A Rogue Valley man who says he was abused by a priest years ago has agreed to testify in a $4 million sex abuse lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Portland.
The man, who asked to be named only as Raymond, said he was an 11-year-old student at St. Mary's Academy in Medford in 1949 when Rev. William McLeod allegedly touched him inappropriately during religion class. McLeod died in 1969.
Raymond said he was reminded of the incident earlier this year when he read a newspaper account of a lawsuit filed in July against the church. The plaintiff, a 74-year-old taxi driver, alleges that McLeod abused him for five years at All Saints Parish in Portland.
Raymond has not joined the lawsuit, but is among three men who have agreed to submit testimony in the case.
The lawsuit has a spring court date, but is likely to be settled out of court, said Portland attorney Kelly Clark, who represents the taxi driver.
Oregon law allows victims of child abuse to file claims even if the alleged abuse took place decades earlier. In the taxicab driver's case, the alleged abuse took place more than 50 years ago.