Teacher: Archbishop Told Her to Resign

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A teacher at a Catholic school says the archbishop of Omaha asked her to resign because she told police that a priest had used a church computer to look at child pornography on the Internet.

Archbishop Elden Curtiss acknowledges that he talked with Norfolk Sacred Heart kindergarten teacher Linda Hammond, but did not say if he asked her to resign. She did not resign.

Madison County Attorney Joe Smith said he was considering charges against Curtiss, including a count of tampering with a witness. "I'm asking the police to do a little more investigating on it, then I'll make a decision," Smith said Friday.

Hammond has been identified in court as a witness in the case against the Rev. Robert Allgaier, a former Norfolk priest charged in February with attempted possession of child pornography.

She said Curtiss asked her to resign May 8 and that at least two other people were witnesses. The conversation was made public Thursday in a report by the Norfolk Daily News.

In a statement issued Friday, Curtiss said he did not know Hammond was a witness in the case before their brief meeting. To file witness-tampering charges, authorities would have to prove that he attempted to dissuade the teacher from testifying in the Allgaier case.

"Since I did not seek out Mrs. Hammond and did not invite contact with her, the idea that I attempted to influence her role in the forthcoming trial ... is incorrect," Curtiss said.

Hammond said she introduced herself to Curtiss at a Mass in Norfolk as "the one who went to the police about Father Allgaier."

Hammond said the archbishop immediately told her that she ruined Allgaier's life.

"He started off by saying 'You shouldn't have done this. We had it handled,"' Hammond said.

She said the archbishop asked her to resign from her job at the Catholic school in Norfolk.

The prosecutor has criticized the archbishop for not coming forward with the evidence against Allgaier. He said Curtiss knew for eight months that Allgaier had looked at pornography before Hammond came forward.

"If it hadn't been for Linda Hammond, the police and people ... probably would never have known" about Allgaier, Smith said. "So treating a person like Mrs. Hammond rudely is significant."

Curtiss and other church officials did not return repeated telephone calls seeking additional comment.

According to court records, Allgaier admitted to Curtiss in February 2001 that he had had been looking at child pornography up to four times a week.

The archbishop removed Allgaier from his teaching duties at Norfolk Catholic High School and ordered him to avoid contact with children outside worship services. The church also had Allgaier evaluated by a psychologist and the priest entered counseling.

However, Curtiss transferred Allgaier in June to St. Gerald's Catholic Church in Ralston, where Allgaier's duties included teaching religion at a middle school in Omaha.

-In Hollywood, Fla., a pastor at a Catholic school delayed reporting abuse allegations against a teacher in the 1980s, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported. The Rev. Patrick J. Murnane eventually admitted the school did not report the allegations until someone threatened to expose them. The teacher was convicted of molesting a dozen children ages 5 to 12.

In the late 1970s, Murnane had been accused of covering up abuse allegations against a priest under his supervision.

-A priest has resigned from his job at a Hartford, Conn., middle school after acknowledging two complaints that he fondled adolescent boys when he was a deacon in the early 1970s. The abuse involving the Rev. Louis Paturzo, known for his work with troubled youths, allegedly occurred before he began his ministry in Hartford in 1981.

-The Los Angeles archdiocese knew for three decades about sexual misconduct allegations against an 82-year-old priest, but dismissed him only recently, the Los Angeles Times reported. The Rev. G. Neville Rucker, retired since 1987, was accused of molesting two 9-year-old girls at a parish in El Segundo during the 1960s, according to the Times.

Does the archbishop of the Omaha diocese still think a Norfolk teacher should resign?

That's the big question that remained unanswered Saturday after the Rev. Elden Curtiss came under some criticism for his comments earlier this month to Linda Hammond, a kindergarten teacher at Sacred Heart Elementary School.

Curtiss issued a statement Friday in response to Thursday's Daily News report that the archbishop chastised Hammond and asked her to resign after she told him that she was the individual who told police officers that a priest had viewed child pornography.

In his statement, Curtiss disputed allegations that he may have tampered with a witness -- Hammond -- in the upcoming trial of the Rev. Rob Allgaier on a misdemeanor charge. But he failed to address the allegation that he asked for Hammond's resignation -- or whether he still believes that should occur.

Meanwhile, the Madison County Attorney's Office continues to contemplate charges against Curtiss, including a count of tampering with a witness.

"I'm asking the police to do a little more investigating on it, then I'll make a decision," Madison County Attorney Joe Smith said Friday.

There may be "some interesting information out" by the middle of next week, he said.

In his statement, Curtiss acknowledged that he talked with Hammond after a Mass last week. The conversation occurred May 8 after Curtiss celebrated Mass with schoolchildren in Norfolk. Hammond said at least two other people witnessed the encounter.

She has been identified in court as a witness in the case against the Rev. Robert Allgaier, a former Norfolk priest accused of viewing child pornography on the Internet. The teacher told police in October that two former Sacred Heart students had found evidence in January 2001 that indicated Allgaier viewed child pornography on a church computer.

"The current and unfortunate attention given by (the) media to a brief encounter between Linda Hammond . . . and me deserves some clarification and response," said the archbishop in a statement issued Friday.

Curtiss said Hammond confronted him in the sanctuary of the church following a morning Mass with children of the school. Curtiss said he had never met Hammond before, nor did he know who she was prior to her identifying herself to him.

"I share her concern for children and acknowledge her dedicated professional life to the education of children," Curtiss said. "However, I felt she chose an inappropriate place and manner of approaching me. If Mrs. Hammond had wanted real dialogue about her concerns, then a meeting could have been arranged later during the day since I had other appointments in Norfolk, but she did not ask for one."

Curtiss said he did not seek out Hammond, so the idea that he attempted to influence her role in Allgaier's upcoming trial is incorrect.

Allgaier, a former Norfolk priest, has been removed from his duties as priest after being the subject of a police investigation over child pornography allegations. Hammond was made aware of the alleged pornography viewing on a computer and alerted police.

Curtiss said he has not been contacted by the Norfolk Police Division or the Madison County Attorney's Office regarding the matter.

"It is my hope that this incident will be recognized as a spontaneous and emotionally charged encounter in an illchosen place and time," Curtiss said.

To file witnesstampering charges against the archbishop, authorities would have to prove that he attempted to dissuade the teacher from testifying in the Allgaier case.

The county attorney's office has criticized the archbishop for not coming forward with the evidence against Allgaier. Smith, the county attorney, said Curtiss knew for eight months that Allgaier had viewed pornography before Hammond came forward.

"If it hadn't been for Linda Hammond, the police and people . . . probably would never have known" about Allgaier, Smith said. "So treating a person like Mrs. Hammond rudely is significant."

Court records said Allgaier admitted to Curtiss in February 2001, a month after the students' discovery, that he had viewed child pornography up to four times a week.

However, Curtiss transferred Allgaier in June to St. Gerald's Catholic Church in Ralston, where Allgaier's duties included teaching religion at St. Joan of Arc-St. Gerald Middle School in Omaha.

Allgaier remained at the Ralston parish until he was arrested in February. He was soon after charged with misdemeanor attempted possession of child pornography.

Curtiss' handling of the Allgaier case brought harsh criticism from parishioners. In March, the archbishop scolded two parishioners -- including an 81-year-old retired Catholic school teacher -- who wrote letters that criticized Curtiss.

The archbishop wrote letters to the two, calling them a disgrace to the church. He later apologized for the letters.

Archbishop Elden Curtiss has always been a terrific bishop.

I really don't know what his problem is lately, and this is the second incident that I know of.

It's very sad, especially for Orthodox Catholics, as he has always been one of the good guys.

In March, the archbishop scolded two parishioners...

Archbishop Elden Curtiss has always been a terrific bishop.

While he may be a great bishop, he seems to be more interested in protecting the guilty. Perhaps that's the problem with 95% of the bishops? 75%...50%...25%?

While he may be a great bishop, he seems to be more interested in protecting the guilty.

Yes, it does seem like it. That's why it's so disappointing.

Another one bites the dust.

This is true. They get that miter, and it's all over. Their sole objective is CYA. Who was it that said that the "floor of Hell is paved with the skulls of bishops"?

It's much too simple to say that the current scandal is a problem of liberalism in the Catholic Church. It seems to be more of a problem of indifference to Christian values among churchmen whose primary allegiance is to the temporal institution rather than to its professed ideals. I don't know that anyone has provided details about the cutbacks in Church services necessitated by massive payouts to victims of priestly abuse, but I would bet the first things to go are programs for the poor, probably followed by schools (especially marginal schools that don't always pay their own way). Last, I imagine, would be the trappings of power. Here in Atlanta, those trappings include a palatial residence for the archbishop, just a stone's throw from the Governor's Mansion.

As an orthodox Catholic here in Omaha, I am extremely disheartened by the whole thing. I have been very supportive of Archbishop Curtiss in the past, he has been very good. However, the recent homesexual scandals have been disppointing. I think Archbishop Curtiss just doesn't get it. Earlier he blew it by telling lay critics to take penance for criticing his actions. Now he is just flying off the handle. I don't think he is a bad person, I just don't think heunderstands.

What is an orthodox Catholic??? Have you all converted to the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH....you know like Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox Christian Church.... the one with the Patriarch in Constantinople and married priests??

It seems to be more of a problem of indifference to Christian values among churchmen whose primary allegiance is to the temporal institution rather than to its professed ideals.....Bingo!..My thoughts as well...it appears to be a cult to me.....

That's orthodox with a lower case o. Orthodox meaning that one adheres to or conforms to an established doctrine. I believe in the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and I don't pick and choose in a cafeteria style.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.