Lawsuit alleges former Hawaii priest molested children

HONOLULU — A lawsuit alleges that a Catholic priest sexually abused children while he worked at Hawaii parishes and schools.

The lawsuit against the Diocese of Honolulu and Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers was filed Monday on behalf of a man who says a priest, James Jackson, abused him when he was a child in the 1980s.

Lawyers for the man say this is the first lawsuit filed since the Hawaii Legislature re-opened a retroactive window in July, allowing for sex abuse lawsuits even if statutes of limitations have passed.

Mark Gallagher, one of the man’s attorneys, says Jackson died in 2005.

Diocese officials didn’t immediately comment. Reached after-hours on the East Coast, an operator at the order’s New York number said the offices were closed and no one was available to comment.