Another Seattle man claims abuse by Catholic priest

A Catholic brother who taught at O’Dea High School in the 1970’s has been named again in sex abuse lawsuit.

Christian Brother Edward Courtney has once again been named in a lawsuit filed in King County Superior Court. A 52-year-old Seattle man claims he was abused by the priest while he was a student at O’Dea. The lawsuit claims the abuse at the school and at Brother Courtney’s mother’s house in 1975 and 1977.

Seattle attorney James Rogers represents the plaintiff identified as “T.H.” I asked him why his client didn’t come forward when Brother Courtney was being sued by several other people over the last decade.

“It takes a lot of time for a lot of people to realize their problems are caused by the abuse and to deal with it,” Rogers said. “His issues are happening now. He has a right to bring a cause of action, and that’s what he’s doing.”

Brother Courtney and the Seattle Archdiocese have been sued multiple times by his former students during his time at O’Dea and St. Alphonsus School. A Skagit County man received a $1.1 million settlement in one case. A group of five men were awarded $1.9 million in another case.

The Catholic Church is accused of moving Brother Courtney from school to school across the United States, even though it knew of his issues abusing boys. He has been the focus of lawsuits in New York, Illinois, Michigan and Washington.