Sex abuse suits drive Jesuits to file bankruptcy

  • Thread starter Thread starter vs_trumpet
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
V

vs_trumpet

Guest
Headline (apparently an early story with just the Jesuit perspective)
oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/02/sex_abuse_suits_drive_jesuits.html

The Jesuit “Oregon” province includes the U.S. States Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.


“Lawyers disputing Jesuits’ estimate of assets”
oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/02/lawyers_disputing_jesuits_esti.html

Kelly Clark, a Portland lawyer who has represented victims of Jesuit priest abuse, said he was surprised to read that the Jesuits declared assets of just $4.8 million in their Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing late Tuesday in Portland. And he expects a legal fight over properties commonly associated with the Society of Jesus, Oregon Province, better known as the Jesuits.

“They’re going to say that they don’t own Jesuit High School, Gonzaga University, Seattle University and maybe other institutions – even though those institutions were Jesuit established, Jesuit dominated,” Clark said. “I think the legal question will be, are they Jesuit controlled for purposes of determining equitable ownership? So there are going to be a number of hard-fought legal battles.”

Clark said the Jesuits’ estimate of assets isn’t unprecedented. In 2004, he said, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland underestimated the value of its assets in its initial bankruptcy filing, a calculation that – after much legal wrangling – was corrected by the court. He predicted a similar battle ahead for the Jesuits.

I wonder what will happen to the students if their school/university is liquidated? Prospective students and parents may want to seek good counsel before considering a Jesuit institution.

Some are estimating the Province’s assets to be over a billion dollars which is more than 200 times higher than the estimate the Jesuits gave in their bankruptcy filing.

seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_or_jesuits_bankruptcy.html
[AP]
Roosa said he believes the Oregon Jesuit province has assets of “more than a billion dollars.”

Roosa said he was ready to file another 40 lawsuits next week, but the bankruptcy filing will halt that action. Roosa said the Jesuits want the Chapter 11 filing to accomplish two things - give victims “less than 100 cents on the dollar” and establish a “bar date,” a firm date by which victims will have to come forward if they want to sue.
 
vs_trumpet said:
Headline (apparently an early story with just the Jesuit perspective)
oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/02/sex_abuse_suits_drive_jesuits.html

The Jesuit “Oregon” province includes the U.S. States Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.

Jesuits Homepage 2020 - Jesuits.org

“Lawyers disputing Jesuits’ estimate of assets”
oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/02/lawyers_disputing_jesuits_esti.html

Kelly Clark, a Portland lawyer who has represented victims of Jesuit priest abuse, said he was surprised to read that the Jesuits declared assets of just $4.8 million in their Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing late Tuesday in Portland. And he expects a legal fight over properties commonly associated with the Society of Jesus, Oregon Province, better known as the Jesuits.

“They’re going to say that they don’t own Jesuit High School, Gonzaga University, Seattle University and maybe other institutions – even though those institutions were Jesuit established, Jesuit dominated,” Clark said. “I think the legal question will be, are they Jesuit controlled for purposes of determining equitable ownership? So there are going to be a number of hard-fought legal battles.”

Clark said the Jesuits’ estimate of assets isn’t unprecedented. In 2004, he said, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland underestimated the value of its assets in its initial bankruptcy filing, a calculation that – after much legal wrangling – was corrected by the court. He predicted a similar battle ahead for the Jesuits.

I wonder what will happen to the students if their school/university is liquidated? Prospective students and parents may want to seek good counsel before considering a Jesuit institution.

Some are estimating the Province’s assets to be over a billion dollars which is more than 200 times higher than the estimate the Jesuits gave in their bankruptcy filing.

seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_or_jesuits_bankruptcy.html
[AP]
Roosa said he believes the Oregon Jesuit province has assets of “more than a billion dollars.”

Roosa said he was ready to file another 40 lawsuits next week, but the bankruptcy filing will halt that action. Roosa said the Jesuits want the Chapter 11 filing to accomplish two things - give victims “less than 100 cents on the dollar” and establish a “bar date,” a firm date by which victims will have to come forward if they want to sue.
Click to expand...
not good.
 
I am sure that the Jesuits have a billion dollars worth of assets and that the lawyers should get their greedy hands on all of it??

They will surely be more just and benevolent and I am sure that they will do God’s will???

“Jesus saith to him: If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.” Mt 19:21.

Give to the poor “attorneys” and thou shalt have treasure in heaven?

“Give to the poor” is True and beautiful.

Closing Jesuit High School, Gonzaga and Seattle U. will benefit the poor victims and their attorneys?

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!!

Mark
 
I believe some “parish” properties may be in dispute too. The Jesuit Q&A says:

Q: Can resources from the Oregon Province sponsored universities, high schools and parishes be used to settle claims against the Oregon Province?
A: The Oregon Province has always acted under the principle, and it will contend, that Oregon Province sponsored institutions are separately incorporated entities from the Oregon Province and operate under their own governance structure.

nwjesuits.org/PDF%20Documents/Q%20and%20A%202-18-09.pdf
 
[Does filing put Jesuit schools at risk?

Bankruptcy proceedings started this week by the Jesuits in the Northwest could lead to intense wrangling over who owns the assets of Jesuit-sponsored schools, including Seattle University, Gonzaga University and Seattle Preparatory School](http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008759624_jesuit19m0.html)

I’ll bold the opinion of a business law professor who has no connection AFAIK to the case. :

**Indeed, even if a school is an separate legal entity, it can still “belong to” a Jesuit province, said Fred Naffziger, professor of business law and an expert on Catholic Church bankruptcy issues at Indiana University South Bend.

A school might be determined to be an asset of the province if, for instance, the province has the power to elect a majority on the board, or if the head of the province signs on in a real-estate deal involving the school, Naffziger said.**

Ken Roosa, an Anchorage attorney who represents many of the plaintiffs, said he believes the universities’ assets belong to the Jesuits because he read minutes from meetings of a group of senior Jesuits in the province from the 1960s to the 1980s, and those minutes indicate “numerous occasions where they simply transferred money back and forth from the universities to the Jesuits,” he said. All of that is up to the attorneys to argue and the bankruptcy court to figure out.

This is not looking good. If the universities assets are used, hopefully they do it in a way that looks out for the students already there allowing the universities to operate at least until the existing students graduate.
 
IMHO if the purpose of this thread is to discuss the situation of the bankruptcy then please keep on topic of bankruptcy.

But IMHO if the purpose of this thread is to bash the Catholic Church as on other threads of this type then please don’t prolong the thread. It just tends to bring out the worst in many posters.
 
Little did those who were involved in child abuse or its cover up realize what they were doing to Holy Mother Church. Keep all of them in constant prayer.
 
What a bunch of vultures! I’m getting so I hate lawyers, and I come from a whole family of them. But not like these pigs…Roanoker
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top