Christian Brothers Abuse Lawsuit Gets $7 Million Settlement

Thirteen men who filed a Christian Brothers abuse lawsuit have been awarded a $7 million settlement. The men say they were physically and sexually abused at Briscoe Memorial School in Kent, WA. This settlement comes on the heels of another settlement in November 2011, brought by eleven men who say they were abused at Briscoe in the 1950s. The Christian Brothers organization has recently filed for bankruptcy, which some see as an effort to prevent further abuse lawsuits and protect financial assets in Rome.

If you or someone you know was abused at a school run by the Catholic Brothers, you may be running out of time to file a lawsuit. Contact a lawyer at The Clark Firm, LLP immediately for a free case consultation. We can help you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries.

Briscoe Memorial School was a Catholic school that was owned by the Seattle Roman Catholic Archdiocese, who then hired the Congregation of Christian Brothers to run the school. The Brothers are not ordained priests; they do not have authority to provide the sacraments of the Catholic faith. Instead, they gained their beginnings in Ireland, running hundreds of boarding schools, orphanages, and other schools. The Irish Christian Brothers were recently forced to pay millions in damages to Irish people who were abused at the schools. The organization has faced similar accusations in the United States.

The $7 million settlement at Briscoe follows in the wake of an ongoing scandal involving the Catholic Church and the sexual abuse of children. The Seattle Archdiocese has agreed to pay $1.25 million; the Christian Brothers will pay $3.63 million, and insurance will cover the rest of the settlement.

Briscoe Memorial School was a Catholic boarding school that opened in 1909 and closed in 1970. Thousands of boys were educated there, and many have testified that they suffered physical and sexual abuse at the hands of authority figures, who did nothing to stop the abuse.

People who attended the Christian Brothers Catholic Schools as children say that they were run with a climate of fear, where physical punishment was a daily occurrence, and sexual abuse was also rampant. Yet even when Brothers were found to have committed sexual misconduct with children, they were not dismissed, and their actions were never reported to police. At O’Dea High School in Seattle, a former brother named Edward Courtney was simply moved to different schools, where he continued molesting children.

The Christian Brothers have recently filed for bankruptcy, making them the second Catholic order to file for bankruptcy. The other organization is the Jesuits of the Northwest, which face hundreds of lawsuits from victims of physical and sexual abuse. They have been forced to pay more than $150 million to settle these cases. The Christian Brothers are filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which would allow the organization to avoid further sexual abuse lawsuits and restructure their organization. If they are granted Chapter 11, there may be a time limit for filing a lawsuit. You may be running out of time to receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries. If you or someone you know has been abused at a school run by this organization, it is essential that you contact a lawyer as quickly as possible.

How do I contact a Lawyer for a Christian Brothers Abuse Lawsuit?

For a free consultation, please contact Collen A. Clark at The Clark Firm, LLP immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.

Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”

The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more that 100 years experience, participation in over 600 jury trials and $60 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact a lawyer in Texas for a free Christian Brothers abuse lawsuit review.