Evansville, Indiana - Father David Fleck Put on Administrative Leave After Sexual Misconduct Report

Evansville Diocese Puts Priest Accused of Sexual Misconduct on Administrative Leave

The Diocese of Evansville has placed one of their priests on administrative leave following a report of sexual misconduct. According to the complaint, the alleged abuse occurred decades ago.

69-year-old David Fleck has served at several different schools and parishes since he became ordained in 1975. He began as an associate at Corpus Christi Church and as a teacher at Mater Dei High School between 1975 and 1979. He was an associate at St. Joseph Church in Evansville in 1976. From 1979-1986, he served as a teacher at River High School.

Other parishes where Fleck has served over the years include:

• Sacred Heart
• St. John
• St. Vincent De Paul
• St. Thomas
• St. John the Baptist
• St. Francis Xavier
• St. Thomas the Apostle
• Sts. Peter and Paul (in Posey County)
• St. Phillip Neri (in Bicknell)

Additionally, Fleck served as Vocations Director for the Evansville Diocese from 1986 until 1992.

Fleck has been prohibited from public ministry while the investigation is ongoing. The Diocese released a statement encouraging anyone who has been a victim of sexual misconduct to come forward.

Legal Recourse For Victims of Catholic Church Sexual Abuse

Attorney contributor and Catholic Church abuse lawyer Jeff Gibson helps the victims of institutional sexual abuse and other sex crimes get justice and support. We’ve asked him to add some insight into how the legal system can help the survivors of these crimes:

Sexual abuse in the Catholic Church has been an epidemic for decades, with the scope of the abuse only recently coming to light. A recent Pennsylvania grand jury report uncovered at least 1,000 identifiable victims and over 300 abusive priests. While ideally, we would see all of these priests criminally prosecuted, this does not always happen for a number of reasons, including coverups by the Church and older cases that have already passed the statute of limitations.

Many survivors have turned to the civil court system to find justice. By filing a lawsuit, survivors can hold the Church accountable for failing to prevent sexual abuse, attempting to cover up reports of abuse, and other forms of negligence. Additionally, these lawsuits can provide financial compensation for damages related to the abuse, such as therapy costs and pain and suffering.

If you or someone you love is a survivor of child sexual abuse and you’re looking for answers, we advise discussing your situation with an experienced sexual abuse victims lawyer.