Lawsuit Against The Church

WTOL.com/October 28, 2003

Toledo -- There's more trouble for Toledo's Catholic Diocese. Two men are coming forward with claims of sexual abuse.

A former Deacon at Immaculate Conception is being accused of sexually abusing two boys back in the 1970's. On Tuesday, lawyers filed a lawsuit in Lucas County Common Pleas court. Not only does it accuse the Deacon of raping the boys over a period of several years, it also accuses the Toledo Catholic Diocese of a major coverup.

Glenn Shrimplin was a Deacon in Toledo from 1974 until he resigned and moved to Florida back in 1987. The lawsuit claims back in the 1970's, Shrimplin gained the trust of two teenage boys and then forced the relationship to turn sexual. It also says the Catholic Church here in Toledo covered the whole thing up. But the diocese says it didn't learn of the allegations until just last year, long after Shrimplin had quit and moved away.

When the complaints surfaced the diocese says Shrimplin was officially banned from the church here in Toledo, and down in Florida. Shrimplin was also a dentist during his time here in the glass city. He had an office on Starr Avenue. Since the sexual abuse scandal broke, the Toledo Diocese has removed 8 priests. One of them has been reinstated.