FFRF Welcomes Washington AG’s Commitment to Investigating Clergy Sexual Abuse – Freedom From Religion Foundation

The Freedom From Religion Foundation applauds the Washington Attorney General’s decision to force the Archdiocese of Seattle to comply with an investigation into clergy sexual abuse of children.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson recently sent subpoenas to the Archdiocese of Seattle, the Diocese of Spokane and the Diocese of Yakima to investigate whether these religious organizations used charitable funds to cover up pedophilia. Of the three, the Archdiocese of Seattle is the one refusing to cooperate.

The Archdiocese of Seattle first released names of perpetrators in 2016. The list, which now includes more than 80 people, also includes priests who have long since died. It goes without saying that the Catholic Church cannot be trusted to report fully and accurately on the number of perpetrators among its clergy. The Illinois Attorney General’s Office report released in 2023 listed four times as many confirmed child abusers as previously disclosed by Illinois dioceses – 451 compared to 103. Likewise, recent court filings revealed that there were more than 600 victims in the Archdiocese of Baltimore , and “almost certainly hundreds more,” according to former Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh.

An independent and, perhaps more importantly, secular investigation is critical to the integrity of the findings. The Washington Attorney General’s commitment to holding these dioceses accountable is a critical step toward truly understanding the extent of abuse in Washington. Survivors deserve an investigation that publicly reveals the identities of the perpetrators – and those who harbor them. To provide healing for survivors and their families and to ensure that all potential legal remedies remain on the table, it is critical to ensure that such abuse is not tolerated in Washington state.

“Washingtonians deserve a public accounting of how the Catholic Church handles allegations of child sexual abuse and whether donor funds were used to cover it up,” Ferguson said in a statement on his website. “As a Catholic, I am disappointed that the Church has refused to cooperate with our investigation. Our goal is to use every tool at our disposal to bring the truth to light and give survivors a voice.”

FFRF has long called for an independent and secular investigation to protect the integrity of such clergy sexual abuse findings. The Archdiocese of Seattle appears determined to obstruct the investigation. Perhaps they will realize that the results will expose years of cover-ups that will cause serious financial harm to the church. Ryan Jayne, senior policy counsel for the FFRF, has pointed out that when cases of abuse were uncovered, dioceses across the country dishonestly resorted to bankruptcy to protect themselves from lawsuits.

“The abuse uncovered through independent investigations was truly heartbreaking,” said FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “The public deserves to know what the Catholic Church did to cover up these egregious sexual assaults by its clergy. Commendation is due to Attorney General Ferguson for holding the Archdiocese of Seattle accountable.”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with 40,000 members and multiple branches across the country, including more than 1,700 members in Washington and two state chapters. Its purpose is to protect the constitutional separation between church and state and to educate the public on issues related to nontheism.