Accused priest sues Miami archdiocese for ruining his reputation

? A Roman Catholic priest who was accused of molesting two women sued the Archdiocese of Miami for ruining his reputation by publicizing the allegations.

The Rev. Jan Malicki, was sued by the two women in 1998, claiming that he molested them at St. David Catholic Church in Davie. The archdiocese suspended Malicki, but Broward prosecutors never filed charges because they felt they couldn’t win a conviction.

In his lawsuit filed Friday, Malicki said Archbishop John Favalora and Chancellor Tomas Marin authorized a church tribunal to review “secret accusations” against him in July 1998, then held a news conference later that month to announce Malicki was under criminal investigation.

The suit also alleges that Marin sent Malicki a letter in February 2001 saying he had been cleared by the tribunal and the Broward state attorney’s office – but the archdiocese never reinstated him.

Ellis Rubin, Malicki’s attorney, said he has evidence that the archdiocese treated Malicki differently from other priests accused of sexual abuse. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

An archdiocese spokeswoman didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment Saturday.