Fr. Kenneth Farabaugh
Archdiocese of Baltimore
Ordained: 1963
Died: 2000
Assignment History:
- 1963-1964: Immaculate Heart of Mary (Baltimore, MD)
- 1964-1967: St. Bernardine (Baltimore, MD)
- 1967: St. Peter (Westernport, MD)
- 1967-1969: St. Paul Latin High School (Baltimore, MD)
- 1969-1980: Cardinal Gibbons High School (Baltimore, MD)
- 1980-1992: John Carroll High School (Baltimore, MD)
- 1992-2000: St. Ignatius (Hickory, MD)
Summary of Abuse Allegations Against Father Kenneth Farabaugh
Fr. Kenneth Farabaugh was ordained a Vincentian priest and worked in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. In 2002, Fr. Farabaugh was listed on the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Credibly Accused of Sexual Abuse of Minors list. In April 2023, Maryland’s Attorney General released a report alleging 156 Catholic clergy members sexually abused at least 600 children over six decades. The report lists the names of the abusers, including Fr. Farabaugh.
According to the Attorney General’s report, in 1993, the Archdiocese was informed by a Catholic Charities counselor that an individual alleged sexual abuse by Fr. Farabaugh in the mid-1980s. The abuse was said to have occurred in 1985 when the victim was 15 years old and a student at John Carroll High School, where Farabaugh taught. The victim reported that the abuse consisted of vaginal and oral rape and occurred at Farabaugh’s father’s house multiple times over a six-month period. Farabaugh also denied the allegation.
In 2000, the same alleged victim met with the Archdiocese accompanied by a lawyer to discuss the allegations of sexual abuse by Farabaugh. The additional information was reported by the Archdiocese to civil authorities, who started an investigation. The Harford County Sheriff’s Office interviewed Farabaugh and subsequently scheduled a polygraph test for him at 9:00 AM on December 12, 2000. On December 12, 2000, at 8:50 AM, just 10 minutes before his scheduled polygraph test, Farabaugh drove his car into a tree and was killed. Farabaugh remained the pastor for St. Ignatius and was still living in the rectory until his death in December 2000 despite the initial allegations reported in 1993.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Maryland. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Maryland, contact our office today. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse nationwide. We can help. Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.