Priest At Holy Family Catholic Church Sexually Assaulted Woman Inside Hammel Woods: Lawsuit

JOLIET, IL — The Diocese of Joliet and Father Nestor Sanchez, a Catholic priest who has served in recent years at Saints Peter and Paul in Naperville and as pastor in small-town parishes including Paxton and Gibson City are now facing a sexual harassment lawsuit filed in connection with Father Sanchez's assignment at Holy Family Parish on Route 59 in Shorewood.

The lawsuit was filed by a woman who lives in DuPage County and is using the identity of Jane Doe. She was employed by the Diocese of Joliet at Holy Family Catholic Church in Shorewood, according to attorney Melissa Anderson, who filed this week's lawsuit at the Will County Courthouse on behalf of Frost Pearlman LLC and The Law Offices of Ruth Major.

Fr. Sanchez was assigned to Holy Family in Shorewood from July 2019 through June 2022, before being assigned to other Diocese of Joliet parishes, the lawsuit outlined. The plaintiff began working at Holy Family on Nov. 4, 2019, and "even after being reassigned from Holy Family, Sanchez maintained and exercised authority over plaintiff by initiating text and phone communications regarding work-related matters, directing plaintiff to assist him with tasks despite not being stationed at her parish, dictating when and where spiritual counseling meetings would occur," the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit alleges that Fr. Sanchez met with the woman and her husband "under the guise of providing spiritual guidance and using his clerical role and influence to ensure plaintiff's compliance with his directives."

On July 2, 2024, Father Sanchez directed the woman to meet him at the Hammel Woods Forest Preserve, which is right next to the Holy Family Catholic Church property off Route 59, "a location near her workplace where they had met previously," the lawsuit outlines. "Plaintiff acquiesced due to Sanchez's position as her priest, confessor, spiritual adviser and superior within the Diocese.

"Rather than meet at the populated entrance, Sanchez locked the doors to his vehicle and drove plaintiff to a secluded location deeper in the preserve. There, Sanchez sexually assaulted plaintiff against her will," her attorney asserted.

The woman reported the sexual assault to law enforcement immediately, triggering a criminal investigation, her lawyer said. At the urging of Diocese of Joliet human resources director Pamela Geary, the plaintiff also reported the assault to the Diocese of Joliet, court files show.

The woman was forced to take Family and Medical Leave from Aug. 26, 2024 through Oct. 8, 2024, and on Nov. 1, Geary informed the woman that "appropriate actions had been taken and that plaintiff would have no further contact with Sanchez. Plaintiff was given no specifics," her lawsuit indicated.

The plaintiff requested a review of the matter, and the Diocese of Joliet retained James Kirby, an attorney with long-standing ties to the Diocese. Last Dec. 6, Kirby interviewed the plaintiff at the Diocese headquarters and "forbade plaintiff from having her attorney present. Plaintiff again reported the assault in detail to Kirby."

The lawsuit explained that on March 4 of this year, the Diocese HR director revealed that the Diocese of Joliet concluded that "mutual, inappropriate, consensual behavior" occurred and that Sanchez's conduct did not constitute harassment.

"By so concluding, the Diocese branded plaintiff a liar, undermined her credibility and protected Sanchez," her lawyer asserted. "The Diocese's determination was unsupported by evidence beyond Sanchez's denial, which even law enforcement could not credit. The Diocese's actions violated its own written policies, including its Whistleblower and Anti-Retaliatory Policy, which promised no retaliation against employees who reported misconduct in good faith."

The lawsuit against the Diocese of Joliet and Father Sanchez accuses the defendants of negligent supervision, sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, battery/sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory damage in excess of $50,000, punitive damages and legal costs for bringing the lawsuit.

According to a Diocese of Joliet biography posted on the Saints Peter and Paul website, Father Sanchez announced in the summer of 2022 that "I will be the new Parochial Vicar ... I was born close to Mexico City in 1985. I began my priestly vocation in a religious missionary community in Mexico, where I served for 10 years. In 2015 I was invited to the Diocese of Joliet, arriving in the United States to begin studying at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio.

"I completed my Master of Divinity degree in December 2018 and graduated with my class in May 2019. Having served as Deacon at St. John Paul II in Kankakee, I was then ordained a priest that same month and year. For the past three years, I have acted as Parochial Vicar for Holy Family in Shorewood. Along this path, I have received guidance and help from priests and parishioners alike along with staff members, of course! I look forward to the same within the community of Saints Peter and Paul. Likewise, I am very happy and excited to be able to share my vocation and ministry with all of you. To be sure, I await this new assignment with great anticipation."

Incidentally, one day after Joliet Patch broke the news revealing the DuPage County woman's lawsuit, a statement appeared on the Diocese's website, informing everyone, "The Diocese of Joliet has been made aware of a lawsuit involving allegations of sexual misconduct by a member of our clergy with an adult woman. As a matter of policy, we do not comment on the specifics of active litigation. However, we wish to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of our parishioners and employees.

"We take seriously the responsibility to ensure that all priests entrusted with ministry in our parishes are suitable for service and uphold the highest standards of conduct. We continue to cooperate fully with civil authorities and follow established protocols to address any concerns.

"Because the lawsuit filed affects the public nature of Fr. Nestor Sanchez’s ministry and out of an abundance of caution, the Diocese has decided to suspend his ministry while the lawsuit is pending. We ask for prayers for all those affected and remain steadfast in our mission to foster a safe and faithful community."