and locked herself in the bathroom. The indictment against Miller alleges he made Weinert fondle his genitals once in the school gym and once at her home.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I thought surely I have misinterpreted this or surely I'm doing something wrong. Then, after the second time, I knew it was not a mistake."



PLAINTIFF: Warren J. White
AGE: 52
ADDRESS: New Mexico
OCCUPATION: Federal employee
FILED SUIT: July 30
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1960 and 1961, Holy Spirit
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: White, who was an altar boy, said he was abused several times by Miller who fondled him before or after Mass.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? White said he told his mother, who discussed the matter with several other parents. The group reported the alleged abuse to the Right Rev. John Vance, Miller's boss. White's mother assured him the matter had been taken care of.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "All these years later we find out that virtually nothing was done. My goodness, letting the guy run rampant for another couple of decades was not our idea of it being taken care of."


ST. ALOYSIUS

PLAINTIFF: William R. Birk (declined to be interviewed)
AGE: 43
ADDRESS: Louisville
FILED SUIT: May 21
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: Mid-1970s, St. Aloysius
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit alleges that Miller sexually abused Birk for two years or more while he was a student at the school.



PLAINTIFF: Paul A. Dittmeier (declined to be interviewed)
AGE: 41
FILED SUIT: June 26
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: Mid-1970s, St. Aloysius
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit alleges that Miller sexually abused Dittmeier while he was an altar boy.



PLAINTIFF: Steve Donlon (could not be reached for interview)
AGE: 41
FILED SUIT: May 9
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: Mid-1970s, St. Aloysius
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit alleges that Miller sexually abused Donlon while he was an altar boy.



PLAINTIFF: Mark S. Gardner
AGE: 41
ADDRESS: Crestwood
OCCUPATION: Sales supervisor
FILED SUIT: May 17
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1974, Miller's car
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Gardner said Miller abused him twice while he was about 14 and an eighth-grader at St. Aloysius. On one occasion, Gardner, then an altar boy, said he was riding with Miller to a cemetery after a funeral and Miller grabbed the boy's genitals. The priest did the same thing another time while driving a group of boys around who were distributing fliers for a parish event, Gardner said. Gardner said Miller approached him a third time one morning while they were preparing for Mass; Gardner said he shoved Miller away and after that, the priest left him alone. Miller is charged in the Oldham County indictment with two counts of sexually abusing Gardner.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I didn't pursue it until this year. What made me mad was the church knew about it and kept moving him. It hurt."



PLAINTIFF: Mark Gootee (could not be reached for interview)
AGE: 42
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Restaurant worker
FILED SUIT: April 30
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1973, St. Aloysius
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit said that Miller sexually abused Gootee while he was an altar boy. Details in the court records said Miller fondled the boy's genitals when he was in the seventh grade at St. Aloysius and Miller was driving some boys in his car to distribute material for the church in surrounding neighborhoods. Gootee told police that every time the boy in the front seat got out of the car, Miller would reach over and fondle Gootee's genitals. Miller also rubbed his penis against Gootee while they were in the church sacristy, the records said. Miller is charged in the Oldham County indictment with one count of sexually abusing Gootee.



PLAINTIFF: Charles A. Hampton (could not be reached for interview)
AGE: 42
FILED SUIT: May 23
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1973, St. Aloysius
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit alleges Miller sexually abused Hampton in 1973 when he was about 13 and an altar boy.



PLAINTIFF: Daniel U. Jennings (could not be reached for interview)
AGE: 41
ADDRESS: Pewee Valley
OCCUPATION: Maintenance worker
FILED SUIT: April 30
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1974 and 1975, St. Aloysius and in a cabin
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit said that Miller abused Jennings while he was a lector at St. Aloysius. Court records said Miller fondled the boy's genitals and on multiple occasions forced him to fondle the priest. Miller is charged in the Oldham County indictment with two counts of sexually abusing Jennings.



PLAINTIFF: James Gregory Klemenz
AGE: 41
ADDRESS: Pewee Valley
OCCUPATION: Electrician
FILED SUIT: May 9
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1974 or 1975, St. Aloysius
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Klemenz said he was in the eighth grade and going through altar-boy training when Miller asked him to stay after the other boys left. Miller then grabbed him and fondled his genitals, Klemenz said. Miller is charged in the Oldham County indictment with one count of sexually abusing Klemenz.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I was actually at a loss, scared, in disbelief. . . . There was nobody to tell; you couldn't get above him. I knew there's no way in hell my parents would have believed it. They were very religious. . . . I might as well have told them a Martian landed in my back yard and I sat and talked to him."



PLAINTIFF: James Mudd (could not be reached for interview)
AGE: 43
ADDRESS: Louisville
FILED SUIT: June 26
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: Mid-1970s, St. Aloysius
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Mudd said in his lawsuit that he was abused by Miller while Miller was at St. Aloysius. It also alleged Mudd was molested by the Rev. Arthur L. Wood while Wood was assigned to St. Ignatius and SS. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital.



PLAINTIFF: Rick Renfro (declined to be interviewed)
AGE: 40
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Mechanic
FILED SUIT: Aug. 22
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1974 or 1975, St. Aloysius rectory
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Court records said Miller sexually abused Renfro when he was about to start the eighth grade at St. Aloysius and his parents took him to Miller for counseling. Miller met with Renfro privately, put him on his lap, fondled the boy's genitals and made him fondle Miller's penis, the records said. Miller is charged in the Oldham County indictment with one count of sexually abusing Renfro.



PLAINTIFF: Donald K. Singer (declined to be interviewed)
AGE: 44
ADDRESS: Louisville
FILED SUIT: May 22
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: Mid-1970s, St. Aloysius
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit said Miller sexually abused Singer over a three-year period.



PLAINTIFF: Kitti Marie (Gootee) Smith
AGE: 40
ADDRESS: Prospect
FILED SUIT: April 25
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1972 to 1974, in church, confessional booth and playground at St. Aloysius
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
ACCUSATION: Fondling, attempted rape
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Smith said Miller sexually abused her several times when she was in the fifth and sixth grade and about age 10 or 11. According to court records, Miller first approached her when she was in the church, praying for her deceased father. Miller put her on his lap and fondled her while consoling her about her father's death, court records said. He also fondled her by putting his hand under her underwear while she was in the school sick room; once on the playground, where he placed her on his lap and fondled her when no one was around; and once when he took her in a confessional booth, put her on his lap and attempted to rape her, the court records said. The records said he stopped when she started crying. The last incident occurred when she was in the sixth grade and Miller approached her in a women's restroom at the church and fondled her breasts, the records said. Miller told her not to tell anyone and if she did, "her mother would no longer want her" and she would be "taken away," the court records said. Miller is charged in the Oldham County indictment with four counts of sexually abusing Smith.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I was afraid to tell my mother. I feared her reaction -- she'd kill him. I don't know the answer. There has to be education for the children, there just has to be a safe place where children can go and tell somebody."



PLAINTIFF: Bruce Taylor
AGE: 39
ADDRESS: Corydon, Ind.
OCCUPATION: Businessman
FILED SUIT: April 30
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1975, St. Aloysius sacristy
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Taylor said Miller sexually abused him once when he was about 12 or 13 and in the seventh grade at St. Aloysius. Taylor said he was an altar boy getting ready for Mass when Miller approached him and fondled his genitals and rubbed his penis against Taylor. Miller is charged in the Oldham County indictment with one count of sexually abusing Taylor.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I think that it crippled a lot of us mentally and emotionally. It's time we quit being embarrassed and ashamed. I want him (Miller) to go to jail before he dies."



PLAINTIFF: John Thornberry
AGE: 40
ADDRESS: Lafayette, Colo.
OCCUPATION: Theater stage manager and director
SUIT FILED: May 13
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1975, St. Aloysius rectory basement
ACCUSATION: Masturbation
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Thornberry said he was 13 when he was sent from school to the rectory on an errand. Miller took him to the rectory basement, where he forced the boy to masturbate him, Thornberry said.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? Thornberry said he told his parents that night and they reported the matter to the school principal. Miller left the parish within a few weeks, but first requested to speak to Thornberry. They met in the school cafeteria and Thornberry recalls Miller asking him why he simply hadn't refused his advances.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "He basically asked me why I just hadn't said no. I remember being sort of flabbergasted by the suggestion it was all my fault. And that was the last I saw of him."



PLAINTIFF: Michael J. Turner
AGE: 44
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Construction company owner
FILED SUIT: April 19
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1973, sacristy, confessional, rectory basement and furnace room at St. Aloysius
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Turner said the abuse occurred when he was about 13 or 14 and in the seventh and eighth grades. Court records indicate Miller grabbed the boy on several occasions and fondled his genitals or rubbed his penis against the boy. Turner said one occasion was in the church after Mass when he was an altar boy; another time, Miller asked him to help clean the rectory basement. Miller is charged in the Oldham County indictment with two counts of sexually abusing Turner.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? Turner said he told his grandmother but she never told anyone. Turner was the first plaintiff this year to sue the archdiocese and accuse Miller of abuse.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "Everybody in the world calls you up to talk about what happened to them. It's a very big deal to me, but I just never told anybody."


ST. ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY

PLAINTIFF: Timothy L. Crawford
AGE: 35
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Federal security officer
FILED SUIT: June 14
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1978 to 1980, rectory office and rear of church at St. Elizabeth of Hungary
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Crawford said the priest fondled him through his clothes.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? He told his parents but "basically they didn't believe me" and didn't report it to anyone.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I don't have anything to do with the Catholic Church . . . because of what happened to me. What are you supposed to do when you have a priest that you're supposed to believe in and he does something like this to you?"



PLAINTIFF: Timothy Scott Dobson
AGE: 32
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Assembly line worker
FILED SUIT: May 23
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1978 to 1984, sacristy and school at St. Elizabeth of Hungary
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Dobson said Miller would abuse him at church by rubbing against him or fondling his genitals before or after Mass when Dobson served as an altar boy. Dobson said Miller also approached him around the parish when Dobson was helping out his older brother, who worked as a janitor.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? Dobson said he told his mother after his parents separated and he moved with her to Indianapolis, but she didn't believe him and scolded him.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: Church officials "just have no idea how it's caused us to think about ourselves and how it affected the people in our lives. I'm in treatment now, trying to understand why I buried it, what effect it had. I realize now I wasn't responsible for what happened to me; I was just a kid."



PLAINTIFF: James C. Hess
AGE: 29
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Carpet cleaner
FILED SUIT: May 21
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1983 to 1988, St. Elizabeth of Hungary sacristy
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Hess said Miller was a family friend who came to his home for his First Communion party and drove his father to the hospital when he had a heart attack. He said Miller fondled him about once every other month from when Hess was 10 to 15 years old.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? He said in his suit that in 1983, when he was a third-grader, he reported the abuse to the school's principal, Sister Marian Haney, whom he said told him to "go home and pray about it." Through a spokeswoman, Haney said she didn't recall that happening. Hess said he never told his a parents because they thought so highly of Miller.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I tried to avoid him, but I was always serving Mass. I just think he needs to get some help."



PLAINTIFF: Scott D. Hess (could not be reached for interview)
AGE: 27
ADDRESS: Louisville
FILED SUIT: July 30
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: Late 1980s, St. Elizabeth of Hungary
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit said Miller molested Hess several times when he was an altar boy.



PLAINTIFF: Mark Allen Niemann
AGE: 33
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Supervisor, processing plant
FILED SUIT: May 13
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1980 to 1983, rectory and sacristy at St. Elizabeth of Hungary
ACCUSATION: Forced touching
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Niemann said Miller forced him to touch the priest's penis three times through clothes and that Miller would press himself against the boy. A Jefferson County indictment charged Miller with two counts of sexually abusing Niemann.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: Miller "was looked up to by the adults in the parish. He remodeled the church. He was authoritative, a man's man. But I saw the other side of him."



PLAINTIFF: Jeffrey A. Rice (could not be reached for interview)
AGE: 35
ADDRESS: Louisville
FILED SUIT: June 26
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1977 and 1978, St. Elizabeth of Hungary
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse



PLAINTIFF: M. Craig Schadt (could not be reached for interview)
AGE: 32
ADDRESS: Louisville
FILED SUIT: Aug. 22
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: Early 1980s, St. Elizabeth of Hungary
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse



PLAINTIFF: Keith Seadler (could not be reached for interview)
AGE: 39
ADDRESS: Luther Luckett Correctional Complex
OCCUPATION: Inmate, serving time for four counts of sexual abuse
FILED SUIT: July 5
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1977 or 1978, St. Elizabeth of Hungary
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse



PLAINTIFF: Paul Williamson
AGE: 36
ADDRESS: Houston
OCCUPATION: Grocery chain meat manager
FILED SUIT: April 30
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1979, St. Elizabeth of Hungary sacristy and on an overnight trip
ACCUSATION: Inappropriate touching
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Williamson said Miller molested him at a cabin and 12 times after serving Mass.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? Williamson said he wrote an essay for school suggesting Miller had done something improper on an overnight trip and that he "acted strange." Williamson and his mother say the school's principal, Sister Alberta Neppl, now dead, sent Williamson home from school and ordered him to return to her office the next day with his mother. Williamson said Neppl told him that his allegations couldn't be true, that he was a liar and "needed to pray" -- an account confirmed by his mother.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I was branded a liar and that's how they treated my mother, too. I could never be part of the Catholic Church again. It's like the Mafia; if you go against the family, you are out."



PLAINTIFF: Brian S. Woods
AGE: 33
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Warehouse worker
FILED SUIT: May 15
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1981 to 1983, rectory office, sacristy and back of church at St. Elizabeth of Hungary
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Woods said Miller molested him 10 to 15 times, holding him tight and asking "if I liked him and if I loved him."
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: The church "just wanted to protect and look out for themselves. It's like some kind of special brotherhood. . . . I think Miller is despicable. He used the church and his position for his own gratification."



PLAINTIFF: Paul Yenner
AGE: 38
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Electrician
FILED SUIT: April 30
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1978, sacristy, basement and rectory at St. Elizabeth of Hungary
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Yenner said Miller molested him twice when he was serving as an altar boy and on two other occasions.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I don't believe in God any more and this is where it started. My doctor tells me that this was just God's way of testing me. But there is no way that the God I was taught to believe in would have sent (Miller) to all these children to test them."


ST. ATHANASIUS


PLAINTIFF: William G. Brown
AGE: 52
ADDRESS: Shelby County
OCCUPATION: Letter carrier
FILED SUIT: May 1
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1962 or 1963, Miller's car
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Brown said he was working on his Latin in the grade school cafeteria when Miller told a teacher he was taking the boy on a ride to the bank. He said Miller fondled him in the car.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? Miller told his parents and said they went immediately to the church to report it to the senior pastor, the Rev. Francis Bossung. Miller was later transferred from the parish. Bossung died in the late 1960s or 1970s.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I just froze. I was always taught the priests were God's representatives on Earth."



PLAINTIFF: Richard Carpenter (could not be reached for interview)
AGE: 52
FILED SUIT: Aug. 6
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1963, St. Athanasius
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit alleges Miller abused Carpenter when he was about 13 years old.



PLAINTIFF: Michael A. Gnau
AGE: 53
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Audit manager
FILED SUIT: April 25
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1962 or 1963, St. Athanasius school
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Gnau said he was around 13 or 14 at the time and remembered Miller grabbing him on several occasions and rubbing his erect penis against him; another time Miller pulled him into a broom closet and fondled his genitals. The indictment said Miller sexually abused Gnau four times between 1962 and 1963 by grabbing the boy's penis or by rubbing his penis against the boy.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? Gnau said he complained twice to his father, who complained to the senior pastor, the Rev. Francis Bossung. After the second complaint, Gnau said, Miller disappeared from the parish.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "The only way I'm going to feel real good about this is if Father Miller is punished."



PLAINTIFF: Robert W. Hack
AGE: 53
ADDRESS: Bullitt County
OCCUPATION: Letter carrier
FILED SUIT: May 15
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: About 1961, sacristy, altar boy's room and rectory at St. Athanasius and in Miller's car
ACCUSATION: Fondling, masturbation
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Hack said he was a 12-year-old altar boy. Miller would fondle him and have the boy stroke the priest's penis (over his clothes) during Latin lessons in his office. Similar abuse occurred before or after Mass and once in Miller's car.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? His mother
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: The plaintiffs "don't want sympathy. What happened, happened and cannot be replaced or repaired. We've lived with that. We've relived time after time the closets, the rectories, the cars, but hopefully together we can put an end to it so some other young people don't have to go through that."



PLAINTIFF: Rick L. Huber Sr.
AGE: 53
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Retired Jefferson County police sergeant
FILED SUIT: May 31
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1962 and 1963, church and rectory at St. Athanasius
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Huber said Miller sexually abused him several times when Huber was in the seventh and eighth grades. Miller would grab and fondle him in the rectory and at the church, where Huber was an altar boy.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "It was fondling, rough fondling. . . . If you tried to pull away from him, he would hold onto you."



PLAINTIFF: Charles W. Loeser Jr.
AGE: 52
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Retired Jefferson County police chief
FILED SUIT: May 14
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1962 or 1963, St. Athansius church, before Mass
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Loeser said when he was about 12 or 13 and an altar boy, he was getting ready for a service when Miller pulled him to his body and began fondling him.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "To me, it's the biggest betrayal of trust there is. . . . It's an extraordinary slap in the face to the Catholic community. I find it hard to believe the archdiocese didn't know know what was going on."



PLAINTIFF: Stephen M. Rowe Sr. (could not be reached for interview)
AGE: 52
FILED SUIT: June 7
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: Early 1960s, St. Athanasius
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit said Miller sexually abused Rowe when he was 12 and 13 and in the seventh and eighth grades.


SS. MARY & ELIZABETH HOSPITAL


PLAINTIFF: James L. Boklage Sr.
AGE: 50
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Studying computer repair
FILED SUIT: May 20
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: November 1964, Miller's quarters at SS. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Boklage, then 13, had been admitted to the hospital for hernia surgery and Miller, who was the hospital chaplain, visited his room and offered to look after him so Boklage's mother could go home to care for her other children. Boklage said Miller took him to his quarters and had him sit in his lap, then fondled him while the priest rubbed the boy against his genitals.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "If it had been anybody except a priest, I would have told somebody at the time. Because it was a priest, that automatically told me I was the one that was wrong."



PLAINTIFF: Mark Franklin Bowman
AGE: 49
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Makes fishing lures
FILED SUIT: Aug. 22
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1964, hospital room and confessional at SS. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Bowman said he had been admitted to the hospital at age 10 for surgery, and Miller, as chaplain, visited his room. Bowman said Miller stood by his bed and rubbed his erect penis against the boy's arm. Bowman said his parents were in the room but couldn't see what the priest was doing. Miller then insisted the boy accompany him for confession and again, rubbed his penis against him through his clothes, Bowman said.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I didn't tell anybody, and I wouldn't have known what to tell them. . . . I'm a fifth-generation Catholic; you didn't question priests. We're talking 40 years ago. There was no proof, no marks."



PLAINTIFF: Patrick Meehan (declined to be interviewed)
AGE: 50
FILED SUIT: Aug. 1
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: Early 1960s, SS. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit said Miller abused him while he was serving as an altar boy at the hospital. The Jefferson County indictment against Miller said he abused Meehan six times in 1963 by grabbing his penis, fondling his genitals and by Miller rubbing his penis against the boy.



PLAINTIFF: Bruce W. Stansbury
AGE: 49
ADDRESS: Shelbyville
OCCUPATION: Electrical design engineer
FILED SUIT: May 14
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1968 or 1969, hospital room at SS. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Stansbury said he was about 15 or 16 and had been admitted to the hospital for surgery on a broken nose. Miller, the hospital chaplain, visited him in his room and grabbed his genitals and fondled them while pretending to engage in horseplay, Stansbury said. Stansbury said his mother was in the room but couldn't see what Miller was doing.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I'd always been brought up in the Catholic religion to respect priests. I just kind of kept my mouth shut and went on. He said, 'I'll be back to check on (you) later.' I remember all night long and the next morning worrying about him coming back."



PLAINTIFF: Donald A. Sullivan (could not be reached for interview)
AGE: 51
FILED SUIT: May 8
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1964, SS. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital
ACCUSATION: Sexual abuse
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lawsuit said that Miller sexually abused Sullivan while he was serving as a visiting altar boy at the hospital.


MILLER FAMILY EVENTS

PLAINTIFF: Mary (Mudd) Fuchs
AGE: 43
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Nurse
FILED SUIT: July 5
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1978 to 1983-84, Fuchs' childhood home and Miller's cabin in Indiana during family gatherings
ACCUSATION: Fondling, kissing
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Fuchs, a cousin in the Miller family, said the abuse began at family events when she was about 10. Miller would hug, kiss and fondle her, and force her to fondle his genitals. One night, when some family members were staying overnight at Miller's cabin in Indiana, Fuchs said, he got her out of bed and made her rub his penis.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? Fuchs said she never told her parents but did mention it to other relatives, but no one appeared to pay any attention or brushed off her complaints.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I never, never thought he did this to anybody else. I always thought I was the only one. . . . I wondered, 'What did I do to make him want me so bad? Was I such a bad person?' It almost ruined my life; it almost ruined my marriage."



PLAINTIFF: Mark A. Miller Sr.
AGE: 37
ADDRESS: Tacoma, Wash.
OCCUPATION: Retired Army captain
FILED SUIT: June 7
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: Several years starting in 1973, grandfather's house during family gatherings
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Mark Miller, who is Louis Miller's nephew, said his first recollection of abuse by his uncle is when he was about 8 at one of the gatherings the large family had about once a month. He said his uncle gave him a long hug from behind and rubbed his pelvis against him. Miller said similar encounters occurred through his childhood until he became a teen-ager and was able to avoid his uncle. His uncle, as a priest, held enormous power and prestige in the family and was the center of gatherings
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: Church officials "allowed a wolf in the chicken coop and he preyed on children for years and I happened to be one of them. And it could have all been prevented. That's the sad thing about it."



PLAINTIFF: Mary C. Miller
AGE: 40
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Insurance case manager
FILED SUIT: July 5
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1972 to 1977, family gatherings
ACCUSATION: Fondling, kissing
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Mary Miller said her uncle fondled her and forced her to kiss him on the mouth, starting when she was about 10 and continuing until she was about 15 when he tried to force her to fondle his penis. She said she struck him and he didn't attempt to molest her after that. A Jefferson County indictment charged Louis Miller with one count of sexually abusing his niece at a residence.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? Mary Miller filed a lawsuit in 1999 against Louis Miller, alleging he had sexually abused her as a child. In her new suit she is alleging the church covered up what it knew about Miller during her 1999 suit, which was settled.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "He has no idea what he's done; he has no idea of the lives he's destroyed, of the families he's destroyed. He can never give that back to us. If the archdiocese covered this up, then shame on them."


CAMP TALL TREES

PLAINTIFF: Joseph A. Ball Jr.
AGE: 59
ADDRESS: Louisville
OCCUPATION: Retired police officer
FILED SUIT: May 23
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: Mid-1950s, Camp Tall Trees at Otter Creek Park in Meade County
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Ball was in his early teens and attended the camp where Miller served as a counselor at Holy Name Camp Tall Trees. Ball said Miller sexually abused him there. Ball said he then went to confession to the Rev. C. Patrick Creed, who he said inflicted emotional abuse on him by making him feel guilty for what Miller had done.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I don't know how I've lasted this long with this inside of me."

 
 

Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.