By Cherryh Butler
The Examiner

A Gladstone man has filed a lawsuit against several church officials, making allegations of sexual abuse and cover ups.

Mike Hunter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said Tony Padilla claimed Father Thomas Reardon repeatedly and violently raped him in 1973 and 1974, while he attended St. John Francis Regis Parish in Kansas City.

Hunter said later when Padilla intended to get married, he approached then-Father Joseph Hart to perform the ceremony, but Hart attempted to sexually assault him.

The suit names Father Thomas Reardon, who at one time was assigned to Santa Fe Church in Buckner, Hart, Bishop Raymond J. Boland, Father Patrick Rush and the Diocese of Kansas City.

The suit claims "defendants have knowingly ignored, covered up and concealed the sexual abuse of their minor parishoners by their employees. ...this coverup has allowed (Reardon and Hart) to access and sexually abuse numerous children, including Padilla.

Hunter said Reardon faces three civil molestation lawsuits involving 11 victims, has been defrocked, and lives in Kansas City

Hart faces two civil molestation lawsuits, involving three victims, and lives in Wyoming.

"Anytime we find out someone is filing a lawsuit or going public we want to support them, said Hunter, who claims Hart abused his brother when they were boys. "It's terribly frightening when you go through it. We encourage people to do it, not only to educate people, but it's a healthy process for these people."