Today, officials at Mater Dei High School sent out a two-page memo to alumni regarding the recent settlement involving the Catholic Diocese of Orange and four young women who claim they were abused by diocesan lay employees during the 1990s. Two of the perpetrators-- Jeff Andrade and Larry Stukenholtz--worked as assistant boys' basketball coach and choir director at the school, respectively. Both of them admitted to their guilt--Andrade in a sworn deposition, Stukenholtz as part of Mater Dei's investigation.
You'd think Mater Dei would publish the names of Andrade and Stukenholtz in an effort to see if other victims would come forward--ah, who are we kidding? Instead, Mater Dei's letter--signed by school president Patrick Murphy and principal Frances Clare--only stated that they worked at the school during the 1990s and that "The evidence in these two cases...involving the former Mater Dei High School employees clearly indicates that the MDHS Administration at the time informed and cooperated with the legal authorities in an appropriate manner."
Only one problem with that last sentence--it's not true.
Court and school records show that Westminster police did investigate Andrade at the time of his abuse of Christina Ruiz in the mid-1990s. But in an exclusive interview with the Weekly (which will be up on Thursday), Ruiz claims the investigation took place only after her parents called the Westminster police. "Mater Dei officials never called the police," Ruiz claims.
Not only that, but when then-Orange County Register reporter Jim Hinch called the Children and Family Services Division of Orange County's Social Services Agency in 2003 to see if Mater Dei officials filed reports on Andrade and Stukenholtz as required by law and as claimed by Orange diocese officials, an official with the CFS said they couldn't find any records. A year later, they still hadn't received any reports from Mater Dei.
Murphy also failed to disclose to alumni his current tiff with the school's legendary basketball coach, Gary McKnight. Murphy claims he told McKnight not to allow Andrade back on campus after the school let him go in 1997; McKnight admitted to helping get Andrade a fundraising contract at Mater Dei but denies he was ever reprimanded by Murphy, who was Mater Dei's principal at the time. You'd think it's rather important to let past students know that a school employee helped a statutory rapist return to campus...but maybe we're being too hard on Mater Dei--sex-abuse disclosure and the school, after all, go together about as well as heaven and hell.
October 8, 2007 21:29
The most tragic of the failures to protect students at Catholic high schools is the fact that the Diocese of Orange actually paid an admitted sexual predator, Jeffrey Andrade, $100,000. I cannot imagine what Christina and other victims of sex abuse crimes committed by employees of the Diocese of Orange or any religious institution must have felt like... why would the Diocese authorize such a payment unless there is something hidden between the lines or in the small print of the settlement agreement.
Nothing the Diocese of Orange has publicly stated makes any sense and sends waves of hypocrisy and deceit. Was it the Westminster PD that dropped the ball? Was it the OC District Atty that dropped on the ball? Or, was it the Mater Dei and Diocesan employees that dropped the ball? THE FACT IS THE DIOCESE PAID $100,000 TO ANDRADE. Why?????
God bless all the victims of these heinous sex crimes committed and protected by GOLIATH, aka the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange and other religious institutions. How dare Church leaders talk about being sorry and making things right when as recently as 2005, a sexual predator gets paid to disappear.
Sadly, the firm of McCune & Harber who represented the Diocese of Orange in the lawsuit filed by Jeffrey Andrade and negotiated paying a sexual predator $100,000 also represents the State of California in a case now pending in appellate court. Imagine, McCune & Harber represents the Diocese of Orange and the State of California, and Sullivan & Ballog, another law firm representing the Diocese of Orange, also simultaneously represents the OC Sheriff's Department. DO WE ALL FEEL SAFE???? Maybe this is why sexual predators get paid the big bucks to disappear!
October 9, 2007 07:06
I just reported this to Cal Bar.
McCune & Harber who represented the Diocese of Orange in the lawsuit filed by Jeffrey Andrade and negotiated paying a sexual predator $100,000 also represents the State of California in a case now pending in appellate court. Imagine, McCune & Harber represents the Diocese of Orange and the State of California, and Sullivan & Ballog, another law firm representing the Diocese of Orange, also simultaneously represents the OC Sheriff's Department. DO WE ALL FEEL SAFE???? Maybe this is why sexual predators get paid the big bucks to disappear!
October 9, 2007 09:20
Thank you Mexico Donkey... while you are visiting the State Bar, here is more info:
McCune & Harber represents/represented:
1. Anaheim Union HS District, OCSC Case No. 06CC05393 (defended Ball Jr. High teacher Carlos Melendez & AUHSD)
2. Anaheim Union HS District, OCSC Case No. 02CC18921, and Servite HS simultaneously
3. Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District, in Appellate Case No. B199632.
2. City of Montebello, in Appellate Case No. B199196
3. Inglewood Unified School District. In Appellate Case No. B198829
4. Santa Paula Elementary School District, Appellate Case No. B197673.
5. Diocese of Orange and LA Archdiocese in multiple cases.
The only persons that are safe with legal conflicts of interest like this are the attorneys and law firms!!!!!
October 9, 2007 09:57
First of I was a student at MD when this was all going on as well as a friend of Ms. Ruiz. She's a liar! She was not abused by any means. Yes it was wrong because of her age but she was in no way a victim. She chased Coach as well as bragged about their relationship. It only turned into abuse when the school found out about it. She knows the truth and I believe in Karma!!!
She was far from innocent. What a victim! Who poses for a newspaper photo! Get real!
Christina you know your wrong...it's all about the money because if it wasn't you wouldn't have taken it!!!
Oh I am a parent...and also a real victim of abuse I WAS FORCED. . .she knew exactly what she was doing. I'm just not that stupid to think that she was not in the wrong in all this. And they continued their relationship until she was 17. Just like I said if she was truly a victim she wouldn't have taken the money.
Then again if you weren't there and if you didn't see the lengths Christina took to get Coach to notice her you would think "oh she's just a kid" she was far from just a kid. She used him for money then and I guess she just got some more...
She should donate it.
Btw that's why they questioned her sexual history...because by her Jr. year she had a lengthly history. Not only with Coach but with many many many other boys and grown men....
As I mentioned I was a victim and I didn't want money. I wanted to see him in JAIL!!! and that's what I did. She's not a victim I cannot speak on the other girls because I do not know them personally nor did I observe the situation as I did with Ms. Ruiz.
DONATE THE MONEY!!!!
October 9, 2007 11:20
Hello fellow bloggers and RC laity.
First of all, make sure your security features are in place, on your in-box e-mails, or web sites, as the latest TEFLON MAHONY playbook page being implemented is the spoofing of those (like me) broadcasting factual information on the ongoing criminal activities of the Curia on the internet.
What is 'spoofing'? It's when junior partners of law firms working for the Diocese of Orange or Archdioceses of Los Angeles (at 100% laity expense) attach your personal e-mail address to a worm, virus, or spam programs, off-shore (out of the USA to avoid prosecution) to have your in-box flooded with several thousands pieces of spam per day.
The premediated attempt (it failed against me but caused a FEW DAYS OF DOWN TIME fixing it) IS THE MITERS AND RED HATS DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO SHUT DOWN ANY DISCLOSURE AND FACTUAL INFORMATION on their multi decade enabling, and obstruction of justice, in the mental torture, physical maiming, kidnapping, extortion, suciding, murder, sexual assault, rape, oral copluation, and sodomy of many tens of thousands of children, and still aiding and abetting many hundreds of fugitives from justice in Canada, Mexcio, Ireland and globally, to stop testimony against them, the miters and red hats.
Remember, Mahony successfully shut down most coverage of his ongoing criminality by threatening the LA Times editors, daily, with liable suits and flooding their desks with long winded dennuciations, and line by line demand for 'corrections; on articles run, costing these editors so much time, as to cause them to just stop covering Mahony Crime Incorporated.
We recommend for FREE at www.youtube.com DELIVER US FROM EVIL, the 2006 US Academy Award Best Doucumentary nominated film on Fr. O'Grady, now on the run again, having been chased out of his rural house in Ireland where Rog Mahal Mahony annuitied him, in exchange for not testifying against Mahony's criminal enabling, in the Diocese of Stockton.
This same M-O was used recently by Tod 'Boy' Brown with Urell, swiftly sent to Canada, again obstructing justice, and a clear Contempt Of Court.
In the boxing world, M. Ali coined the phrase 'Rope-A-Dope', and ladies and gentlemen, that's exactly what the miters and red hats continue to do, game the courts and obstruct justice while billing the laity for 100% of all of this.
Any representation the USNCCB Charter of Protection (a total PR Stunt) is protecting your children is a FLAT OUT LIE; there are still many hundreds of known pedophiles in active US minitires being protected by the Church, and still enabling/transferring them, while thousands exist in daily attacks of children outside the USA.
For daily vetted global coverage of the on-going multi Billion Dollar (all laity paid for) criminal cabal, we recommend:
www.bishop-accountability.org/abusetracker
What is the solution?
DONATE NO MOINIES for ANY cause in ANY AMOUNT until Mahony, Brom, Brownm Barnes, Curry, Steinbock, Weigland, Walsh, Rivera, George, Egan, Law, O'Malley, etc., to name only a few, are removed from office like pedophile founder of the Legionnaires of Christ, Marciel, canonically censored, placed under house arrest for LIFE (preferrably in a cold, dark, remote, bad food and hard labor moneastery) or if they refuse, swiftly and irrevocably EXCOMMUNICATED.
Edmund Burke reminds us all: "The only condition for EVIL to exist, is for good men (and women) to do NOTHING!"
Respectfully submitted,
Russ Bianchi
Lay Member of the Diocese of Monterey, Ca, under the LA Archdiocese
Mr. Bianchi is a Roman Catholic of 50 years, is a daily Mass penitent, family man, global businessman, who has seen with his own eyes the criminal activity of his Church's Curia, communion service lay presider, & Mass lector.
Mr. Bianchi is NOT a sexual abuse victim, has never met or knowing spoken to a sexual abuse victim of his Church, and is not a member nor contributor to any sexual abuse advocacy organizations or efforts.
Mr. Bianchi has family and close friends who are ordained, vocationed, secular, academic theological scholars, monastic, cloistered, seminarial, ordered, and yes, even Curial, in Rome.
October 9, 2007 11:29
OUCH!
October 9, 2007 12:45
C_GIRL75: If you truly are a victim, I urge you to contact the proper authorities. I don't agree with your point, however, on "real" victims refusing money. I can't imagine the pain of other victims, but many people who have suffered sodomy and more vile incidents at the hands of Orange County priests have accepted the money--and their claims are no less valid for it. And I'm sorry, but there are laws against statutory rape in California: Christina is very much a victim.
October 9, 2007 13:33
Gustavo deserves a Pulitzer for the clarity, honesty and insight of his columns/remarks about the on-going sex abuse debacle of the Orange Diocese. Keep it up. Its a refreshing antedote to the BS the Diocese and the school dishes out. TPD
October 9, 2007 13:42
i did contact the authorities and watch my attacker sit in jail....
i'm sorry you dont agree with me but those that were there and watched the two in action know that it was by far "forced".
the first time they were questioned about their relationship she still continued to see him and as she told me was "in love with him"
October 9, 2007 14:24
C_GIRL75: Did you or any other person at the time tell diocesan officials about the relationship?
October 9, 2007 15:05
C_Girl75,
I understand your point too. But anything other than consensual sex is illegal. The laws in this town are that you cant actually give your consent to sex until you are 18 years old, whether you are screaming yes yes yes or not.
Girls that invite improper advances by men are called "jail BAIT" for a reason. Its up to the adult to not fuck a non-adult, not the other way around.
If a child is seeking a sexual relationship with an adult or an authority figure, It should be seen as a sign of deeper issues anyway cuz they aint right.
October 9, 2007 17:07
Tom Doyle is right. Gustavo deserves a Pulitzer for his parsing of diocesan and Mater Dei communications, and presenting the full story behind them.
His coverage is outstanding, and I cannot thank the OC Weekly enough for highlighting his work. There is no one whose writing I seek out more in order to know the truth from California.
At least, give him a raise!
October 9, 2007 18:04
never once did i say it was right for them to have sex. and no i didn't tell no one. if i thought she didn't want it to happen i would have but all she could talk about was how good it was....
what i'm saying for her to say it was forced and unwanted is false!
the only time i ever heard her saying anything about the relationship was where and when their next "session" was going to take place and how she couldn't wait!
October 9, 2007 19:05
C_Girl 75:
I am so sorry about what happened to you.
I invite you to speak to other survivors in the church. All of the perps were loved ... that is how they got the boys and girls to trust them. If you ask any Harris victim, and Ramos victim, any Andrade victim, whether a boy or a girl - they will tell you the same thing. In fact, incest victims will say the same:
They kept going back, and they can't explain why. They loved and defended their perpetrator, and they cannot explain why.
A reason why is because they were children. A reason why is because they were manipulated and groomed. A reason why is because they were actively prey upon by an adult in a position of power.
I am sorry that you are angry at Christina - I suggest you read the book "Predators" by Anna C. Salter. It may help you understand why Christina, like many victims, are sorely misunderstood.
One more thing - she was deposed for seven days. Documents were exposed ... and you were not there. You only have second hand information from ten years ago. I would hope that no one would judge you so harshly.
October 9, 2007 20:09
Russ:
Thanks for the info on the email worms, etc. Interesting that you shared your information when you did. I recently attempted to look at the Santa Margarita Catholic HS website at www.smhs.org and the website continues to throw me out, unless of course, I disable my security system.
Peter Callahan, one of the infamous attorneys for the Diocese of Orange, has written articles on high tech computer stuff.... Do you think he is also guiding the Diocese of Orange and the LA Archdiocese as to how to SET UP unsuspecting persons for worms, child porn or spyware?
Now that the four lawsuits are settled, the Diocese of Orange attorneys will have to find some way to generate their own revenues. Wonder what they have up their sleeves now?
October 9, 2007 22:51
C_girl75
I have a child and when she get's to that age I would kill any teacher that touched a hair on her head in a sexual way. We pay teachers to teach and deal with children’s problems. Not to use the situation of a girl "what ever problem they might have at home" to get in the child’s pants.
I'm sad to here about what happened to you as a young girl.
I too can tell you about being slammed against a trailer wall and forced into an act I wanted nothing to do with! Again and again and again.
I still can't tell you why I went back time after time. But I liked the candy he gave and the donuts were good. My mom could not afford donuts being a single mother of two young children.
My mom lacked giving us attention at home. It seams she was always sleeping after a long day at work.
My mom used to let us stand outside The Fling Bar wile she unwound from work by drinking for hours as I remember!
I think she was a drunk! "Know" she was a drunk.
Point is I did not like what happened on the way to school or when leaving school. But it was attention were my mom never had the time he would play checkers and give treats.
He took a situation and used it to rape me. My thinking was it was not so bad if I got candy, donuts and checkers. SICK as that thinking is that's what I thought.
This girl Ruiz you know. You know her I don't.
Did she have her own set of problems at home?
Why did this teacher do her?
Because he new he could control her. To her it was a game maybe, but to him he was a predator. He said and did so much more to Ruiz than we will ever know and more than she might want to be honest about. Was he going to be her Knight in shinning armor and rescue her? What were the lie's he told her?
You were mean and owe her an amends. You were hurtful and vindictive. Were did you learn to be so mean? I'm sorry you were hurt. Is that were you became hard.
I've learned one thing!
You will not understand this message. If you have a Therapist try laying on them what you laid on this blog.
October 10, 2007 00:40
The most tragic of the failures to protect students at Catholic high schools is the fact that the Diocese of Orange actually paid an admitted sexual predator, Jeffrey Andrade, $100,000. I cannot imagine what Christina and other victims of sex abuse crimes committed by employees of the Diocese of Orange or any religious institution must have felt like... why would the Diocese authorize such a payment unless there is something hidden between the lines or in the small print of the settlement agreement.
Of course there must be a shady conspiracy. It couldn't so simple as Andrade suing the Diocese for violating state personnel confidentiality laws when the Diocese told a prospective Andrade employer WHY they had fired him. Yes, it is crazy that the law penalized the Diocese for doing the right thing, but there it is.
October 10, 2007 13:27
I would just like to point out a few things.
These teachers were stupid. The biggest beef I have is that they violated a teacher student relationship by crossing that line and getting into a relationship. Very very stupid for crossing that line. The school administration is also at fault for not following the law - for all this they should do whatever it takes to make ammends.
However, this issue is not exclusive to the Catholic school system or the Catholic Church and I worry that the exploitation of this issue overshadows the real abuses that are going on in teacher-student or leadership positions across the board regardless of denomination.
I've known a few people (mostly male) who had sex with their public high school teachers and wear it as a badge of honor. Most people I know have had sex before they were 18. I have friends who specifically had sex as underage minors with older men or women - and also don't consider it abuse. Young and stupid, maybe, consenting minors, yes - and legally wrong, yes. BUT they wouldn't consider those relationships ones of continual sexual abuse and they wouldn't consider those people "predators."
I have to say, I think there is a difference between a predator seeking out pre-pubescent children and a man in a relationship with a female who by every respect other than legal age, is a woman. The pre-pubescent child molester is a criminal in the most disgusting sense of the term, he falls right in there with non-statutory rapists.
I don't think these guys were child molesters, predators or vicious rapists. These were underage women who looked and acted and desired to be treated like adult women. If it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, it's supposed to be a duck right? Don't get me wrong - the teachers should NOT have crossed the line... but to try and ruin the rest of their lives calling them child rapists? I disagree.
All I have to do is look at the world of fashion and entertainment to see that our society allows women under the age of 18 and past puberty to become sexual objects in ads where they are practically nude for the sake of fashion, or are talked about sexually on air, or in magazines before they've hit that point (remember the Olson Twins? Lindsay Lohan? etc.) They act like women, look like women, talk like women, but are legally children.
And, like C_girl I knew one of the 4 victims (I won't say which) who bragged about wanting to get the teacher, who openly flirted with the teacher, who was motivated to try harder to get with this teacher when he initially showed no interest. Who stayed after school for the purpose of seeing this teacher, who went to his house uninvited... did she have a messed up childhood? yes. did the teacher cross the line? yes. Should he forever be branded as a vicious predator child rapist and forced to tell all his neighbors wherever he goes that he is now a child abuser? no.
I'm not saying this is true of all the church victims, but of this, I'm saying that it's not a black and white issue. Our society has a bigger problem with sexuality and abuse and it's not just the Church. Putting blinders on and pretending it's isolated to the Church and these scandals is going to do more harm than good.
October 11, 2007 06:46
Anon,
Your blog is good. Has made me think about a great deal.
The girls may beg for the man to do it to her!
Teacher! Ok! Not rape ?
But advances on any student you are paid to protect is no less than criminal, advances that are predatory in nature.
They tell young girls lies and this seams to be in the bags of tools all these predators use. They tell the girls what they want to hear. It's like shooting fish in a fish tank I’ve heard what the outcome is Anon and it’s the same as being raped at 7.
I’VE SAT AND AND TALKED with VICTIMS OF ABUSE FROM ALL AGE RANGES.
Yes different but outcome the same. We all struggle with trust issues. The damage seams the same Anon. I'm not a Doc or Therapist but the damage is still the same. It's sick and thoughtless for a teacher to fuck a student.
Yes I might be damaged a bit more! From early childhood trama.
Thank You