Brennan v. Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse New York, Inc.

965 F. Supp. 2d 234, 2013 WL 4424704, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 114438
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedAugust 14, 2013
DocketNo. 5:09-CV-1015 (GTS/ATB)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 965 F. Supp. 2d 234 (Brennan v. Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse New York, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brennan v. Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse New York, Inc., 965 F. Supp. 2d 234, 2013 WL 4424704, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 114438 (N.D.N.Y. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM-DECISION and ORDER

GLENN T. SUDDABY, District Judge.

Currently before the Court, in this breach-of-contract action filed by Dennis Brennan (“Plaintiff’) against The Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse New York, Inc. (“Defendant”), are Defendant’s motion for summary judgment (Dkt. No. 112), and Plaintiffs motion for leave to file a Third Amended Complaint (Dkt. No. 115). For the reasons set forth below, Defendant’s motion is granted in part and denied in part, and Plaintiffs motion is denied.

I. RELEVANT BACKGROUND

A. Procedural History

Because this Decision and Order is intended primarily for the review of the parties, the Court will not recite this action’s procedural history, which involves, inter alia, the following: (1) a transfer from the Middle District of Florida; (2) the striking of Plaintiffs unauthorized Amended Complaint; (3) the subsequent filing of a motion for leave to file a Second Amended Complaint (which sought to add [236]*236a new party and five new causes of action against the Diocese); (4) the amendment of that motion so as to seek leave to file a revised Second Amended Complaint (which retains two of the new five causes of action, deletes the remaining three new causes of action, and adds another new cause of action, and withdraws the addition of a new party); (5) the so-ordered stipulation granting Plaintiff leave to file a further-revised Second Amended Complaint; (6) the filing of that Second Amended Complaint under the name “Revised First Amended Complaint”; and (7) the granting of Defendants’ motion for judgment on the pleadings, dismissing Plaintiffs Third, Fourth and Fifth Causes of Action in his Second Amended Complaint. (See generally Docket Sheet.)

B. Plaintiffs Causes of Action

Surviving the Court’s Decision and Order of January 10, 2012, are the following two causes of action asserted in Plaintiffs Second Amended Complaint: (1) a cause of action for a judgment declaring that Plaintiff is entitled to compensation for losses and expenses that he has incurred, and will continue to incur, related to his medicál treatment; and (2) a cause of action for breach of contract based on Defendant’s refusal to pay for “reasonable and necessary therapeutic psychological expenses” despite the agreement entered into between the parties. (Dkt. No. 73 [Pit’s Second Am. Compl.].) Generally, these causes of action are based on the following factual allegations.

In the 1960s, Plaintiff was raped by Father Thomas Neary, a Roman Catholic priest and employee of Defendant. (Id. at ¶¶ 11, 12.) In the summer of 2001, Plaintiff remembered that he was raped by Father Neary. (Id.) In January 2002, Plaintiff spoke with Bishop Thomas Costello, who promised Plaintiff that Defendant would “pay for whatever help Plaintiff felt he needed.” (Id. at ¶ 14.) In April 2002, Defendant began paying for counseling that Plaintiff underwent with Dr. Mary D. Lutzo in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Id. ¶ 15.) Thereafter, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued the “Charter for Protection of Children and Young People (“Charter”) and the “Essential Norms.” (Id. at ¶ 17.) As part of the Charter, each individual diocese in the United States, including Defendant, was mandated to, among other things, “utilize individuals known as “Victims Assistance Coordinators’ and/or ‘Diocesan Review Board’ to assist all survivors of clergy abuse regardless of their age or when the clerical sexual abuse occurred.” (Id. at ¶ 18.)

In response to the Charter, Defendant promulgated the “Policy Relating to Clergy Misconduct with Minors” (“the Policy”). (Id. at ¶ 19.) The Policy put in place a “Diocesan Assistance Coordinator” whose role is to provide “psychological assistance to those alleging abuse” and to act as the “advocate” for survivors of clergy abuse. (Id. at ¶ 20.) As employees of Defendant, Teresa Secreti and Nuala Collins act as diocesan victim advocates. (Id. at ¶¶22, 23.) Part of the responsibility of the victim advocates includes keeping the Bishop and/or members of the Diocesan Review Board informed of the status of the case the advocate is handling. (Id. at ¶ 25.)

On February 11, 2003, Plaintiff sent a letter to Bishop Costello detailing “the devastating effects that were the result of the rape by Father Neary.” (Id. at ¶ 28.) In that letter, Plaintiff demanded a monetary settlement. (Id.) On February 18, 2003, Dr. Lutzo spoke with Ms. Secreti. (Id. at ¶29.) During this conversation, Ms. Secreti told Dr. Lutzo that, by making demands in a letter, Plaintiff “put it on a different level-a different arena, a different [237]*237spot.” (Id.) Ms. Secreti further stated that, while she did not “want to say we are going to stop counseling!,] ... we are in a different place now than when we started.” (Id.)

On March 17, 2003, Ms. Secreti wrote Plaintiff a letter advising him that Defendant had “put into place the office of the Assistance Coordinator that is designed to provide survivors of clerical sexual abuse with pastorial [sic] and therapeutic assistance.” (Id. at ¶ 30.) In this letter, Ms. Secreti advised Plaintiff that, for Defendant to continue providing financial assistance for therapy, Plaintiff would have to sign a release of information. (Id.) Finally, Ms. Secreti stated that Defendant would authorize payment of Plaintiffs counseling through April 15, 2003, to review Dr. Lutzo’s records. (Id.)

On April 11, 2003, Dr. Lutzo sent Defendant the information that Ms. Secreti had requested regarding Plaintiff. (Id. at ¶ 34.) On May 5, 2003, Plaintiff, through an attorney whom he had retained, sent Defendant a demand letter. (Id. at 39.) On June 30, 2003, Paul Hanrahan sent Plaintiffs attorney a response stating that, if Plaintiff was contemplating litigation, this would “bear significantly on the [Diocese’s] position with respect to continuation of pastoral assistance.” (Id. at ¶ 40.)1

Between July 9, 2003, and November 30, 2008, Plaintiff received treatment from Dr. Lutzo on a number of occasions. (Id. at ¶¶ 45-100.) Plaintiff also received treatment from a psychiatrist, Dr. Walter Griffith, beginning in 2006. (Id. at ¶ 63.) In addition, starting on November 14, 2006, Plaintiff was seen on more than one occasion by a clinical psychologist, Dr. Karen Moorhead. (Id. at ¶¶ 64, 70.)

In April 2007, after consulting with Ms. Secreti, Dr. Lutzo sent a therapeutic treatment plan (the “Plan”) to Defendant. (Id. at ¶ 78.) The Plan, which was recommended by all of Plaintiffs health care providers, provided for a minimum six-week residential program for Plaintiff, followed by a minimum of two weeks of day programs. (Id.) The total cost of the Plan was $59,497.02. (Id.)

In June 2007, Ms. Secreti informed Plaintiff that Defendant “was going to go with Dr. Moorhead’s ‘original recommendation’ of continued out-patient therapy” in lieu of paying for the Plan. (Id. at ¶¶ 84, 85.) During the same month, Plaintiff spoke with Marti Zeitz, the Victim Assistance Coordinator for the Diocese of St. Petersburg, who referred Plaintiff to Timothy McGivern, a licensed mental health therapist. (Id. at ¶¶ 47, 88.) Plaintiff met with Mr. McGivern and began attending a men’s group facilitated by Mr. McGivern. (Id.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
965 F. Supp. 2d 234, 2013 WL 4424704, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 114438, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brennan-v-roman-catholic-diocese-of-syracuse-new-york-inc-nynd-2013.