Archdiocese of Oklahoma City 1960 to 2018: Law firm report finds eleven priests with substantiated abuse allegations, deleted emails and diocesan files in the former chancellor's private home

The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City commissioned the law firm McAfee & Taft to investigate its handling of abuse allegations since 1960. The report of 3 October 2019 names eleven priests for whom allegations of sexual abuse of minors are considered substantiated. The archdiocese had no record retention policy; after the vicar general left in 2012 nearly all his emails were deleted, and the former chancellor deleted nearly all her own before retiring and opposed a retention policy partly because records could be subject to discovery. Files on abuse allegations were kept at the home of the chancellor and of the outside counsel. Church investigators were brother priests of the accused; according to the report officials mainly wanted to avoid scandal and the press. Known offenders were allowed to continue ministering.

Period

1960-2018 (58 years)

Report published

3 October 2019

Country

United States

Institutions

Archdiocese of Oklahoma City

Category

Sexual abuse, Cover-up

Level of evidence

A Primary source · what does this mean?

Background

Response of the Church

1. The archdiocese never adopted a written record retention policy. After the vicar general, who had been involved in many abuse cases, left in 2012, nearly all his emails were deleted. The former chancellor, in office from 2002 to 2017, deleted nearly all her emails before retiring. According to the IT officer she opposed a retention policy partly because records could be subject to discovery later.
   Evidence: McAfee & Taft, im Auftrag der Erzdiözese Oklahoma City, Findings I.A, S. 51

   „The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City has never adopted a written record retention policy.“

   Evidence: McAfee & Taft, im Auftrag der Erzdiözese Oklahoma City, Findings I.B, S. 52

   „we learned about systematic deletions of emails and other records that could have related to allegations of sexual abuse of minors“

   Evidence: McAfee & Taft, im Auftrag der Erzdiözese Oklahoma City, Findings I.B, S. 52

   „from the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in 2012 to become the bishop of Salina, Kansas, nearly all of“

   Evidence: McAfee & Taft, im Auftrag der Erzdiözese Oklahoma City, Findings I.B, S. 52

   „indicating that she had deleted nearly all of her email before leaving“

   Evidence: McAfee & Taft, im Auftrag der Erzdiözese Oklahoma City, Findings I.B, S. 53

   „one of the concerns Mrs. Eason raised about a record retention policy and a consistent archiving system for electronic files was that records could be subject to discovery at a later date“

2. Archdiocesan files, including records on abuse allegations, were removed from archdiocesan property and kept at the home of the former chancellor and the long-time outside counsel. In 2018 the new chancellor collected about twelve boxes there, including audiotapes of conversations between a priest and his alleged victim. Another 37 boxes surfaced the night before publication; whether the counsel still held further records remained open.
   Evidence: McAfee & Taft, im Auftrag der Erzdiözese Oklahoma City, Findings I.C, S. 54

   „including records relating to allegations of sexual abuse of minors, were removed from Archdiocese property and were being kept at the home of“

   Evidence: McAfee & Taft, im Auftrag der Erzdiözese Oklahoma City, Findings I.C, S. 54

   „had approximately 12 boxes that they returned to the Archdiocese“

   Evidence: McAfee & Taft, im Auftrag der Erzdiözese Oklahoma City, Findings I.C, S. 54

   „including the audiotapes containing recordings of conversations between“

   Evidence: McAfee & Taft, im Auftrag der Erzdiözese Oklahoma City, Report Qualifications

   „had produced 37 additional boxes and two electronic devices the night before“

3. The archdiocese's investigators were priests and deacons investigating their own brother priests, often friends, classmates or confessors of the accused. In several cases, according to the report, officials mainly wanted to avoid public scandal and keep the priest's name out of the papers. In some cases the archdiocese failed to act despite credible evidence: a priest who admitted in 1998 to abusing a teenager was allowed to minister for three more years; another remained in post despite knowledge of a lawsuit and his history; priests on restricted ministry were not monitored.
   Evidence: McAfee & Taft, im Auftrag der Erzdiözese Oklahoma City, Findings II.B, S. 59

   „The investigators appointed by the Archdiocese over the years consisted of priests and deacons investigating their own brother priests“

   Evidence: McAfee & Taft, im Auftrag der Erzdiözese Oklahoma City, Findings II.B, S. 59

   „and to keep the accused priest’s name “out of the papers.”“

   Evidence: McAfee & Taft, im Auftrag der Erzdiözese Oklahoma City, Findings III.A, S. 61

   „admitted in 1998 to abusing teenager in late 1970s, allowed to minister for three more years“

   Evidence: McAfee & Taft, im Auftrag der Erzdiözese Oklahoma City, Findings III.B, S. 61

   „the Archdiocese failed to properly monitor and supervise priests placed on restricted ministry“

4. A former archbishop told the investigators that they had followed the protocols of the time and that it was not fair to judge past decisions by present standards. The investigators counter that the archdiocese had its own abuse policy since December 1991 and that for all periods examined it was widely understood that sexual abuse of minors was unacceptable.
   Evidence: McAfee & Taft, im Auftrag der Erzdiözese Oklahoma City, Findings III, S. 59 f.

   „To judge our actions from 20 or 30 years ago according to present protocols is not fair.“

   Evidence: McAfee & Taft, im Auftrag der Erzdiözese Oklahoma City, Findings III, S. 60

   „since December of 1991, the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City has had a policy relating to handling of allegations of sexual abuse“

   Evidence: McAfee & Taft, im Auftrag der Erzdiözese Oklahoma City, Findings III, S. 60

   „it has been widely understood that the sexual abuse of minors was unacceptable and should not be countenanced“

See also

• 1950-2004 · 54 years

  USA 1950 to 2004: Lay board appointed by the bishops' conference accuses bishops of secrecy, transferring abusers without warning and disregarding victims, and calls their foot-dragging after 1992 inexcusable

  • United States
  • Sexual abuse
  • Cover-up

Original documents to read

1. Commission report
   McAfee & Taft, im Auftrag der Erzdiözese Oklahoma City: Report to the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City: Independent Investigation of Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors 1960-2018, 3 October 2019. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)

Last changed on 31 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.