Earlier this year, Ron Johnson, testified before the Wisconsin State Senate on behalf of the Green Bay Diocese Finance Council, which has ultimate decision power in deciding whether to settle abuse law suits and can even overrule a diocese's bishop decision in how to proceed.
Johnson was there to oppose the so-call Child Victims Bill, which would have made it easier to go after child predators. Under Wisconsin current law, many children do not come forward until after the statute of limitations has expired-- this law would have made exceptions in such circumstances.
From the Green Bay Diocese Finance Council perspective, this meant that many more child victims of predator priests would come forward and that they would be forced to deal with more law suits. And more law suits mean spending more money, which Johnson and the Finance Council obviously opposed.
Usually, though, such institutions will try to kill such legislation quietly behind the scenes. Rarely do we see someone like Johnson defend such an unseemly position.
Unbelievably, during his testimony, Johnson asks a jaw-droppingly stupid question:
I think its a valid question to ask if the employer of the perpetrator should also be severely damaged, possibly destroyed, in a legitimate desire for justice?
Well... actually that's not a valid question, Ron. That's kinda the point of why Dioceses get sued. If the Green Bay Diocese knew that a pedophile priest was in their organization and instead of calling the police, reassigned him to another parrish, of course they should be sued!
Unfortunately, this isn't hypothetical wondering for the Green Bay Diocese. Their entire leadership has a long, troubling recordof reassigning instead of arresting pedophile priests.
It's shameful that Ron Johnson would serve under such an unhonorable group and absolutely disgusting that he would go to the Wisconsin State Senate to defend them and do their bidding.
UPDATE: On the rec list! Thank you! PLEASE GIVE TO RUSS's CAMPAIGN!