in response to today's Chicago Tribune story re: DCFS

In the McCormack and Bennett cases, the one person with the greatest responsibility and power to act was and is Cardinal George. Yet in the face of multiple sex abuse allegations, he did virtually nothing.

We've apparently got evidence of one mistake by DCFS yet dozens of mistakes by George.

This is the latest in a shameful string of church efforts to shift blame. First, church officials blamed the victim's mother, our support group, allegedly inadequate policies.

For mishandling the McCormack case, someone at DCFS should obviously be disciplined and probably will be. Several archdiocesan staff should obviously be disciplined and almost certainly won't be.

Archdiocesan officials claim the first conversation they "recall" with DCFS about McCormack was lasts month. But these are the same church officials who don't "recall" the verbal and written reports from a nun six years ago, and who apparently don't "recall" meeting face to face with a McCormack victim's family in September.

We'd welcome a more clear DCFS policy on abusive clergy. But even more, we'd welcome genuine reform where it's needed most: in the Chicago Catholic hierarchy.

CONTACT
David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP National Director (314) 566-9790 cell
Barbara Blaine of Chicago, SNAP Founder and President (312) 399 4747 cell
Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, SNAP National Outreach Director (314) 862 7688

DCFS failed to notify archdiocese in priest abuse case
By Ofelia Casillas and Manya A. Brachear, Tribune staff reporters
Published February 22, 2006

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services apparently violated its own policies when it failed to notify Catholic officials the agency had found credible evidence that a West Side pastor had abused a child, according to a Tribune review of DCFS procedures.

Agency policies available online state that if DCFS investigates a person who is in a job that puts him in frequent contact with children, the agency is required to notify employers about the allegations of abuse and the result of the investigation. If the person works for a school, the school administrator must be told.

But DCFS has said it did not notify Cardinal Francis George, other Chicago archdiocese officials or the school where Rev. Daniel McCormack worked that it was investigating him, and it also did not tell them the outcome of the investigation.

While archdiocese officials have acknowledged they did not move quickly enough to remove McCormack and did not pursue an aggressive investigation themselves, they said Tuesday that they were not the only responsible party to make mistakes.

"It was our understanding if there was a founded claim that it would be reported to the cardinal," said communications director Colleen Dolan. "They said in their policy that it would be reported to [the person's] employer. Even though the cardinal is not a technical employer of a priest or pastor, he's the closest thing to it."

The combined lack of action allowed McCormack to remain in ministry at St. Agatha parish and to work at Our Lady of the West Side Catholic School, where he taught algebra and coached boys basketball, for five months after he was first accused. He was arrested and removed last month after a second boy came forward with allegations.

On Tuesday, DCFS declined to respond to written questions submitted a day earlier by the Tribune, saying it was still looking into the mattter. A spokeswoman told the Tribune last week that DCFS had launched an investigation of McCormack, found the abuse allegation to be credible, and notified Chicago police, McCormack and his lawyer.

"Why would you only notify the perpetrators?" Dolan said. "Why wouldn't you notify their employer or superior?"

A Chicago police spokeswoman said Tuesday that police had notified DCFS officials Aug. 25 of the allegations against McCormack but that the agency did not report back on the outcome of the investigation.

Archdiocese Chancellor Jimmy Lago announced last week that the archdiocese would work more closely with DCFS to determine whether priests should be removed from ministry while an abuse claim is investigated. Lago also said that from now on abuse allegations would be reported to DCFS even if the alleged victim was an adult, as long as the abuse took place when he or she was a minor.

DCFS Director Bryan Samuels insisted that his department also be allowed to investigate abuse allegations against priests dating to 1950. That way, the names of priests credibly accused can be entered and tracked through a DCFS registry to prevent them from working with children, Samuels said.

But church officials have said they are reluctant to comply, and on Tuesday Dolan said DCFS' offer of assistance in investigating abuse cases would have been more useful in August.

"We relied on them and it wasn't there--the support that they offer and they claim they would give," Dolan said. "Now they're saying they want to deal with us more. But the one time we've had an `in real time' case it would have been very helpful had they followed their own protocols."

John Goad, who served as deputy chief of child protection for DCFS until 2003, said the agency should have followed its procedures for investigations into teachers or alleged abusers who have contact with children. Both policies require DCFS to contact employers when the investigation begins and when it concludes.

"He is a teacher and a coach. The fact that he's a priest does not change any of that," Goad said. "That case should be handled as any school child abuse investigation. No different because he is a priest."

DCFS' policies for dealing with abuse allegations are detailed and specific. When an abuse investigation is launched, investigators are required to notify the appropriate supervisor of the employee if he or she has frequent contact with children.

In addition, if DCFS launches a formal investigation of a teacher, its policy requires the department notify the school administrator and school district superintendent by phone and that the verbal notification be followed up in writing within two days.

Once the investigation is complete, DCFS must share its finding with the district, regional superintendent and even, in some cases, the Illinois State Board of Education. In the case of a private school, the school administrator must be told.

According to church officials, DCFS did not follow any of those procedures. The agency did not notify the archdiocese of the investigation; in fact, the first conversation with DCFS that church officials could recall was in January, after McCormack was arrested and well after DCFS had completed its investigation.

The agency also failed to tell school administrators of its findings, archdiocese officials said.