Settlement reached in Carbon County priest abuse case

A lawsuit filed by a Lehigh County man last year who said he was abused by a Carbon County priest who was a known pedophile has been settled.

Contacted this morning, diocese spokesman Matt Kerr confirmed that an agreement has been reached.

“I can confirm that an agreement in principle has been reached to settle the case,” Kerr said. “At the request of the plaintiff, the terms are to remain confidential.”

In November 2018, the then 29-year-old man filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of Allentown, former Bishop Edward Cullen and current Bishop Alfred Schlert, saying he had been abused by the Rev. Bruno M. Tucci, who was a known pedophile.

The alleged abuse took place at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Nesquehoning between 1999-2001, while the victim was 10-12 years old and working as an altar boy.

The suit alleged that the diocese allowed Tucci to work at the parish, where he abused the victim, even though they knew that he had been accused of, and admitted to, abusing another child eight years earlier.

Tucci was removed from service in 2002 following national headlines about priest abuse in the Archdiocese of Boston. He officially retired as a priest in 2007.

The lawsuit alleged that in 1991, several years before this abuse, another victim complained to the diocese that he had been abused by Tucci. However, diocese officials never reported either claim to police, disciplined Tucci, or warned parishioners of Tucci’s actions.

This was reportedly the first suit to be filed based on information from the grand jury report into priest abuse around the state, which was released in August 2018.

Tucci, who now lives in Maryland, served as a priest in the diocese from April 1971 through March 2002, serving as pastor of St. Canicus, Mahanoy City from 1972 to 1974; SS. Peter and Paul, Lehighton, 1974 to 1975; Our Lady of Mount Carmel from 1975 to 1977; and Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Mount Carmel from 1986 until 2002. He also served at Marian Catholic High School from 1972 to 1977.