Former priest sues Youngstown diocese, accusers for defamation

YOUNGSTOWN — A priest suspended from the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown in November following "credible" allegations that he sexually abused a minor is now suing the diocese and his accusers for defamation, libel and slander.

An attorney for Denis G. Bouchard, of Vienna, filed a civil complaint on his behalf in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court against the diocese; Bouchard's accuser, a Chardon man; the accuser's mother, who lives in Orwell; and other unidentified parties.

Bouchard began serving at Vienna's Holy Rosary Church in October 2008, according to the complaint.

The accuser claimed Bouchard asked him to undress and made inappropriate sexual comments, and also unbuttoned his shirt and unzipped his pants, according to the suit. The abuse allegedly occurred when the accuser was between the ages of 9 and 11, according to the diocese.

The accuser, now an adult, detailed the alleged abuse in a letter to the diocese on Sept. 26, 2018, as well as two emails sent in October 2018, according to the complaint.

The accuser's mother also wrote the diocese, backing up her son's claims.

The allegations were referred to a diocesan investigator — who is unnamed in the suit but was previously reported by The Vindicator as former police officer Delphine Baldwin-Casey — who determined the man's claims were "credible."

The suit claims Bouchard was wrongfully placed on administrative leave from the diocese following the allegations, which he claims were false yet "widely published to others."

Bouchard's suit claims the suspended priest has "suffered injury to his reputation, humiliation, mental anguish, emotional distress, loss of employment and loss of self-esteem" from the allegations, and been excluded from society.

The suit seeks Bouchard's full reinstatement to the diocese, as well as more than $50,000 in compensatory and punitive damages and legal fees.

The suit does not detail the involvement of the unidentified parties who are also named as defendants.

Diocese spokesperson Msgr. John Zuraw told Mahoning Matters the diocese was served the complaint Monday. The diocese declined to issue a statement on the suit, as it has entered active litigation, he said.

A call for comment from Bouchard's attorney, Craig Pelini of Canton, was not returned.

Court records do not list an attorney for the defendants.

Mahoning Matters has decided not to identify the accuser or his mother due to the sensitive nature of the allegations, which the complaint states are "indictable criminal offenses."

However, no criminal charges have been filed against Bouchard or any other priest acknowledged by the Youngstown diocese to have been "credibly accused" of misconduct.

The diocese nearly one year ago released a list of 34 former clergy members who served within the diocese and have been "credibly accused" of sexual misconduct with a minor.

The diocese has since updated that list to include the names of three other priests.

According to the diocese website, the most recent addition was made June 17 to include Joseph Feicht, who served at St. Mary Parish in Warren; St. Columba Cathedral in Youngstown; St. James Parish in North Jackson; St. Brendan Parish in Youngstown; St. Catherine Parish in Lake Milton; and St. Joseph Parish in Suffield — but for whom "credible" allegations of abuse only surfaced after his death.

This story was originally published October 10, 2019 at 6:03 AM with the headline "Former priest sues Youngstown diocese, accusers for defamation."