Bishop Joseph Brennan of Fresno addresses the case of former priest Craig Harrison, saying seven men initially came forward to accuse Harrison of sexual abuse, urges parishioners to drop the reference to Harrison as "father" or "monsignor"

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other company or publication.

Bishop Joseph Brennan has reached out to parishioners in the Diocese of Fresno explaining more about the allegations of sexual abuse against former priest Craig Harrison and revealing for the first time that seven men had accused Harrison of wrongdoing.

 A letter from Brennan was read at St. Francis Church late last month in which Brennan addressed the Harrison case and acknowledged that the allegations against the once popular priest had led to deep divisions among parishioners.

 “I know it has not been easy for you there at St. Francis,” Brennan wrote. “I try to make decisions based on what is best for the flock. You have heard many voices these past two years … from your local media, Facebook, news conference and others.”

 The diocese, Brennan said, was forced into a position of not commenting on the case after Harrison took legal action against the church. He added that failing to make a comment also protected the privacy of Harrison.

 “Since April 2019,” the point at which Harrison was suspended from the church, Brennan said “we have been on quite a journey, to put it mildly… A journey (that)  has been neither wanted or planned by any of us. Over these two years I have heard from many of you sharing with me your anger, disappointment, frustration … “

 Brennan revealed that when Harrison was suspended, the diocese “received allegations of misconduct involving seven minors against Craig Harrison.”

 The church eventually said the allegations were credible, and according to Brennan, the church was gearing up for its own disciplinary action when Harrison decided to leave the church on his own accord.

 For the record, Harrison and his attorneys flatly deny that Harrison was ever sexually inappropriate with anyone, with defense counsel Kyle Humphrey even going so far to suggest that the men now suing Harrison were akin to pigs at a trough in search of monetary payouts.

 The video of a deacon reading Brennan’s letter was posted on the St. Francis Assisi Facebook page and drew a range of comments, many from the faithful rallying around Harrison.

 “Shame on you Bishop Brennan,” one woman wrote. “Not one dime to the Diocese.”

 Yet another shamed Brennan for “making the deacons of our parish read your untrue, spiteful and egotistical letter.”

 Now that Harrison is no longer a priest, Brennan reminded Harrison that he can no longer perform priestly duties (giving a homily for example, or presiding over a function in the church) and that parishioners should stop referring to him as either “father” or “Monisgnor.”

 Finally, Brennan wrote that he had heard Harrison was positioning himself as a consultant or life coach but seemed to wonder openly whether Harrison was qualified for certain pursuits.

 

 On the Sunday before Labor Day, Harrison released this statement on his Instagram account:

 

Attorneys preparing to hit former Bakersfield Catholic priest Craig Harrison with two lawsuits alleging he sexually abused two boys

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other company or publication.

 For the first time since he was suspended from the Catholic Church more than a year ago, former priest Craig Harrison has been hit with two lawsuits alleging he sexually abused two young boys while serving as a priest in the Diocese of Fresno.

 The lawsuits will be announced Wednesday in Fresno during a press conference by Jeff Anderson and Associates, a firm that specializes in child abuse at the hands of Catholic priests. The press conference will begin at 1 p.m. PST at the DoubleTree by Hilton at the Fresno Convention Center.

 According to the attorneys, the two civil child sexual abuse lawsuits will be filed accusing Harrison of sexually abusing the boys as well as Fresno Catholic officials for ignoring and concealed his crimes.

 In a statement by one of the plaintiffs, identified simply as Joseph Doe: he said: “Msgr. Harrison hurt me when I was an altar boy at St. Francis. I was just a kid, and he used his position of power as a priest to abuse me. Msgr. Harrison stole my childhood, and every day since then I have lived with shame. I want the Bishop to start protecting kids. I want the Bishop to stop helping abusers. I want the Bishop to stop keeping secrets about abuse.”

 The statement from the attorneys went on to read: "On April 12, 2019, a survivor made a report of childhood sexual abuse perpetrated by Msgr. Harrison to the Diocese of Fresno. Three days after receipt of this report, the Diocese allegedly contacted the Firebaugh Police Department. Msgr. Harrison was reportedly put on paid administrative leave due to an allegation of sexual misconduct with a minor that occurred decades prior in Firebaugh, California. Since then, two other survivors have come forward alleging childhood sexual abuse by Msgr. Harrison. One of the survivors purportedly previously reported the sexual abuse by Msgr. Harrison in 1998, and again in 2002. The Diocese deemed the allegation unsubstantiated and Msgr. Harrison continued his priesthood. A survivor who has alleged sexual abuse against Msgr. Harrison is a Catholic monk that referred to Msgr. Harrison as a mentor and felt compelled to come forward after hearing other allegations."

 These lawsuits mark the first time since his suspension that Harrison has been targeted by alleged victims. Up to this point, it has been Harrison filing the lawsuits: including one against the Diocese of Fresno for defamation, and two other defamation lawsuits against former monk Ryan Gilligan (he has not filed suit against Harrison but has submitted damming statements against him) and an organization that tracks wayward priests, known as the Roman Catholic Faithful.

 The attorneys also are putting pressure on the Diocese, and on Bishop Joseph Brennan, to reveal a list of "credibly accused priests." 

 "After decades of pressure, " the attorneys said, "the vast majority of US bishops have posted on church websites the names of and often some details about proven, admitted, and credibly accused predatory clerics. Unfortunately, the Diocese of Fresno is one of sixteen Catholic Dioceses in the United States yet to publish a list of credibly accused clergy. Many consider this long-overdue step to be the bare minimum church officials should do to protect the vulnerable and heal the wounded."

  Now out of the church, Harrison has been busy trying to rebuild his life and his reputation. He has positioned himself as a life coach and counselor, and has scheduled an appearance at the Fox Theater soon to address an audience of women.

 The filing of the lawsuits against Harrison moves the case into a potentially critical and revealing phase, when details of the alleged encounters with Harrison will be submitted in court in lurid detail while Harrison and his attorneys will attempt to discredit the accusers one by one. Stay tuned.

 

Supreme Court says New York erred in restricting church services, volunteers brave the pandemic to help feed the needy during this Thanksgiving while the Catholic Church gets its first African-American cardinal

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other company or publication.

 * ... SUPREME COURT: There's some good news for religious conservatives who believe states are overstepping their authority by limiting church services during the pandemic. The Supreme Court ruled the night before Thanksgiving that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo erred when he restricted the size of

religious gatherings in the state. Cuomo had imposed a 10 to 25 percent person capacity limit on churches in areas where virus cases were spiking. But the court said the move violated First Amendment protection of the free exercise of religion. This ruling could have a profound impact in California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom has imposed similar restrictions, incurring the wrath of pastors and parishioners alike. In the New York case, the restrictions were challenged by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and two synagogues. Stay tuned.

 * ... CHURCH SEXUAL ABUSE: The Catholic Church is getting its first African American cardinal and it turns out he has been a strong advocate of rooting out cases of sexual abuse among priests. Archbishop Wilton Gregory, who is being elevated to the College of Cardinal along with12 other men, has been out front in calling for the abusers and those that protect them in the church to be held accountable, breaking from other church leaders who have been silent on the issue. "My anger and disappointment, shared by Catholics and others, are only heightened by the reality that leaders who have engaged in or neglected to protect others from such damaging and deviant behavior have for many years failed to be held accountable, and have even risen in leadership positions," the new cardinal has written. "We must do better - for the sake of all victims and survivors of sexual abuse, and for the sake of everyone whom we serve in the name of Jesus Christ." Locally the Diocese of Fresno has been struggling with a long string of cases of priest abuse for years, and holds the dubious distinction of being one of the few dioceses in California that has yet to release its list of credibly accused priests.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "The National Dog Show taught me that my body type is 'Non-Sporting'” 

* ... THANKSGIVING: Hats off to all the volunteers around down that turned out to help provide a warm Thanksgiving meal for the needy during this pandemic. Over at the county's new M Street Navigation (homeless) center, state Sen. Shannon Grove, Supervisor Mike Maggard, Pastor Robin Robinson, county CAO Ryan Alsop, county administrator Amanda Ruiz and KERN Radio's J.R. Flores were on hand to help serve, while Mayor Karen Goh and Assemblyman Vince Fong were spotted at the Mission of Kern County helping Mission director Carlos Baldovinos serve a hot meal.

 * ... COSTCO: Between the pandemic and Thanksgiving, you knew there would be lines at Costco this week. But they were longer than expected but thousands braved the wait for toilet paper and pumpkin pie.

 * ... MEMORIES: Who remembers when Sniders Cyclery was located over off Baker Street? Check out these classic old photos.

BREAKING NEWS: A Superior Court judge orders the Diocese of Fresno to produce Father Craig Harrison's personnel files that pertain to sexual abuse with minors and gambling in a potentially devastating blow to his efforts to clear his name

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not reflect the views of any other individual, organization or company. 

 In a potentially devastating blow to the efforts of Monsignor Craig Harrison to clear his name, a Kern County Superior Court judge has ordered the Diocese of Fresno to produce all records in Harrison's personnel file pertaining to sexual abuse of a minor as well anything related to Harrison having a gambling problem.

 The order from Judge J. Eric Bradshaw was handed down Monday, ordering the Diocese to turn over all records pertaining to Harrison having sex with a minor, sexually abusing a minor or having a gambling problem.
 The ruling could be devastating to Harrison if it produces records pertaining to allegations of sexual abuse against Harrison dating back 30 or some years. Among other things, it would answer questions from critics and Harrison supporters who doubt the validity of past allegations, and it could also provide lurid details from the accusers themselves.
The court ordered the Diocese to produce:
 a) Complaints and records pertaining to plaintiff having sex with a minor
 b) Complaints and records pertaining to plaintiff sexually abusing a minor, and
c) Complaints and records pertaining to the plaintiff gambling or having a gambling problem
 The court order, curiously, was a direct result of Harrison's legal team (attorney Craig Edmonston) filing defamation lawsuits against two Harrison critics: Stephen Brady of the Roman Catholic Faithful and Brother Justin Gilligan, a lifelong friend of Harrison's  who is studying to become a Benedictine monk. (Gilligan has since turned on Harrison, providing testimony that claims Harrison groomed young men with money and favors, talked openly about pornography and homosexuality and engaged in chronic gambling)
 Edmonston's lawsuits against Brady and Brother Gilligan opened the door to discovery motions like the one San Diego attorney Paul Jonna filed on behalf of Brady. Judge Bradshaw did not agree with everything that Jonna asked for, but he did agree with what Jonna and the defendants most wanted: the Diocese personnel files.
 In addition to providing details of any allegations against Harrison in Firebaugh, Merced or Bakersfield, where Harrison served, the personnel files may show the central question of: what did the church know and when did it know it?
 Judge Bradshaw ordered that the records be brought to court on Nov. 25, during which time he would meet with attorneys for both sides and hear arguments about how the files should be made public.
 SOME BACKGROUND: What we do know is that several young men have come forward alleging inappropriate contact with Harrison when he served in Firebaugh, Merced and Bakersfield Those cases are currently being reviewed by law enforcement authorities in Firebaugh and Merced. The Bakersfield police department closed the local investigation, saying it was impossible to establish exactly what happened in the local case.
  The Diocese of Fresno has been waiting for authorities to rule on the Firebaugh and Merced cases before it rules on the fate of Father Craig. The release of the personnel files will shed new light on those old cases, potentially provide details of exactly what the contact between Harrison and the accuser was, and possibly provide insight into how the Diocese responded when a priest in its realm has been accused of sexual impropriety.
 From a legal standpoint, some legal observers see this as a repudiation of Harrison's aggressive tactic of filing defamation lawsuits against Brady and Gilligan, which opened Harrison to discovery.
 Said one prominent local attorney: "It was a risky strategy and I am sure they (attorney Jonna, Brady and Gilligan) see this as a gift from (Craig) Edmonston. It's not a good day for Father Craig."