Texan Jesus Guerrero Sues
Title: Texas Supreme Court to hear case of former deacon suing diocese for abuse claim
Author: Kevin J. Jones
Publisher: Catholic News Agency (CNA)
Date: 08JUN2020
The Texas Supreme Court will hear the Diocese of Lubbock’s appeal of a legal decision allowing a former deacon to sue the diocese for defamation for including his name on a list of clergy credibly accused of sex abuse.
“We are committed to transparency for the trust and safety of the members of our parishes,” Bishop Robert Coerver of Lubbock said June 8. “At a time when many religious messages are being shared digitally, courts must protect churches’ ability to communicate effectively with their members.”
“Churches should not be punished for doing the right thing,” Montse Alvarado, vice president and executive director at the legal group Becket, said June 8. “Clergy hold a unique position of trust within their communities, and churches should be free to notify members and other affected individuals when clergy violate that trust. That is true even when the warning goes beyond the four walls of the church building.”
Lower courts have sided with the deacon’s lawsuit. Because local media broadcast the list beyond the confines of the Church, the diocese had no legal defense, the courts said.
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