Steven Krieger Law client, Eve Minter, was placed on paid administrative leave after her name was unlawfully placed on a list published by the Catholic Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania.

Ms. Minter’s name and possible employment are at stake because the church has taken the law into their own hands and produced a list out of an “effort to create a transparent and centralized system to encourage abuse reporting, screen personnel, document investigative findings, and inform the community about abuse-related employment or volunteerism decisions.”

The Diocese of Erie has grouped people who have been legally convicted of crimes against children and are serving decades in prison for those crimes in the same category as our client, Eve Minter, who followed the mandated reporting channels when a high school student made an unprompted sexual advance towards her 16 years ago. Ms. Minter is now having her name and reputation defamed across a public website as a means for the Catholic Church to clear its own name for decades long misconduct and disregard for reporting and transparency of misconduct by priests and other employees of the church.

The Diocese has failed to disclose that during the time of this incident in 2002-2003, Ms. Minter remained at the school for some time and then voluntarily resigned (she was not fired). Ms. Minter was not reprimanded and followed all guidelines and procedures for self-reporting the incident at that time. She was offered and accepted another position at Villa Maria Academy, which is part of the Diocese of Erie (the school was co-ed when Ms. Minter was hired, but years later became an all-girls school).

The Diocese of Erie’s improper decision to include Ms. Minter, and potentially others, on this list with people who, in some cases, have been legally convicted in the court of law and are serving time in federal prisons undermines the credibility of this list and the Dioceses’ stated commitment to self-reporting and the protection of children.

We believe this is simply an act of theatrics from the Church stemming from an Attorney General Investigation. There is no legal basis for Ms. Minter’s name to be included, along with many others without due process.

We are considering legal options against the Roman Catholic Diocese in Pennsylvania. For more information please contact Steven A. Krieger at 703.831.7707.