Father Jerold Lindner
Diocese of San Jose (Jesuits)
Ordained: 1976
Removed: 1997
Assignment History:
- 1964-1966: Sacred Heart Novitiate (Los Gatos, CA)
- 1968: Loyola University (Los Angeles, CA)
- 1968-1970: St. Louis University (St. Louis, MO)
- 1970-1973: St. Ignatius College Prep. (San Francisco, CA)
- 1973-1976: Jesuit School of Theology (Berkeley, CA)
- 1976-1982: St. Ignatius College Prep. (San Francisco, CA)
- 1982: Boy Scouts (Oakland, CA)
- Mid-1970s-1979: Christian Family Movement (Oakland, CA)
- 1982-1997: Loyola High School (Los Angeles, CA)
- 1982-1998: St. Thomas the Apostle (Los Angeles, CA)
- 1997-1998: St. Luke Institute (Silver Spring, MD)
- 1998: Loyola High School (Los Angeles, CA)
- 1998-2002: Jesuit Retreat House (Los Altos, CA)
- 2002-2012: Sacred Heart Jesuit Center (Los Gatos, CA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Jerold W. Lindner
Fr. Jerold Lindner was ordained a priest in 1976, who served in multiple parishes in the Diocese of San Jose. According to media reports, he has been accused of the sexual abuse of at least 12 children, ages 4-11, male and female. His accusers include his own sister, three nieces, and a nephew.
Abusive Behavior
In the 1950s, Lindner’s abusive behavior began when he was a 10-year-old boy. His mother walked in on him molesting his 5-year-old sister. In 1992, his brother reported Lindner’s behavior, and the fact that Lindner sexually abused his brother’s daughters, Lindner’s nieces. The priest was sent for a psychiatric evaluation, however, the Jesuits deemed the allegations to not be credible, and Lindner was put back in ministry.
Two Brothers/Survivors of Sexual Abuse
According to media reports, in 1997, Fr. Jerold Lindner was removed from ministry and sent to treatment after a man filed a suit alleging that he and his brother were sexually assaulted by Lindner back in 1975 when the boys were 7 and 4 years old. Lindner is said to have sodomized them, forced them to perform sexual acts, in addition to threatening the children. Lindner denied the allegations. The suit was settled for $625K in 1998.
According to Bishop Accountability, in 2003, Linder was named in another civil suit with two accusers alleged abuse from 1973-1983.
In May 2010, one of the brothers Linder molested in 1975, confronted the priest at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos, California where Lindner was living at the time. According to the plaintiff, he wanted Lindner to sign a document that stated and acknowledged he had sexually abused him and his brother as children. However, the survivor felt threatened, and after witnessing his demeanor, he physically assaulted Linder at the retirement center. The man was arrested and he pleaded not guilty. Several weeks later, he was acquitted of felony assault and elder abuse.
Current Events
In 2018, Lindner’s name was included on the Jesuits West Province list of clergy credibly accused of child sexual abuse. It noted allegations of abuse occurring in 1973-1974 and 1978-1985 were reported in 1992, and 2003.
In 2019, Lindner’s name was included on the Diocese of Oakland list of priests accused of sexual abuse of a minor.
From 2002-2012, Lindner was living at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos, California. His current whereabouts and whether he has access to children 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 San Jose in California. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in one of California’s Catholic dioceses, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of San Jose now have legal options due to a temporary change in the law, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in California and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us toll-free at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.