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Fmr. Maryland Catholic School Teacher Investigated For Sexual Abuse Of Child

BALTIMORE (WJZ/AP) — A Roman Catholic brother accused of sexually abusing a minor has been barred from his religious order's ministry in Maryland and placed on administrative leave from his teaching job in Massachusetts while authorities investigate.

The Xaverian Brothers is a lay religious order headquartered in Baltimore that sponsors about a dozen schools across the United States. In a news release Wednesday, the order said Brother Robert Flaherty is being investigated for an allegation of sex abuse from the mid-1980s.

"We were committed, as soon as we found out, to make sure our community was aware of what's happening, and to take the necessary steps in removing brother from his time here and working with the Xaverian Brothers," said Headmaster Dr. Edward Hardiman.

Flaherty taught at a Catholic school in Baltimore from 1980 to 1993.

In Danvers, Massachusetts, the headmaster of another Catholic school said Brother Flaherty is on administrative leave from its campus, where he most recently taught.

It's the latest case of sexual abuse turning the spotlight on the Catholic church.

It comes one week after an explosive grand jury report found that the late Archbishop William Keeler knew of crimes against children and protected the priests and lay people responsible.

"Those of us who worked and knew the Cardinal are struggling to reconcile the man we knew, or thought we knew, with the person we read of in this report," said Archdiocese of Baltimore spokesperson Sean Caine.

The 900-page investigation sent shockwaves through the Archdiocese of Baltimore, where Cardinal Keeler was praised for how he handled similar cases later in his leadership.

Most of those crimes are past the statute of limitations.

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