Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Harlan Clapsaddle

Harlan B. Clapsaddle was a former Catholic priest with numerous allegations of sexual abuse against him in Rockford, IL. After multiple survivors came forward, Clapsaddle was removed from ministry. 

• Primary Entity Name: Harlan B. Clapsaddle
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Harlan Clapsaddle, Fr. Clapsaddle, Harlan Clapsaddle
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest, Deacon
• Current Status: Deceased (2018)

On this page, we summarize Clapsaddle’s ministry career, assignments, allegations of abuse, and institutional actions, based on publicly disclosed sources. 

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Although Harlan B. Clapsaddle was not immediately identified as a risk to minors when abuse allegations were first made, several entities eventually did identify him in connection with substantiated sexual abuse claims, including:

• The Diocese of Rockford on November 14, 2018
• The Office of the Attorney General in Illinois, via a 2023 report

Clapsaddle was identified as a sexual abuser due to multiple substantiated allegations against him, as determined by the Vicar General after an investigation of the survivors. 

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1977

Years in Active Ministry: 1978-2002, 24 years

Locations Where He Served: Diocese of Rockford, Winnebago County, Kane County

Restrictions: Removed from parish ministry in 1997 and restricted from any work involving minors. Removed from ministry fully in 2002

Criminal Convictions: None

Laicization: N/A

Died: 2018

Public Disclosure: The Diocese of Rockford publicly disclosed his behavior in May 2002, eventually including him on the list of substantiated sexual abusers in 2018

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Rockford

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

1977 – Ordained as a Parish Priest in the Diocese of Rockford

1978 – St. Mary Church in McHenry, IL

1979-1981 – St. Thomas More Church in Elgin, IL

1988-1997 – St. Anne Church in Dixon, IL

1997 – Removed from parish ministry and all activities involving minors

2002 – Removed from all ministry

Non-Church Assignments: 

1982-1987 – St. Edward Central Catholic High School in Elgin, IL

1988-2002 – Provena Cor Mariae Center in Rockford, IL 

Known Allegations

The first report of sexual abuse by Harlan B. Clapsaddle originated in 1993, when the mother of three boys came forward to the Diocese of Rockford. According to the mother, Clapsaddle began abusing her three sons around the same time he was ordained in 1977. The abuse lasted for roughly three years. In 1993, the brothers were afraid to come forward because Clapsaddle threatened to “get even” if they exposed him. 

When the Diocese confronted Clapsaddle about the allegations, he claimed that the family was dysfunctional and there were multiple reasons why the allegations would be “made up.” The Diocese believed Clapsaddle’s story.

In 1996, the brothers themselves came forward and were interviewed individually by the diocese. After this investigation, church officials determined that the abuse allegations were credible. When confronted with these findings, Clapsaddle claimed to be shocked, but he agreed to resign after admitting to some sexual contact with the boys. He spent some time out of state in 1997, but upon his return, the Diocese officially removed him from all ministry involving minors. 

In March 2002, another survivor came forward with allegations against Clapsaddle involving abuse during a three-year period in the 1980s, during his stint at St. Thomas More Church. In response to this claim, the vicar general recommended that Clapsaddle be removed from office duties and most of his priestly duties at the nursing home where he had been assigned since 1997. 

When one of the three brothers brought the story to the Rockford Register Star in 2002, the Diocese finally published the abuse allegations about Harlan B. Clapsaddle in May of that year. 

Summary: Harlan B. Clapsaddle was credibly accused of abusing at least four victims during his assignments at St. Mary’s and St. Thomas More Church, eventually leading to partial removal from ministry in 1997 and full removal in 2002. 

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Bishop Arthur Joseph O’Neill (1968-1994)
• Bishop Thomas George Doran (1994-2012)

Associated Organizations:

• Diocese of Rockford
• St. Edward Central Catholic High School
• Provena Cor Mariae Center Nursing Home

Legal Outcomes: The brothers won $80,000 in a lawsuit against the Diocese of Rockford.

Institutional Actions and Review

The Diocese of Rockford’s response to allegations of sexual abuse against Harlan B. Clapsaddle did not satisfy the victims at the time. Initially, the mother of the three victims reported the three years of abuse in 1993. The Diocese responded by believing Clapsaddle’s account of the family’s dysfunction and dismissing the allegations. 

However, in 1996, the three boys reported their experiences with the accused priest directly to the Diocese, after which the investigating individual determined the allegations were credible. In response, Clapsaddle was encouraged to resign, and the Diocese restricted him from all assignments involving minors. The allegations were not made public, and Clapsaddle was reassigned to a sacramental ministry position in a nursing home.

In 2002, when another sexual abuse survivor came forward, Clapsaddle was finally removed from most of his ministry and office duties at the nursing home. During his tenure there, he was partially supervised. Clapsaddle was never laicized and eventually died in 2018, the same year when he was placed on the list of accused priests in IL.  

Timeline

1977 – Ordained in the Diocese of Rockford

1978–1997 – Assigned to various parishes and a catholic school

1977-1979 – Abuse of the three brothers occurs in Kane County

1982-1987 – Assigned to St. Edward Central Catholic High School

1985-1988 – Abuse of the fourth survivor to come forward occurs

1993 – The mother of the three brothers reports their abuse to the Diocese of Rockford, but is dismissed

1996 – The three boys report their abuse directly to the Diocese

1997 – Clapsaddle resigns from his parish assignment and is restricted from ministry involving minors

1997-2002 – Serves as a chaplain at Provena Cor Mariae Center

2002 – A fourth victim details abuse suffered in the mid-1980s

2002 – Clapsaddle is removed from all ministry duties

2002 – The Diocese publishes the abuse allegations after one of the brothers takes the story to the Rockford Register Star

2018 – Clapsaddle dies

Speak With an Attorney

Clergy abuse can have a devastating effect on young victims. If you have suffered at the hands of a member of the clergy in Illinois, the Injury Lawyer Team can help you seek justice and fair compensation for your suffering. 

Contact us today to schedule your free and confidential consultation with an Illinois clergy abuse lawyer. 

Sources

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

• An abuser list profile of Harlan B. Clapsaddle from the Office of the Attorney General in Illinois
• A narrative of the survivors abused by Clapsaddle on the AG’s website
• A Bishop Accountability profile on Clapsaddle listing multiple sources of disclosures
• A letter from the Diocese of Rockford listing substantiated sexual abusers in the clergy

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.