Duggan, John (Fr.)

Father John Duggan, ordained on February 15, 1957, first faced allegations of sexual abuse in 2002 when a father reported the abuse of his son during the late 1960s to early 1970s at Loyola Blakefield. The victim’s father spoke with Father Ed Glynn in 1993, who confirmed that Duggan admitted to the abuse and was sent to a rehabilitation center in Canada. The Archdiocese of Baltimore denied knowledge of the allegations before 2002. However, the Jesuits confirmed they learned of the abuse in 1993, and Duggan was sent for assessment and treatment. According to the 2018 Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report, Duggan admitted to sexually abusing young children in his early priesthood. The family was assured Duggan would never return to a position with access to children, but no records suggest the matter was reported to law enforcement before 2002.

In 2002, a second man reported Duggan sexually abused him while he was an eleven-year-old student at Scranton Prep in 1951. He reported it to the Jesuit Provincial and civil authorities in 1996. Then Jesuit Provincial Glynn informed him that Duggan had been accused in 1993 and sent for treatment. However, Duggan was still permitted to minister in locations with access to minors. Duggan’s ministry was limited after 1996, but a survivor reported in 1999 that Duggan was participating in unsupervised ministry. In 2002, Duggan was removed from the Jesuit Community in Scranton. Another survivor from Benin City, Africa, disclosed allegations of inappropriate behavior by Duggan during his assignment there in 1981 to 1983. Duggan died on January 10, 2004.