Bridgeport Diocese Reaches Settlement in Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

Priest Accused of Assaulting Boy at Sister’s Wedding

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport has agreed to pay a settlement to a local man who claimed in a lawsuit he was sexually assaulted as a boy by Rev. Kieran Thomas Ahearn, the priest who was going to officiate at his sister’s wedding. The settlement ends the last remaining civil case against the diocese claiming sexual abuse by one of its priests. Rev. Ahearn, listed on the diocesan Credibly Accused Clergy list for Religious Order priests, was removed from ministry in 1993 and died in 1997. The diocese worked cooperatively with the victim to resolve the issue and remains committed to investigating all allegations, regardless of how long the incident may have occurred.

5 Key Points

• Rev. Kieran Thomas Ahearn, listed on the diocesan Credibly Accused Clergy list, was removed from ministry in 1993 and died in 1997.
• The lawsuit claims Ahearn repeatedly sexually assaulted the former altar boy at St. Mary’s Church in Bethel from age seven to ten.
• The diocese removed Ahearn from ministry after learning of his 1993 conviction in Massachusetts for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
• The settlement amount remains undisclosed, but the plaintiff’s lawyer had previously offered to settle the case for $3 million.
• The diocese has paid approximately $56 million for 156 allegations of abuse by priests since its inception in 1953.

Diocese’s History of Clergy Sexual Abuse

In 2019, the Diocese of Bridgeport admitted to paying settlement amounts totaling approximately $56 million for 156 allegations of abuse by priests since its inception in 1953 (Diocese of Bridgeport, 2019). A report released by retired Superior Court Judge Robert Holzberg and the law firm Pullman and Comley found that 281 people had been abused by 71 priests in the diocese since 1953, and that the abuse had been known to diocese officials who took action to hide it (Holzberg & Pullman and Comley, 2019). The report cited several instances where diocese officials, following then-Bishop Edward Egan’s orders, took action to hide allegations of sexual abuse against priests and to transfer the accused priests to other locations where they could have further contact with children.

Concealment of Abuse Allegations

The Holzberg report states that then-Bishop Edward Egan moved abusive priests to other parishes where they continued to abuse children. Egan, who later became the Cardinal of New York, denied knowing priests abused children until he died in 2015 (Holzberg & Pullman, and Comley, 2019). According to the report, Egan “followed a scorched-earth litigation policy that re-victimized survivor plaintiffs, dissipated valuable diocesan assets in bad-faith procedural maneuvers, and alienated large segments of the laity, the clergy, and the wider public.” Monsignor Laurence Bronkiewicz, Egan’s right-hand man, also took action to hide allegations of sexual abuse against priests and transfer accused priests to other locations where they could have further contact with children (Holzberg & Pullman and Comley, 2019). Bronkiewicz later denied knowing priests abused children before retiring from the diocese.

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Advocacy for Survivors

Gail Howard of the Connecticut branch of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) stated, “Given that the Connecticut statute of limitations restricts anyone over the age of 48 (or 51, if the abuse occurred after Sept. 1, 2019) from bringing a civil suit, the church may be done for now with civil claims, but its crimes against the many survivors I have dealt with remain — unjustly — outside of the legal system, ignored by the church and unpunished” (Tepfer, 2024). Howard emphasized the need for ongoing support and advocacy for survivors of clergy sexual abuse, even as legal avenues for seeking justice become increasingly limited due to statutes of limitations.

The Impact of Clergy Sexual Abuse

The long-term effects of clergy sexual abuse on survivors can be devastating, often leading to severe and permanent emotional distress, the need for ongoing psychological treatment and therapy, and difficulties in various aspects of life. The trauma experienced by survivors can have a profound impact on their mental health, relationships, and overall well-being. While financial settlements may provide some measure of acknowledgment and support for survivors, the actual cost of clergy sexual abuse extends far beyond monetary compensation, affecting individuals, families, and communities for generations.