Church of St Teresa
Sept. 11, 2019 By Allie Griffin
A high-ranking Queens priest has again come under fire for child sex abuse, with his accuser speaking out against him at a press conference Tuesday.
Monsignor Otto Garcia, who was recently assigned to the Church of St. Teresa in Woodside, allegedly abused a boy at St. Michael’s Church in Flushing in the 1970s, as first reported by the New York Daily News in February.
Thomas Davis, the alleged victim who first made the allegations against Garcia in 2017, spoke at a press conference yesterday held by the law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates, where the firm named 200 Brooklyn Diocese clergy members it believes have “credibly” been accused of child sex abuse. Garcia was one of the priests named.
Davis told reporters yesterday that Garcia sexually abused him when he was a young boy at St. Michael’s in Flushing from 1973 to 1975.
“I was molested by Father Otto Garcia when I was a child, back in the ‘70s,” Davis said at the press conference. “I lived with that for over 45 years, never telling anybody,” Davis added. “He was able to pick me out as a prime victim because my parents were very involved in the church and I didn’t think anybody would believe me.”
Davis reported the assault to the Diocese of Brooklyn years later in 2017, only to have the allegations dismissed.
Davis said the investigation by the diocese was inadequate. He said it took only two days.
“It was basically swept under a rug, they did nothing, they said it was unsubstantiated,” Davis said.
On Aug. 14, Davis filed a lawsuit against the Diocese and Garcia under the New York Child Victims Act. A second person has also just filed suit against Garcia, alleging that he too was abused by Garcia as a minor in 1970s at St. Michael’s.
Garcia, who went on to officiate at Joan of Arc Parish in Jackson Heights until April 2019, has denied the allegations.
“The Diocese of Brooklyn categorically denies the allegations made today by Jeff Anderson,” a spokesperson for the Diocese said. “He is well aware of the actions taken by the Diocese of Brooklyn with respect to Monsignor Otto Garcia, yet he is making sensational misrepresentations in order to garner media attention.”
In February, the Brooklyn Diocese released a list of 108 priests that it said had been accused of sexual abuse over the decades. Garcia’s name surfaced, most likely prompted by Davis’ allegation. The report noted that the Diocesan Review Board unanimously determined the allegations against him had been unsubstantiated.
However, others are doubtful of Garcia.
A nun who worked with Garcia told the New York Daily News she wasn’t surprised by the allegations against him.
Sister Sally Butler told the newspaper that she witnessed Garcia downplay multiple sexual abuse complaints involving other priests when he served as vicar general.
At the time, one of Garcia’s responsibilities as a high ranking clergy member within the diocese was to investigate the allegations through interviews with the accused priests and their alleged victims and then make suggestions to local bishops based on his findings.
Butler brought forward three cases of alleged abuse of minors at the hands of priests to Garcia, who largely dismissed them. She told the Daily News he was the fixer, “the Michael Cohen of the diocese.”
At the press conference, Jeff Anderson, the attorney, pleaded that the diocese remove Garcia from his position at the Church St. Teresa in Woodside.
“Bishop, please it’s time. Get him out, get him out now.”
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21 Comments
I am a survivor of sex abuse at the hands of a high ranking priest from Queens.The catholic church covers for these men behind a code of silence. This all boy’s club is called The GOD Sqaud.
My abuser joked about it once when I was a little boy!
You never get past the abuse,and you never heal from the pain.Nothing can be done.
If the Church cared about the Parishioners or the kids, they would stop being a haven for pedophiles and using poor Parishioners money to cover it up while they drink from gold challis. The Church needs to throw open the doors, out them all to the Prosecutors office,and then rebuild a transparent Church with Married, Parents and Women Priests. Without change the Church will die as it should be for all Religions that allow this. Which is all of them.
No people make claims for money.
Is anyone surprised by this anymore? this problem may start to get better with newer priests but it will be never ending with the old time regime. So common that even the shock factor has worn off,sad.
It was 45 years ago. Let it go already.
Wonder if you’d say that if it happened to you,your son or grandson
It’s anyone’s guess
But daughters and granddaughters are fair game?
It did. It’s called moving on.
What a stupid, ignorant comment
Just let it go…… are you serious!!!!!! ~ I guess you have never been molested ~~ Ignorance is bliss so you live in your ignorant bubble
If you didn’t say anything about it 20 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago, why now???
Probably because it takes a certain kind of courage to revisit a traumatic experience in public. A person might feel ashamed and even be slightly damaged as a result of the molestation and not feel mentally equipped to talk about it, especially when they know complete strangers will accuse them of either lying or being weak.
Wow!!! I suppose your okay with the pig in the WH grabbing women by the P-ssy too!!!! What a complete ignorant thing to say. Heartless!
How completely lacking of understanding and empathy can one possibly be?
Jeff Anderson and Associates is a sleazy Minnesota law firm looking to capitalize on all these abuse cases. As always it will be the rotten lawyers who gain the most.
There’s a special place in hell for these folks.
so anyone can make an uncorroborated claim from 45 years ago and get a nice payday from the church on the backs of poor immigrant parishioners??
Do people make claims of abuse for fun ? Your as sick as the Priest.
You have never had a child in the Fourth grade.
You don’t make claims for fun. You do it to get some easy cash silly.