Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the New York State legislature’s latest extension of the Child Victims Act:

The Child Victims Act, which allows for a suspension of the statute of limitations for sexual crimes against minors in New York State, was passed last August by Albany legislators and was set to expire this August. The deadline was recently expanded for six months, citing delays in filing claims due to COVID-19; Gov. Cuomo signed the extension. Now Albany legislators have voted to extend the deadline another six months. The bill has been sent to Gov. Cuomo.

Lawmakers in Albany are not interested in helping minors who have been sexually abused in New York. If they were, they would demand that the principal victims—children molested by their mom’s live-in boyfriend or stepfather—be given special attention. But they are not. These abusers have no deep pockets, and the lawyers know it, which is why they have no interest in taking such cases. So injustice rules.

We know who the lawyers want to get: the Catholic Church. Perversely, it is the one institution that has made the greatest progress; there is almost no abuse going on these days. Many more students were abused in the public schools (it is still ongoing there) but there are many more hurdles to jump trying to win cases against them. There is not much passion for suing Jewish and Protestant schools; the same is true of private schools. That leaves the Boy Scouts.

Claims for alleged offenses dating back decades are hard to prove, so the temptation to settle is strong. Albany could do something about this by increasing penalties for frivolous lawsuits. New York City has the highest number of frivolous tort filings in the nation; it outdoes all states, save for California and Florida.

Gov. Cuomo needs to say “Enough is Enough.” The clock should not be moved forward one more minute.

Contact Cuomo’s director of communications, Dani Lever: dani.lever@exec.ny.gov

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on how Catholic schools are being fleeced in Pennsylvania:

In response to COVID-19, Congress unanimously passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help states financially. Pennsylvania asked the federal government for $523.8 million in emergency funds to help schools, both public and private. Washington responded by granting $471 million.

Washington authorized $66 million to be spent on private and religious schools, but Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is allotting $19 million. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference is accusing him of “misappropriating some $47 million in federal funds and harming families who have chosen to send their children to Catholic and nonpublic schools.”

The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference is correct. What Wolf is doing is indefensible. If he can get away with this money grab, shortchanging religious and private schools, other governors may follow suit. We all need to sound off.

Contact Lyndsay Kensinger, Wolf’s press secretary: ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on a new development in the controversy over the Eucharist in a Maryland county:

A few hours ago, we alerted our supporters about a ban on the Eucharist and sacramental wine that was part of an executive order by Howard County Maryland Executive Calvin Ball. We asked everyone to contact county spokesman Scott Peterson.

In the meantime, we learned that the order was rescinded. Apparently, this took place at roughly the same time that we issued our statement.

We commend Baltimore Archbishop William Lori for his intervention in this matter. We are delighted that our supporters spoke up, even if the initial decision was in the process of being rescinded.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on a ban on the Eucharist in a Maryland county:

The Volstead Act, which enforced the 18th Amendment ban on alcohol, allowed for certain exemptions, among them being sacramental wine used by Catholic priests. Howard County Maryland Executive Calvin Ball wants to go beyond Prohibition and ban sacramental wine and the Eucharist.

Part II, section 4, of Executive Order 2020-09 is quite specific. “There shall be no consumption of food or beverage of any kind before, during, or after religious services, including food or beverage that would typically be consumed as part of a religious service.”

The Archdiocese of Baltimore plans to observe social distancing and is discouraging Holy Communion on the tongue, but is not in agreement with this executive order.

This is an issue of monumental importance, one that should trigger a strong response from Catholics no matter where they live. Howard County spokesman Scott Peterson said they are open to receiving feedback regarding the executive order; Phase 1 has not yet been fully implemented.

Contact: speterson@howardcountymd.gov

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on an amicus brief that was filed yesterday:

On May 27, the Catholic League, represented by the Pittsburgh law firm Jones Day, filed an amicus brief with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to support the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. The case involves alleged abuse to plaintiff Renee Rice that occurred in the 1970s and early 1980s by a now-deceased priest. It stands to be a landmark case.

Ms. Rice did nothing to investigate her claims for almost 40 years. Under clear legal precedent, Ms. Rice’s claims have been time barred since 1983. Yet, as an outgrowth of the badly-flawed Pennsylvania grand jury report that targeted Catholic dioceses, the intermediate appellate invented a wholly-new rule to allow the claims to proceed.

The court distorted decades of settled law, stripped away the diocese’s legal defenses, and ignored the Pennsylvania Constitution. This type of breathtaking judicial legislation resulted in waves of new case filings across the State by the eager plaintiffs’ bar and drove the Harrisburg diocese into bankruptcy.

We hope the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will follow the overwhelming number of courts around the country who have dismissed claims like these at the very outset. Indeed, it defies law and common sense to allow a plaintiff to seek damages for alleged harm that occurred decades ago, when they have done nothing in the interim. Only the plaintiffs’ lawyers, and the shameless Pennsylvania Attorney General, will benefit from bad results like these.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the death of Larry Kramer:

Most Americans have never heard of Larry Kramer, but he is an icon in the gay community. He made his name fighting for a cure for AIDS, often taunting Dr. Anthony Fauci. He died of pneumonia on May 27 at age 84.

We at the Catholic League know him well. He founded ACT-UP, an urban terrorist organization. In 1989, his thugs invaded St. Patrick’s Cathedral, interrupting Mass, chaining themselves to the pews, and spitting the Eucharist to the floor. New York Mayor Ed Koch was in the Cathedral that day and could not believe what he was witnessing.

Kramer often condemned the medical establishment for the health conditions of homosexuals, but he had moments of brutal honesty.

He admitted that “The movement of the 60’s and the 70’s legitimized promiscuity.” This had dire consequences for the gay lifestyle, which he once dubbed a “death style.” Similarly, he rightly observed that it was not heterosexuals who demanded that the bathhouses be kept open during the spike in AIDS, it was homosexuals. “How many of us have to die before you get scared off your ass and into action?”

Kramer also endorsed pedophilia. “In those cases where children do have sex with homosexual elders…I submit that often, very often, the child desires the activity, and perhaps even solicits it, either because of a natural curiosity…or because he or she is homosexual and innately knows it.”

Larry Kramer led a troubled life. He certainly lived longer than many others who shared his promiscuous lifestyle and medical history.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue is calling for a federal investigation of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo:

New York Rep. Elise Stefanik has called for an independent federal investigation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s response to the way he handled the coronavirus pandemic in New York’s nursing homes. We second that.

Cuomo is responsible for the nursing home scandal: nearly 6,000 men and women have died in New York State nursing homes as a result of coronavirus, and this doesn’t count those who were moved to a hospital before dying. Cuomo’s delinquent response to this tragedy is directly responsible for thousands of these deaths.

In this country, coronavirus started in Washington state. It didn’t start in a school or in a salon: it started in a suburban Seattle nursing home. This should have been a red flag to governors across the nation: protecting those in nursing homes must be a priority. Some governors acted responsibly, such as Florida’s Ron DeSantis; others, such as Cuomo, were a disgrace.

In March, DeSantis and Cuomo both issued executive orders on how to proceed with managing nursing homes during the pandemic. Their strategies were polar opposites. So were their results.

On March 15, Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, under the direction of DeSantis, mandated that entrance to nursing homes be narrowly limited, subject to specific criteria. Everyone, including staff, had to submit to temperature checks, and those who were symptomatic were not allowed into the facility. PPE was mandated for all staff.

Most significantly, nursing homes patients who tested positive were sent to special COVID-19 nursing facilities; they were not allowed to stay in regular nursing homes. Moreover, hospitals were not permitted to send these patients back to their nursing home.

Ten days after DeSantis acted, Cuomo ordered nursing home patients treated in hospitals back to where they came from, thus infecting staff and patients. On March 25, his order read, “No resident shall be denied re-admission or admission to the NH [nursing home] solely based on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19.”

Cuomo’s edict was the most monumentally irresponsible act committed by any governor in the nation. When nursing home operators asked to transfer patients, they were summarily denied. To top things off, he authorized a “don’t even try to resuscitate” mandate.

The “let them die” order was later rescinded. Cuomo’s decision to force nursing homes to accept COVID-19 patients was also rescinded, but not until May 10. It was too late, in both instances, for some patients.

Florida has a bigger population than New York and has a big elderly population, yet it has only a fraction of the number of nursing home deaths as the Empire State. Leadership matters, and when it falters, innocent persons die.

It is not as though Cuomo wasn’t warned. On March 26, the day after his infamous edict, the American Medical Directors Association announced that “admitting patients with suspected or documented COVID-19 infection represents a clear and present danger to all of the residents of a nursing home.” His failure to listen defies reason.

Worse, Cuomo had places to put these patients. Thanks to the Trump administration, the USNS Comfort ship, with 1,000 beds, was available, and so was the Javits Center, with 3,000 beds. But both of these enormous facilities were closed to nursing home COVID-19 patients. When it was obvious that these venues were not being used by hospitals for other patients—most of these beds were empty—Cuomo could have stepped up and changed course. But he did not.

Cuomo did not lack for decisiveness when he recently declared that “nobody” should be prosecuted for the way nursing homes were managed. “Older people, vulnerable people, are going to die from this virus. That is going to happen. Despite whatever you do.”

Wrong, Gov. Cuomo. What Gov. DeSantis did saved lives. What you did lost lives.

Feeling the pressure, Cuomo has asked his Attorney General, Letitia James, to conduct an investigation of the nursing home fiasco. I have dealt with her and found her honorable. Still, this investigation needs to be done by someone not associated with the state government. That is why we agree with Rep. Stefanik that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services conduct the probe.

Stefanik’s reasoning is sound. “The governor [Cuomo] took executive action, forcing positive COVID cases back into nursing homes. There was zero transparency in terms of informing the seniors, the workers, or the family member whether there were positive cases.”

After the Child Victims Act passed last year, allowing for old cases of sexual abuse to be prosecuted, Cuomo was delighted. “I think the bishops have worked to protect the church over doing justice.” He blamed them for “not taking responsibility.” He added that “The Catholic Church was not aggressive in stopping it [sexual abuse] when they knew about it.” He was referring to the conduct of some bishops from the last century.

Now it is Cuomo who is protecting himself “over doing justice,” and his wrongdoing is happening in real time. It is he who is “not taking responsibility.” And it is he who was “not aggressive” in stopping nursing home deaths when he knew about it. He needs to be investigated, and it is the feds who should do the job.

If you support Rep. Stefanik’s call for an investigation, let her know: Elise.Stefanik@mail.house.gov

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on why he is writing to the board of directors of ViacomCBS:

Trevor Noah is out of control. An unrelenting bigot, his jokes about Catholic priests are mean-spirited and slanderous. His latest attack was May 18.

The only ones who can rein him in—making him treat priests the way he does many protected classes of people—are those who sit on the board of directors of ViacomCBS, the parent company of Noah’s Comedy Central show. That is why I am writing to them today. Below is my appeal.

To:               ViacomCBS Board of Directors
From:          Bill Donohue
Date:           May 20, 2020
Re:               Trevor Noah

Almost a year ago, I contacted Viacom executives about Trevor Noah’s relentless anti-Catholic remarks. He pulled back initially, discontinuing his invective. But a few months ago, he started in again, the latest salvo coming on May 18.

We all know the negative stereotypes about African Americans, Asians, gays, Hispanics, Jews, and Native Americans. They offer much material for writers, potentially making for some really insulting jokes, quips that bigots would enjoy. We also know that Noah would never attack any of these demographic groups. I am glad he does not. The question is why he continues to assault the sensibilities of Catholics, smearing tens of thousands of Catholic priests.

Noah is cruel. You have a bigot in your employ. The evidence that is being forwarded to you is conclusive. You can do something about it. Please do.

Contact Shari Redstone, chairperson of ViacomCBS: Shari.Redstone@viacom.com

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on a biased TV ad:

Many states have suspended the statute of limitations for sexual abuse crimes against minors, and some lawyers have seized the opportunity to single out the Catholic Church. It would be like fighting crime and focusing exclusively on African Americans. Both campaigns smack of bigotry.

One of the most egregiously biased TV ads on this subject is being promoted by California attorney Andrew Van Arsdale. It has been running on Fox News, among other places.

Here it is. “For decades, survivors of childhood sexual abuse were told it was too late for them to seek justice. No more. Statute of limitations prohibited organizations such as Catholic and Mormon churches, public and private schools, Boy Scouts and other youth organizations from being held accountable. No more.”

Why Catholic and Mormon churches? Why not Protestant churches and Christian schools? Why not Jewish synagogues and yeshivas? Is it because Catholic and Mormon institutions are known for their traditional values?

Why is there no interest in pursuing the one venue where most of the abuse takes place, namely, the family? Live-in boyfriends are particularly notorious. But there is no money to be made prosecuting single mothers, so these men get off scot-free. The decision to single out the Catholic Church is driven by bigotry, not the pursuit of justice.

Religious profiling is just as invidious as racial profiling, though they are treated differently by elites. This shows how utterly insincere their objections to profiling are. What matters is who is being profiled, not the practice itself.

Contact Andrew Van Arsdale Law Group: support@ava.law

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on a controversy at an Ohio Catholic school:

It is not uncommon for employees, prospective or current, to sign a contract that binds them to conduct expectations, and this is especially true of jobs where workers are role models. Violations of moral turpitude are an example: if said conduct is deemed shameful or vile by the standards of the organization, the employee can be sanctioned, even dismissed.

What would we think of a professional football player who committed an act that violated his contract, was released from the team, and then threatened to sue the NFL? Did he not voluntarily sign the contract, knowing what was expected of him? What if after he is let go he decides to present the NFL with a proposal, the terms of which would negate existing strictures, saying he will go forward with his lawsuit unless the league plays ball with him?

Something analogous to this happened in a Cincinnati Catholic school, Alter High. Jim Zimmerman, who taught English at the school for 23 years, expressly violated his contract with the school when he married his boyfriend in 2016, a union which he kept secret. When the school recently found out, it decided not to renew his contract. He then threatened a lawsuit—not to get money but to force the school to change its contract.

Matt Deters is a former Alter High School teacher who supports Zimmerman. He quit his job in 2014 when he was asked to sign a contract, the conditions of which he found objectionable; he did not like the conduct clause. He did the right thing. But now he is showing his authoritarian side by siding with Zimmerman. He wants the government to police Catholic schools, telling them what norms they can institute. The two men do not believe in separation of church and state.

Deters is very honest about his objective: His goal is to change the Catechism of the Catholic Church. “When the Church’s catechism says that homosexual acts are ‘acts of grave depravity,'” that has to go. The change would make him happy. Indeed, he would be as happy as adulterers would be if the Church changed its teaching on cheaters.

Deters’ problem, one which is widely shared, extends beyond the teachings of the Catholic Church: the ultimate source of his discontent is the Bible. It is the word of God that angers him.

Let’s be clear what the issue is. Homosexuals can teach in Catholic schools, just as heterosexuals can. Their sexual orientation is not an issue.

However, when homosexual Catholic teachers marry someone of the same sex, or when heterosexual Catholic teachers shack up with someone of the opposite sex—and their conduct becomes publicly known—they have no right to claim victim status when they are terminated for violating their contract. And they certainly have no right to beckon the heavy hand of the state to vitiate the doctrinal prerogatives of the Catholic Church.

Cincinnati Archbishop Dennis Schnurr did the right thing. Contracts matter. They matter more when they are grounded in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.