In
Doe v. Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus, (Cook Co. IL Cir. Ct., June 22, 2011), an Illinois state trial court judge has allowed three plaintiffs who claim they were sexually abused by now-defrocked Jesuit priest Donald McGuire to file an amended complaint seeking punitive damages against the priest's Jesuit order. The court reviewed The court wrote:
There can be no question that a religious organization can be found liable for punitive damages, if it has recklessly permitted an unfit employee or agent to sexually abuse minors with knowledge of his propensity to do so....
The court accepts that the Jesuits are a religious order with a rich history of service to the faithful.... However, the leaders of the Chicago Province fell far short of this ideal. Plaintiffs have amply demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of proving facts at trial which would support an award of punitive damages.
SF Weekly reports on the decision.
