Showdown Between Sex-Abuse Survivors, Hanna Tonight

It's hard to argue against survivors of Catholic sex abuse when the subject is the church's sex-abuse scandal, yet that's what Rancho Santiago Community College District board president John Hanna must do this afternoon. You'll recall that last week, the spin-friendly group Friends of Monsignor John posted an unredacted version of John Urell's July deposition in which the names of six molestation victims of Orange diocese priests and lay workers were revealed without their permission. Hanna is the group's spokesperson, so Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) will attend today's RSCCD board meeting and demand the board, “publicly censure their board president for using a new website to disclose the names of sex abuse victims without their permission, force him to withdraw his support of the controversial new 'Friends of Monsignor Urell' group” and “insist that he make a public written apology for the gross and hurtful violation of privacy.” SNAP also claims the move “was a deliberate attempt to punish those victims and scare other victims into staying silent.”

The dailies will no doubt pick up this story maƱana, so we'll probably find out who's the bonehead that posted the unredacted deposition. The Friends' website already issued a weak apology, and Hanna–who has been less abrasive in his comments than the group's other prominent member, OC Blog boss Matt “Jubal” Cunningham”–will probably publicly apologize as well because he's actually a good guy save for the Urell supportin'. But then comes the next drama: will Cunningham even bother to discuss this fiasco on his blog? Stay tuned…

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