A Florida man who says he repressed memories of his childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a Catholic priest while growing up on Oahu has reached a $362,500 settlement with the priest and the North Dakota diocese that had been in charge of him.
Steven Crochet sued the Rev. Maurice G. McNeely and the Diocese of Bismarck in U.S. District Court in 2011. Crochet filed his lawsuit under the pseudonym John Doe No. 87 but later agreed to reveal his identity.
Crochet claimed he was an altar boy at Holy Family Parish in 1976 when McNeely sexually abused him in the priest’s living quarters.
At the time of the alleged sexual abuse, McNeely was a military chaplain at Fort Shafter and worked at Holy Family Parish, ministering to military service members and their families. He later became administrator of Holy Family Catholic Academy in Honolulu, retiring in 2001. McNeely has also written a book, "Catholicism without the Guilt."
Crochet claimed he repressed all memory of his sexual abuse until 2009.
In his lawsuit, Crochet claimed that when the Bismarck diocese transferred McNeely to Hawaii, it knew or should have known that McNeely was a pedophile. Crochet also claimed that the diocese had a duty but failed to warn him, his family and others of McNeely’s dangerous propensities.
The parties informed the court on April 4 that they reached a settlement. U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright approved the settlement May 3.
The diocese did not seek to have the settlement kept secret because its Hawaii lawyer said in court it is the diocese’s policy not to request confidentiality.
Crochet’s lawyer, Adam Horowitz, said Crochet is pleased he is getting a measure of justice. Horowitz said they were able to get facts about McNeely through the lawsuit that showed the diocese could have done more to protect Crochet.
Horowitz said before the diocese transferred McNeely to Hawaii from North Dakota, McNeely had a boy living with him without permission from the church.
Matthew Kurtz, spokesman for the Bismarck diocese, said, "Out of respect for the plaintiff the diocese has no comment."
