I was interviewed by WGRZ Channel 2 anchor Scott Levin regarding a press release that the Diocese of Buffalo’s Communications Office issued. The press release contained e-mails sent by Siobhan O’Connor, a former employee of the diocese.
The press release was issued shortly after Siobhan O’Connor was featured during an episode of 60 Minutes that reported on the Diocese of Buffalo’s handling of priests who have been accused of sexual abuse. In the 60 Minutes report, Ms. O’Connor acknowledged that she was the whistleblower who leaked records from the Diocese of Buffalo’s secret archive. 60 Minutes reported that the documents and information that Ms. O’Connor leaked to a local reporter revealed that Buffalo Bishop Richard Malone had allowed priests who were accused of sexual abuse to remain in their role as priests.
WRGZ’s Scott Levin asked for my reaction to the press release the Diocese of Buffalo issued following the 60 Minutes report as well as my assessment of what diocese’s next steps should be. Click here to watch my full response, which includes: why I was shocked by the diocese’s press release; the actions whistleblowers commonly take to protect themselves; how the diocese’s reaction to a whistleblower is comparable to enterprises trying to cover up criminal activity; and why the diocese should be fully transparent moving forward.