Former Catholic Monk Finally Free from False Defamation Charges thomasmoresociety.org

A defamation lawsuit dating back to 2019 has been dismissed, bringing victory for a wrongly accused former monk in his effort to expose an allegedly sexually deviant priest. Former Benedictine novice Ryan Gilligan was sued by Craig Harrison, a Catholic priest accused of sexual misconduct. The defamation claim was one of three defamation lawsuits filed by Craig Harrison: against Mr. Gilligan, a Catholic watchdog group, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno. The claim against the Diocese of Fresno was dismissed by the trial court, and the Fifth District California Appeal Court announced the dismissal of the lawsuits against Mr. Gilligan and the Catholic watchdog group in related opinions on July 22, 2022. Thomas More Society attorneys represented Mr. Gilligan at the trial court and on appeal.

Thomas More Society Special Counsel Paul Jonna, Partner at LiMandri & Jonna LLP, explained that Mr. Gilligan came forward to provide incriminating evidence against the allegedly corrupt priest. “Ryan Gilligan spoke out to protect the public from someone credibly accused of being a predator,” detailed Jonna. “Harrison, formerly the highest-ranking Catholic prelate in Bakersfield, California, was a credibly alleged serial sexual abuser of minors. The purpose of Harrison’s defamation lawsuits was obvious: an improper use of the courts to prevent Harrison’s fall from grace and forced laicization from the Catholic priesthood.”…

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