Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George, Vermont State Police, and the Burlington Police Department today announced the conclusion of their criminal investigation into the former St Joseph’s Orphanage in Burlington. No charges will be brought involving the Orphanage, which closed in 1974.
Due to the statutes of limitation, which limit the timeframe during which criminal charges can be brought by the state, only the crime of murder would have been prosecutable due to the passage of time since the events of the allegations. Sufficient evidence to support a murder charge was not found.
This concludes an investigation that began in September of 2018. A nearly 300-page report describing the allegations, investigation, and the St. Joseph’s Orphanage Restorative Inquiry was released today.
In August 2018, a lengthy article in BuzzFeed News described abuse and murder allegations by former residents of the St. Joseph’s Orphanage. The Orphanage was in operation from 1854 to 1974 on North Avenue in Burlington, Vermont. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, the Sisters of Providence, and Vermont Catholic Charities all played some role in its operation.
In response to the article, investigative partners, including the Attorney General’s Office, Office of the Mayor of Burlington, Chittenden County State’s Attorney’s Office, Vermont State Police, and the Burlington Police Department, formed the St. Joseph Orphanage Task Force.
Over the past two years, the Task Force interviewed individuals who came forward with allegations related to the Orphanage. As part of its investigation, the Task Force also gathered and reviewed documents and other potentially corroborating materials and visited the site of the Orphanage to determine whether there was evidence of crimes.
In addition to the investigation, the Task Force began a restorative inquiry to further the healing of the former residents of the Orphanage and the greater community. This process, led by an independent restorative justice professional, remains ongoing. More information about the St. Joseph’s Orphanage Restorative Inquiry can be found here.
“I want to thank the Task Force for their work to investigate these horrific allegations,” said Attorney General Donovan. “To the victims I want to say, the legal system designed to protect the most vulnerable failed you and did not protect you when you were children living at the St. Joseph’s Orphanage, and for this I am sorry.”
“The former residents of St. Joseph’s have shown immense bravery as they have shared their stories and engaged in the painful work of accountability,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “This work allows our community to memorialize, honor, and learn. I am grateful to them, and to all who have worked on this criminal investigation and restorative process to deliver a measure of overdue justice and resolution.”
“This investigation and subsequent process highlights yet another way that our systems detrimentally failed the very people they were designed to protect. Every survivor who chose to come forward, those who chose not to, and those who did not have the chance to, deserved better. They deserved to be safe, and when they were not, they deserved to be heard. I hope this process allows some sense of restoration and peace for every one of them,” said Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George.
“We commend and honor the survivors,” said Col. Matthew T. Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police. “The bravery you have shown not only by coming forward but that you have displayed throughout your lives is truly inspiring. We thank you for sharing your truth, and we hope that by doing so, you have helped prevent something like this from ever happening again.”
“Police exist to keep people safe, and we can never turn away from calls for help, nor from our neighbors telling us about their pain. Part of our role is assuming some of that burden on behalf of the people we’re sworn to protect. For me, one of the most salient moments in the many interviews we conducted came when a survivor stated ‘it felt good to be able to tell people what really happened.’ I am awed by the survivors, and the strength they have shown in coming forward, in grappling with old pain that often haunts them still. We owe them our belief, even when we cannot give them resolution through the law or the courts. We owe them the dignity of their truth, even when that truth can’t result in the outcomes we normally seek. Perhaps most importantly, we owe them a promise that we will do all we can to prevent anyone being harmed in the ways they describe again,” said Jon Murad, Acting Chief of the Burlington Police Department.
The Task Force wishes to acknowledge the former residents who suffered abuse at the Orphanage, both those who have shared their memories with the Task Force and those who have chosen not to: We hear you. We see you. We support you.
A copy of the St. Joseph’s Orphanage Task Force’s Report can be found on the Attorney General’s Office’s website in three parts: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. The report’s appendices are available in six parts: Appendices Part 1, Appendices Part 2, Appendices Part 3; Appendices Part 4, Appendices Part 5, and Appendices Part 6.
STATEMENT FROM THE FORMER CHILDREN OF ST. JOSEPH’S ORPHANAGE
December 14, 2020
I would like to introduce to you Walter Coltey, and I am Brenda Hannon. We were asked
to represent the “Voices of St. Joseph’s Orphanage,” an adult group of 30+ members
who are the last surviving generations of children abused at St. Joseph’s Orphanage in
Burlington, Vermont.
We were the forgotten ones, the children who had to suppress and hide our trauma just
to survive all those years ago. Revisiting those memories and giving voice to the sexual,
physical and mental abuse perpetrated on us required a reluctant courage none of us
knew we had. On behalf of the Voices of St. Joseph’s, we are here today to have our
voices heard and share our goals from the Restorative Justice Inquiry process and what
we hope will be accomplished as a result of our difficult testimony.
Kaiser Permanente and the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
conducted a national study regarding ACE, or “Adverse Childhood Experiences.” They
determined that children who endured severe trauma in their early lives will, in
adulthood, likely experience substance abuse, obesity, depression, heart disease and
other physical, social and behavioral ailments resulting in a shortened lifespan. That has
been true for many of us.
Imagine what it must have been like to be a scared young child, removed from your only
family, and sent into an institutional setting to live with other children from similarly
difficult backgrounds. Shut off from contact with the outside world, you were put in the
custody of intolerant strangers with little or no training in child care. Some of them were
actually sadistic.
Life was unthinkable for thousands of children placed in that orphanage. We suffered
physical, mental and, in some cases, sexual abuse. We were threatened and
punishment was harsh, swift, and extreme. Oh the horrors! We were beaten with rods,
locked in dark closets and trunks, and forced to eat our own vomited food. Some were
sexually molested, this by the same people professing to be agents of God: Catholic
nuns, priests, Edmundites, and other workers at the facility. Some children did not
survive their time there; they simply “disappeared.”
The orphanage was closed in the late 1970s without anyone ever bringing to
light what really went on inside its walls. Then, in the mid-1990s, when some of our
truths began to emerge, some of us brought lawsuits against the diocese. Sadly, those
cases were thrown out due to technicalities or legal grounds; some former orphans were
even paid hush money (a pittance, really) to keep them quiet! The effect of these failed
suits in the 1990s was profound; having the hope that justice would be served only to
have it dashed felt like being victimized all over again. We were suppressed and
intimidated again by those in power and standing in the community.
Now, thanks to an extensive report produced in 2018 for Buzzfeed, written by Christine
Kenneally, the State Attorney General’s Office has conducted an investigation into our
claims about what happened at St. Joseph’s Orphanage. The truth deserves to be aired;
cover up tactics should be widely exposed.
We acknowledge no one can give us back our childhood, take away the pain and shame
we endured, nor untangle the mental and physical struggles many of us have had to
deal with in our adult lives. However, we CAN and WILL hold those accountable: the
Burlington Catholic Diocese, Vermont Catholic Charities, the Sisters of Providence and
yes, the state’s child protection services agency. They are responsible for what
happened to us and to those who could not speak for themselves. We are determined to
be heard and find justice.
The Voices of St. Joseph’s Orphanage does seek reparation through the following
actions. We want:
1. Face-to-face meetings with leaders from these named institutions: the Sisters of
Providence, the Catholic Diocese of Burlington, Vermont Catholic Charities and
the State of Vermont child protection services. We want an acknowledgement
that what we say happened to us did indeed happen, and a sincere apology.
2. The above-named Catholic entities shall demonstrate the depth of that apology
by a) creating a fund to pay for the healing therapies of any former orphanage
resident who requests it, b) releasing all records related to the operation and
supervision of St. Joseph’s Orphanage and c) providing all and complete family
records, no redactions, to any former resident who requests it.
3. We request that The Vermont State Legislature, upon reading the report, a)
acknowledges the harm we experienced, and b) to better protect vulnerable
people of all ages who face abuse of any kind, work with us to enact laws that
remove the Civil Statute of Limitations for physical and mental abuse.
4. By the release of The Criminal Investigation Report today; the public will be
informed a) about the horrors that went on at St. Joseph’s, b) that it was covered
up by The Catholic Diocese for decades, c) what may still be hidden remains
unknown, but can be further uncovered; and d) encourage any individual who
worked for or lived at the orphanage that has testimony to add, to please come
forward. With the release of this Criminal Investigation Report today, we are
moving in the right direction. We will have further reflections on the report in the
coming days.
Walter Coltey and I will help the media to contact those who want to tell their stories. To
find out more about the Restorative Justice, contact Marc Wennberg,
[email protected]. If you would like to receive a copy of The Voices of St.
Joseph’s Orphanage statement, email me at [email protected].
Statement from the St. Joseph’s Orphanage Restorative Inquiry
December 14, 2020
“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be
lived again.” (Maya Angelou)
Overview: The St. Joseph’s Orphanage Restorative Inquiry (SJORI) was launched in April of 2019
to understand and document the events of the St. Joseph’s Orphanage through the voices,
experiences, and stories of those most impacted (former residents); and then facilitate inclusive
processes of accountability, amends-making, learning, and change. SJORI is guided by a set of
restorative principles and values that inform all of our work.
SJORI is an Initiative of the Burlington Community Justice Center, a division of the Community
and Economic Development Office (CEDO) of the City of Burlington. SJORI is supported by an
Advisory Team comprised of agency stakeholders, victim advocates, and restorative justice
practitioners. The Advisory Team meets monthly to advise and support the consultant in the
development of the Inquiry. SJORI has been funded by a grant from the Vermont Center for
Crime Victim Services (VCCVS) and matching/In-kind funds from the Burlington Community
Justice Center/City of Burlington.
To date, SJORI has connected with thirty-one former residents of the Orphanage to both listen
to their stories and experiences, and understand their needs and requests. Since March of
2020, more than half of these former residents have chosen to attend weekly group meetings
that take place online. The weekly meetings have supported the group in building relationships
with each other; finding comfort and solace in their shared experiences as survivors of the
Orphanage; and articulating and approving their collective goals for the Restorative Inquiry.
These goals include:
1) Face-to-face meetings with leaders from these named institutions: the Sisters of
Providence, the Catholic Diocese of Burlington, Vermont Catholic Charities and the State
of Vermont child protection services. We want an acknowledgement that what we say
happened to us did indeed happen, and a sincere apology.
2) The above-named Catholic entities shall demonstrate the depth of that apology by a)
creating a fund to pay for the healing therapies of any former orphanage resident who
requests it, b) releasing all records related to the operation and supervision of St.
Joseph’s Orphanage and c) providing all and complete family records, no redactions, to
any former resident who requests it.
3) The Vermont State Legislature, upon reading the report, a) acknowledges the harm we
experienced, and b) to better protect vulnerable people of all ages who face abuse of
any kind, work with us to enact laws that remove the Statute of Limitations for physical
and mental abuse.
4) Make public the St. Joseph’s Orphanage Task Force Criminal Investigation Report, so the
public is informed a) about the horrors that went on at St. Joseph’s, b) that it was
covered up by The Catholic Diocese for decades, c) what may still be hidden remains
unknown, and d) encourage any individual who worked for or lived at the orphanage
that has testimony to add, to please come forward.
Former residents are also taking part in a number of other Restorative Inquiry initiatives,
including: a participant-informed history of the Orphanage; an effort to establish a
monument/healing space for the countless children who passed through and were impacted by
the Orphanage; an ongoing Writers’ Group; and an upcoming oral history project in
collaboration with the Vermont Folklife Center. Each of these initiatives was started at the
request and inspiration of former residents.
Next Steps: With the release of the St. Joseph’s Orphanage Task Force Criminal Investigation
Report, we are now entering the next phase of the Restorative Inquiry. Although there will be
no criminal charges stemming from the Orphanage’s egregious harms and coverup, the lack of
prosecution does not absolve our collective responsibility. In fact, an honest and reflective
reckoning is long overdue.
The Restorative Inquiry will facilitate this reflection and reckoning through a series of dialogues
and events. These include the following:
1. Responsible Institutions Engagement: Several former residents have requested the opportunity
to sit down with representatives from the institutions who had direct responsibility over the
operation and supervision of the Orphanage. The former residents want the opportunity to
share the enduring memories and impacts from the Orphanage, and have their questions
answered. The former residents also want to be acknowledged, believed, and met with genuine
remorse and willingness to make amends.
SJORI invites the following institutions to come forward and meet this request of the former
residents: Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington; Vermont Catholic Charities; and Sisters of
Providence, Montreal, Quebec. (Representatives from the Vermont Department of Children and
Families [formerly Department of Social Work] have already taken up the invitation and are
moving forward in a collaborative spirit.)
2. Legislative Engagement: From the beginning of the Inquiry, the former residents have clearly
expressed that they want to ensure that the harms they experienced at the Orphanage never
happen again to another vulnerable child. SJORI has reached out to a group of Vermont
legislators to begin a dialogue with former residents and collaboratively explore potential
changes to laws and statutes that will help prevent future harms, including changing statute of
limitations in civil court for physical abuse.
3. State and Community-Based Agencies Engagement: Many of the participants in the Restorative
Inquiry were placed at the Orphanage by the State of Vermont. The former residents want to
ensure that future children are never again placed in harmful environments by any agency that
is charged with caring for vulnerable children and families. SJORI is planning a January meeting
between representatives from the Department of Children and Families and former residents to
share experiences and wisdom, and explore the parameters of this value-driven work.
4. Community Engagement: Responsibility for the failures of St. Joseph’s Orphanage extend
beyond the institutions that directly managed and supervised the former child center. The
Orphanage functioned with explicit community consent and support, and was celebrated for its
work of ‘caring for homeless and dependent children’. In order to set the record straight, SJORI
is working with the former residents on a number of initiatives that will ensure that their truthtelling
stories and experiences are memorialized and shared with the public.
Each of these engagements seeks to: acknowledge, validate and learn from the experiences of
the former residents; respond to their needs and requests; and work to ensure that nothing like
this ever happens again. We invite vested parties and the broader public to meaningfully
engage in this work. With these efforts, we have one more opportunity to finally honor this last
generation of ‘orphans’ who through tenacious resilience and a firm sense of justice, have come
forward to speak their truth.
If you would like to learn more about the Restorative Inquiry, go to:
https://www.stjosephsrjinquiry.com/
Marc Wennberg, Facilitator
[email protected]
802-522-7394
Source: MONTPELIER – Vermont Attorney General 12.14.2020