Former Notre Dame professor and alleged sex offender commits suicide
The theology professor was awarded the Laetare Medal
Reverend Virgilio Elizondo, a former Notre Dame Theology professor and accused sex abuser, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his San Antonio home on Monday.
In a 1983 lawsuit brought forth by an unidentified San Antonio man, Elizondo and another priest, Rev. Jesus Armando Dominguez, were accused of sexual abuse. The Archdiocese of San Antonio was also named in the lawsuit after failing to bring to light the multiple sexual abuse incidents in their cathedrals.
The accuser originally came to Elizondo for guidance after being sexually abused on multiple occasions by Dominguez. However, instead of providing the man with the proper counsel, Elizondo allegedly fondled and kissed him. Elizondo fervently denied these allegations.
According to Thomas J. Henry, the accuser’s representation in the lawsuit, the next step in the litigation was discovery production and the taking of depositions. This step could have potentially unveiled the truth about what happened over 30 years ago.
Dominguez was found guilty on 58 criminal accounts of sexual abuse and as a result was dismissed from the church, the Los Angeles Times reports.
In 1997, nearly 14 years following these allegations, Notre Dame awarded Elizondo with the Laetare Medal – one of the most prestigious awards available to American Catholics. In 2000, he became a Theology professor at the University and most recently taught during the fall of 2014. He is still honored as “Extraordinary Faculty” on his academic page.
Elizondo was regarded as “the father of U.S. Latino religious thought.”