Father James (Jaime) Lara
Ordained: 1973
Removed: 1992
Laicized: 2007
Assigned as follows:
- 1974-1976: St. Barbara's (Brooklyn, NY)
- 1977-1985: St. Francis Xavier (Brooklyn, NY)
- 1986-1989: In Residence: St. Patrick (Brooklyn, NY)
- 1986-1990: Released from Diocesan Assignment, N.E. Catholic Pastoral Center for Hispanics (New York, NY)
- 1990-1992: Released from Diocesan Assignment, St. Bernard (Oakland, CA)
- 1992: Released from Diocesan Assignment, Holy Names College (Oakland, CA)
- 1993-1995: In Residence: St. Rita (Brooklyn, NY)
- 1996-2021: Unknown
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father James (Jaime) Lara:
Fr. James (Jaime) Lara worked as a chaplain in the Boy Scouts and was head of the altar boys. He was removed from ministry in 1992 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the arm of the church responsible for dealing with sexual abuse cases.
According to media reports, in 2017, the Diocese of Brooklyn reported that he was laicized in 2007 for child sexual abuse. At least five survivors have alleged they were repeatedly abused as minor children by the priest while Lara worked at St. Francis Xavier in Park Slope, New York between 1979 and 1981. The accusations included the abuse of three children, ages 9 through 11.
"He wanted me to kiss him, he would get on top of me, he would say you can do better than that," one accuser said. "He would make me touch him in his private parts."
In 1995, Lara became a professor for Medieval and Renaissance Studies and taught at Yale University and Arizona State University. He was asked to resign from his position in Arizona in 2017 after the Diocese of Brooklyn publicized the allegations. At least five of his alleged victims applied to the diocese's 2017 Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program (IRCP).
In February 2019, his name appeared on the Diocese of Brooklyn's list of clergy credibly accused of sex abuse of minors. His current whereabouts are unknown.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Brooklyn. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Brooklyn, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Brooklyn now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an email to adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.