Settlement reached in child sex abuse case naming former KC bishop

​According to Louisiana’s the Advocate, a settlement of $225,000 has been reached in a child sex abuse case naming former Kansas City auxiliary bishop Joseph Sullivan. After Kansas City, Sullivan went on to become bishop of Baton Rouge, from 1974 until his death in 1982.

The settlement money goes to Glenn Hymel, 45, of Houston, who claimed he met Sullivan while in seminary school for minors, and the older man followed him from school to school sexually abusing him for several years.

Before the child abuse allegations, Sullivan’s memory was seemingly held in high esteem. A Baton Rouge high school even carried Sullivan’s namesake, until it was removed in 2004 following the out-of-court settlement of a separate child abuse suit.

Here in Kansas City, some victims of priest abusers want more than just a name change for one building. In October 2008, I wrote about children molested in the St. Elizabeth’s rectory who wanted to the building torn down (“The Ghosts of St. Elizabeth“). The local diocese didn’t agree.