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(posted this elsewhere, but fits here well)That doesn't change the situation at all, though. If the Saints were really telling the church which pedophiles and rapists to out and which ones to keep quiet, none of the externalities matter whatsoever. _If_. I'm waiting to see what shakes out before passing judgement.
Right now, what I'm clinging to is that Bensel & Company's actions are interpretable -- that what the plaintiff's attorneys are doing is just barely stretching the truth a bit and offering the absolute most negative interpretation of events possible in their filings.
Here's a speculative example. Let's consider two scenarios where Greg Bensel and Sara McDonald (Archdiocese PW) are in a meeting together working through a list of "on the bubble" names.
Scenario A:
McDonald: Now Greg, Father X was credibly accused in 1990. We investigated him internally for three years, but then his accuser recanted and said that he was mistaken after so much time had passed, and that it was actually another priest -- one that was convicted in 2012 and is already on the list. Should Father X still be on the list?
Bensel: In my opinion, Sarah ... with Father X, it looks like the circumstances support him being left off the list unless any more accusers comes forward.
Scenario B:
McDonald: Now Greg, Father X was credibly accused in 1990. We investigated him internally for three years and have come to believe that Father X is likely guilty of what he was accused of doing ...
Bensel: Sarah, let me stop you right there -- Father X was an old friend of Tom Benson from the 7th Ward days. Surely you can do Ms. Benson a favor and just leave Father X's name to the side for right now. If someone brings up charges, we can change course and add him to a future release. OK?
...
Now, to me ... if the emails reveal that a lot of things like Scenario A were going on, then IMHO it's not particularly troubling for Bensel and the Saints. That's basically technical advice as opposed to cherry-picking names.
If, on the other hand, a lot of things like Scenario B was going on ... that's a problem to say the least.