California bishop pursues libel suit against women who criticized his administration
July 11, 2024
» Continue to this story on Los Angeles Times
CWN Editor's Note: Bishop Kevin Vann of Diocese of Orange has pursued a long, expensive, and to date fruitless libel suit against a lay woman who criticized his handling of a diocesan foundation.
Suzanne Nunn was acting as executive director of the Orange Catholic Foundation in 2020, when Bishop Vann applied to the foundation for cash to balance the diocesan budget. When the foundation’s board declined the request, citing the terms of donors’ agreements, the bishop terminated Nunn’s employment and replaced the entire board. Nunn then wrote a memo protesting the move, and Bishop Vann saw the memo as an attack on his reputation.
Bishop Vann has persevered with his libel suit despite a judge’s ruling that diocesan lawyers had “failed to submit any competent evidence of Nunn’s purported ill will.” The judge said he would dismiss the suit, and make the bishop responsible for nearly $2 million in legal costs.
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