Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the latest lawsuit by Rebecca Randles against the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph:
After disturbing, but not pornographic, pictures of young girls were found on the computer of Fr. Shawn Ratigan last December, and after his attempted suicide and diagnosis by a psychiatrist, he was ordered by the Diocese to stay away from children. He didn’t, which is why the cops were summoned last May (though no crime had been committed). In the interim period, Ratigan was invited to dinner by the parents of a young girl, and they are now claiming that he may have taken a picture of her under the table. So they are suing him, Bishop Robert Finn and the Diocese for conspiracy to commit fraud. Here’s what happened.
Ratigan contacts the girl via Facebook; her mother starts an email conversation with him; he is invited to dinner; he uses his cell phone under the table appearing to be texting; the parents take their girl to be with him again at an Easter egg hunt; they learn of his arrest; then they sue claiming they are suffering “great pain of mind and body,” as well as “emotional distress” and “loss of enjoyment of life.” It’s time to ask some tough questions about the anonymous plaintiffs.
First, what kind of mother would allow her ten-year-old to have a Facebook page? Second, what kind of mother would invite a total stranger to dinner? Third, what kind of people would file a suit about something they have no proof ever happened? Fourth, since the girl assumedly had her clothes on at dinner, any pictures that he may have taken were not pornographic (if he did take photos, that makes him a creep, but not a criminal). Fifth, if they saw him using his cell phone under the table, why didn’t they confront him, at least for rudeness? Sixth, if they thought he was at least a weirdo, why did they bring their girl to be with him again? Seventh, the alleged “pain of mind and body” and “loss of enjoyment of life” strains credulity.
When we add to this spurious case the fact that it was filed by one of SNAP’s darlings, it reeks to high heaven.
Contact Rebecca Randles: rebecca@rmblawyers.com
