SPOKANE — An order of Roman Catholic priests on Thursday announced a $5 million settlement with 16 people who said they were sexually abused while attending a boarding school on the Colville Indian reservation.
The Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus will pay $4.8 million in cash to the victims and raise another $200,000 for a homeless shelter or homeless services in the Omak area, the Jesuits and lawyers for the victims said.
The Jesuits operated St. Mary’s Mission and School near Omak for more than 60 years. The 15 women and one man claimed they were sexually abused while pupils by the Rev. John J. Morse, the school’s superior from 1966-73, and Brother James Gates, a Jesuit worker there from 1970-73.
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