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 false 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.”

“All three defamation cases were frivolous and malicious,” added Jonna. “We were very happy to vindicate the rights of Harrison’s first public accuser, a former monk, Ryan Gilligan, who was known as Brother Justin in honor of St. Justin Martyr.”

Gilligan’s personal testimony recounts Harrison’s sexual advances toward him and his witnessing of multiple incidences of misconduct by Harrison with minors.

In the Appellant’s Opening Brief in Harrison v. Gilligan, Gilligan shares the details of one unpleasant incident, in which Harrison, on a trip to officiate a wedding, had booked only one room with a bed and a cot for himself, Gilligan, and a friend.

“Father Craig [Harrison] told us that meant that one of us would have to share a bed with him,” recalled Gilligan. The friend took the cot, and Gilligan shared a bed with Harrison. In the middle of the night—with both clearly awake—Gilligan recounted how “Harrison put his arm on my chest, and sexually caressed my chest for about 10 minutes.” Gilligan “froze, not knowing what to do.”

Jonna, along with fellow Thomas More Society Special Counsel Jeffrey Trissell, also of LiMandri & Jonna LLP, filed an Anti-SLAPP motion on behalf of Mr. Gilligan. This is a motion intended to halt a “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation,” which is a lawsuit brought in an effort to misuse the court system to intimidate a person or business into silence.

Mr. Gilligan’s case ping-ponged through many judges, with 23 separate judges recusing themselves from his case, before his Anti-SLAPP motion was denied. On appeal, it was related to a similar appeal from the Catholic watchdog group, and the denial of both cases’ Anti-SLAPP motions were reversed by a pair of July 22, 2022, appellate court rulings.

“The Court of Appeal got it right and tossed out both cases,” emphasized Jonna, adding that he and Trissell worked hard on Mr. Gilligan’s case for many years. “We truly believed in our hearts that justice would prevail. It is a good feeling.”

Read the Order issued July 22, 2022, in the Court of Appeal of the State of California, Fifth Appellate District, in Harrison v. Ryan Gilligan, here.

Read the Order issued July 22, 2022, in the Court of Appeal of the State of California, Fifth Appellate District, in Harrison v. Roman Catholic Faithful, et al. here.

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