Posted on 04/14/2010 7:27:01 AM PDT by Judith Anne
MIAMI — A Presbyterian youth minister who has been teaching local children with learning disabilities is accused in a Chicago lawsuit of repeatedly sexually abusing four minor boys throughout the 1990s.
The suit filed Tuesday, May 14, claims that the Rev. Douglas R. Mason took advantage of his position as the director of a youth ministry in Chicago. From 1990 to 1999 Mason had sex with the boys while taking explicit photographs and filming them, court documents said. Mason also is accused in the lawsuit of providing alcohol and cigarettes to the minors.
The lawsuit said the abuse took place in the basement, the minister's office, a Youth Ministry van, movie theaters as well as during field trips. In addition to Mason, the Presbytery of Chicago, the Presbyterian Church (USA) Foundation and the Catholic Bishop of Chicago are defendants. The unidentified boys, who are now about 18, are asking for "fair and just compensation."
This is not the first time Mason has faced problems relating to claims of abuse.
Chicago police investigated Mason in May 1999 for unspecified abuse allegations after the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services received a call on its hotline. A spokesman for the Illinois agency said Wednesday their case was determined to be "indicated." To the agency, this means enough evidence was found to justify the claims.
The police opened its own investigation, but an arrest warrant was never issued before Mason left Chicago, Sgt. Robert Cargie said.
"I have nothing to hide," said Mason in Miami on Wednesday, adding that he is scared, numb and "doesn't have a dime. I knew about (the lawsuit) before, but I didn't know if it was just a threat."
Reluctant to comment on the specifics of the suit, Mason referred questions to his attorney Jerry Latherow in Chicago. Neither Latherow nor the Chicago Archdiocese could be reached for comment. Jerry Reynolds, the executive director of the Presbytery of Chicago, has not reviewed the lawsuit and had no comment.
Before coming to Miami about two years ago, Mason was the director of the San Marcos Youth Ministry, which reaches out to bring underprivileged youth into the fold. Mason provided "help, spiritual guidance and counseling, specifically to parishioners under the age of 18," documents said. He also provided the four boys scholarships to the local Catholic school, awarded by the Youth Ministry.
"He would routinely go in and take them out of the school sometimes for the entire day," said the boys' attorney Devon Bruce, adding that none of the parents was told Mason took their children out of school.
Both the Chicago Archdiocese and the Presbytery of Chicago were alerted in 1999 after a teacher received a tape one of the boys made for Mason in which the boy talked about sex, Bruce said. The Chicago bishop was named in the lawsuit because the Archdiocese oversees the school.
The tape launched a separate investigation into Mason, who about that time moved to an Indian reservation in South Dakota.
Eventually, Mason made his way to South Florida, where he found work as the interim associate pastor at the Miami Shores Presbyterian Church for more than a year beginning in March 2000.
While working at Miami Shores, the Presbytery of Chicago contacted church officials about their investigation into Mason, said spokeswoman Melissa Gracey. Mason did not share the nature of the claims but openly told the senior minister and congregates they had no merit, she said.
"He didn't want to leave us, and we didn't want him to leave, but the Chicago Presbytery required that he not be in a ministerial position," Gracey said, adding that, until formal findings to the contrary, Mason still has their support.
Mason left the church about June 2001. According to standard procedure at Children & Family Services, by that time Mason's name should have been entered into a database available for background checks. It is unclear whether Mason's name is on the Children's Abuse and Neglect Tracking System.
Chicago police said they still are interested in talking to Mason, though they have no plans to travel to Florida to find him.
Mason was hired to work at the Academy of the Arts at Hope, a Miami Christian performing arts school, through the end of 2001.
When the school closed, the director of the South Florida International Academy hired Mason to teach a class of 13- to 17-year-old students who have learning disabilities including dyslexia and attention deficit disorder.
Director Lise Holash called Mason "a good man, compassionate, knowledgeable and the students love him." She added in accordance with school policy Mason was never left alone with any students and "therefore we know for a fact nothing happened here."
But, shortly after Wednesday'’s interview, Holash fired Mason for what she said were problems unrelated to the lawsuit.
She said Mason was warned about his inability to discipline students and about not signing in every morning.
"Frankly, I think this thing is being extremely overblown and everyone is trying to ride on the scandal of the Catholic Church's coattail," Holash said. ------------------------------------------
Frankly, I don't know how this got missed, back when it was published. I know that anti-Catholics here on FR were railing against the Church at that time. This article is presented as balance, and as an open look at information that is freely available, and often ignored.
Furthermore, it is apparent from the article that this minister's abusive activities were condoned by his superiors, and that he was moved to other locations where he continued his predatory abuse.
This is not a case of "they did it too," this is simply a clear indication that many of the Catholic Church critics on FR are hypocrites. It is to be hoped that the PCUSA will take financial responsibility for the care and treatment of those defenseless children who were treated like dirt by this scum.
One of my favorites priests at my church gave a very brief sermon one Sunday. He said, “priests who do not keep their vows makes me sick.” This was before the huge scandals regarding pedophaelia broke. He died a couple of years later from a brain tumor. If the tumor didn’t kill him, hearing about those pedophiles would have.
2) It looks like the secular authorities dropped the ball, in addition to any malfeasance on the part of PCUSA. That's a familiar theme ...
Evidently, there are no Presbyterians here that will explain why this minister was allowed to sexually abuse disabled children for NINE YEARS.
No further news. Evidently it has been swept under the rug by the PCUSA authorities. I call for more openness, more discussion. Did this minister go to prison? If not, why not?
>> This is not a case of “they did it too,” this is simply a clear indication that many of the Catholic Church critics on FR are hypocrites.
Dredging up an article from 2002? Never heard of the guy, and am not sure I should have.
I am neither Catholic nor Presbyterian, so approach this as a member of an outside denomination in both cases. The guy’s a scumbag. He should be excommunicated and imprisoned for the better part of his life, and anyone that covered-up should be excommunicated, fired, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
This is exactly the same position I have taken with regard to any Catholic priest involved in abuse or anyone involved in an intentional cover-up. How, exactly, is that position hypocritical?
SnakeDoc
If only they allowed Presbyterians to marry.
The ususal Catholic-bashing suspects will ignore this thread. Even the so called Catholics or the ones that say “I used to be Catholic”............CRICKETS!!!!!!
It's not impossible that the abuse went unreported.
That happens sometimes, in cases of sexual crimes.
If only.
I believe celibacy contributes to the problem of homosexuality in the priesthood, as I believe that men that are disinterested in marriage are more likely to be deviant in one way or another. I don’t believe I ever connected celibacy to pedophilia, though.
SnakeDoc
So, after there were allegations, he left town and went into the same work elsewhere, with no consequences.
Absolutely, this thread will be ignored by the usual suspects. They think that if they refuse to discuss it, it didn’t happen.
Is this deviate still a Presbyterian minister? If so, why?
Well, I could have gone back to WWII to find out about the anti-Semitic propaganda of the Presbyterian Church, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.
I suspect, however, it will be a scandal of amazing proportions.
LOL!!
This will get Mason in more trouble than the sex abuse charge.
Judith,
How could the PCUSA sweep this under the rug? There is a lawsuit and where there is a lawsuit, there is a resolution, good or bad. Why would the media sweep this under the rug, are they in love with the PCUSA?
And explain this from your article: “In addition to Mason, the Presbytery of Chicago, the Presbyterian Church (USA) Foundation and the Catholic Bishop of Chicago are defendants”.
I do not know of any non-catholic Christian on this board that is condoning abuses from protestant clergy, do you? I do not see in this (poorly written) article indications of a PCUSA cover-up. And believe me when I say this that I’M NO FRIEND OF THE PCUSA.
I understand and appreciate the feelings Catholics have right now due to the current situation. However, the point is being missed in that the heiarchy knew about problems and instead of reporting what they knew to police, they acted on their own to protect an image. This in any other universe would be called a cover-up.
Oh, dear, and here I thought only priests did these horrid things................<darcasm off
INDEED!
What's that ... a contraction for "Dark Sarcasm"?
Cue the Pink Floyd ...
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