Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. George W. Klein

This page outlines the assignments, publicly reported allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct involving a minor, and institutional actions involving Fr. George W. Klein, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s legal representation of survivors in Illinois clergy abuse cases.

Primary Entity Name: George W. Klein
Common Variations / Aliases: Father George W. Klein, Fr. George Klein, Rev. George Klein
Role or Title at Time of Incident: High school principal, parish priest
Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. George W. Klein was publicly identified in connection with an allegation involving a minor through:

Archdiocese of Chicago
Illinois Attorney General
Bishop Accountability

The Archdiocese determined that it had substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor.

Entity that Listed Him: Illinois Attorney General’s Office materials connected to the 2023 investigation, survivor advocacy reporting, and news outlets that covered the 2011 to 2012 developments
Reason for Listing: Public allegations describing sexual abuse or sexual misconduct involving a minor in the mid-1970s; documented Archdiocese review and restrictions placed after a 2011 report; inclusion in Illinois Attorney General investigative narrative materials

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1959
Years in Active Ministry: 1959 to 2010, with retirement reported as of July 2010 in public reporting
Locations Where He Served: Archdiocese of Chicago, Illinois, including Chicago, Wilmette, Northfield
Primary Ministry Roles Reported Publicly: Associate pastor, pastor, principal of St. Benedict High School
Restrictions: Public reporting indicates restrictions were imposed by the Archdiocese in 2011 after an allegation was reported; those restrictions included limitations on being alone with minors and participating in ministry activities involving minors
Criminal Convictions: No criminal conviction located in the public sources reviewed for this profile
Died: November 18, 2020

Assignment History

Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Chicago

Parish Assignments (as documented in publicly available church and media sources):

St. Gregory the Great- Chicago, Illinois (1959 to 1965)
Queen of Angels- Chicago, Illinois (1982 to 1983)
St. Monica- Chicago, Illinois (1983 to 1990)
St. Joseph- Wilmette, Illinois (1990 to 1996)
St. Francis Xavier- Wilmette, Illinois (1996 to 2004)
St. Philip the Apostle- Northfield, Illinois (resident, 2004 to at least 2009, and later reporting continues to associate him with residence there after restrictions were imposed)

Non-Parish Assignments:

Principal- St. Benedict High School, Chicago, Illinois (1965 to 1982)
Pastor emeritus- St. Monica, Chicago, Illinois (reported as of 2004)
Archdiocesan Priests’ Senate member- specific dates not provided in the public profile that lists this role
President- Archdiocesan Association of Catholic Secondary Schools, specific dates not provided in the public profile that lists this role
District director of non-public schools of Illinois for the North Central accrediting structure- referenced in public reporting, dates not consistently specified across sources

Known Allegations

Public reporting and the Illinois Attorney General survivor narrative describe an allegation that Fr. George W. Klein sexually abused a teenage girl in the mid-1970s. At the same time, he was principal of St. Benedict High School in Chicago.

The survivor narrative describes the alleged abuse occurring in the context of counseling sessions that began after the student was referred to Klein for help. According to that narrative, the sessions took place in Klein’s office and escalated over time.

The survivor describes being pulled onto Klein’s lap and being molested, and she also describes being driven to the lake and being supplied alcohol, with uncertainty about what happened at least some of those times.

The Illinois Attorney General’s narrative frames the allegation as occurring when the student was a sophomore and continuing for approximately a year, ending during her junior year. The narrative also describes the survivor’s view that Klein used his authority and her vulnerability to manipulate her, including discouraging her from reporting abuse occurring in her home.

Public advocacy reporting in 2011, as covered by Chicago area media, described the allegation as involving a 15-year-old girl and stated that the allegation concerned abuse in the 1970s during Klein’s tenure as principal at St. Benedict High School.

The same report indicated that the Archdiocese stated it had placed Klein under restrictions and that the case was being investigated.

In early 2012, additional media coverage reported disputes and confusion over whether Klein’s restrictions had been lifted after he celebrated Mass on January 1 at St. Philip the Apostle in Northfield.

That reporting states he had been restricted in ministry since the prior summer because of an allegation involving inappropriate conduct with a young woman decades earlier, and it describes restrictions that included not being alone with anyone under 18 unless a responsible adult was present and not engaging in teaching or instructive functions with minors.

Summary: Public sources describe an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor in the mid-1970s connected to Klein’s role as a Catholic high school principal; the Archdiocese imposed restrictions after the allegation was reported in 2011, while the Illinois Attorney General narrative notes Klein was not included on the Archdiocese’s public substantiated list.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

Cardinal John Patrick Cody, Archdiocese of Chicago, during the mid-1970s period, when the alleged abuse is reported to have occurred
Cardinal Francis George, Archdiocese of Chicago, during the 2011 review and imposition of restrictions described in the Illinois Attorney General narrative

Institutional Actions and Review

According to the Illinois Attorney General’s survivor narrative, the survivor reported her allegation to the Archdiocese in 2011, and the matter was reviewed by the Archdiocese’s review board later that year. Years later, he was listed as one of the credibly accused priests in Illinois.

The narrative describes the review board concluding there was insufficient reason to suspect Klein engaged in sexual abuse of the survivor when she was a minor, while also concluding Klein’s conduct was otherwise inappropriate and recommending restrictions.

The narrative states that Cardinal Francis George accepted the recommendations and that Klein was prohibited from being alone with anyone under 18 or from engaging in activities involving children.

The narrative also highlights a continuing transparency dispute, emphasizing that Klein’s name did not appear on the Archdiocese’s public list of clerics with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor, despite the survivor’s report and the restrictions described.

Separate news coverage from 2011 indicates that the Archdiocese stated that Klein was under restrictions, was retired and not in active ministry, and that the matter was being investigated.

Reporting from January 2012 indicates there was public controversy when Klein celebrated Mass at St. Philip the Apostle on January 1, with survivor advocates objecting, and that he was corrected after the Mass because he mistakenly believed restrictions had been lifted.

There is no public court record in the sources reviewed here reflecting a criminal prosecution or conviction of Klein connected to this allegation. Instead, the publicly described actions are primarily administrative, meaning restrictions and ministry limitations.

Timeline

1959- Ordained for the Archdiocese of Chicago
1959 to 1965- Assigned as associate pastor at St. Gregory the Great, Chicago, Illinois
1965 to 1982- Principal at St. Benedict High School, Chicago, Illinois
Mid 1970s- Alleged sexual abuse of a teenage student reported to have occurred during Klein’s time as principal at St. Benedict High School
1982 to 1983- Assigned at Queen of Angels, Chicago, Illinois
1983 to 1990- Pastor at St. Monica, Chicago, Illinois
1990 to 1996- Assigned at St. Joseph, Wilmette, Illinois
1996 to 2004- Assigned at St. Francis Xavier, Wilmette, Illinois
2004- Reported as resident at St. Philip the Apostle, Northfield, Illinois; also reported as pastor emeritus at St. Monica, Chicago, Illinois
July 2010- Public reporting describes Klein as retired as of this month
August 31, 2011- Public reporting describes a survivor advocacy protest and identifies the allegation as involving abuse of a 15-year-old girl in the 1970s; reporting states the Archdiocese placed Klein on restrictions and the case was being investigated
Late 2011- Illinois Attorney General narrative describes review board action, a finding of insufficient reason to suspect sexual abuse, a finding of inappropriate conduct, and the imposition of restrictions accepted by Cardinal Francis George
January 1, 2012- Public reporting describes Klein celebrating Mass at St. Philip the Apostle in Northfield; later reporting describes controversy and that restrictions were reaffirmed after he mistakenly believed they were lifted
May 23, 2023- Illinois Attorney General investigation materials include a survivor narrative about Klein and discuss the Archdiocese’s response and disclosure issues
November 18, 2020- Death reported in public clergy tracking sources

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was sexually abused by Fr. George W. Klein or any Catholic clergy member in Illinois, you may still have legal options. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors of clergy abuse across the state.

Contact us to book a confidential consultation with an Illinois clergy abuse attorney. We are here to help you understand your rights and take legal action.

Sources

This page is based on public records, official Church disclosures, legal filings, and survivor reports, including the following:

No criminal conviction is implied unless explicitly stated in public court records or official Church reports.

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.

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