CLEVELAND — Groups that assist sexual abuse victims are outraged that the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland allows a convicted sex offender to help lead masses for months. The advocacy groups question how this can happen in light of the church’s documented history with pedophile priests.
“I will praise you Lord,” could be heard in song on video of a mass from April 28 of this year. It was the voice of Keith Kozak, 44, from Brooklyn. News 5 Investigators found he has been on the altar at St. Thomas More Church, leading the congregation in prayer and song. “I shall not die but live...,” he sang during a mass there on April 21.
ADVOCACY GROUPS: 'NORMALIZING SEX OFFENDER'
“I thought that this had to be a mistake. There’s no way. There just couldn’t be any way,” said Claudia Vercellotti from the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP. She told us she doesn’t have an issue with Kodak’s right to worship, but Kozak has been doing this for a while now. “Week after week, normalizing a convicted sex offender…” said Vercellotti. “Normalizing him as a church leader.”
In August of 2020, Kozak “tried to engage in sexual activity” with a boy, bringing with him sex tools. However, it was actually an undercover cop. Kozak served nearly a year in prison and now has to register as a sex offender two times a year for 25 years.
“They’re not doing the minimum to keep children safe in the diocese,” said Anne Barrett Doyle from BishopAccountability.org.
She and Vercellotti were just in Cleveland not even a month ago, accusing Cleveland Bishop Edward Malesic of not releasing a full list of sexual predator priests. Now, with the revelations about Kozak leading songs at mass as recently as May 5, Barrett Doyle is really not happy with the bishop.
“He has done nothing to advance transparency in the Cleveland Diocese,” she told us. “And when you don’t have full information, you have children at risk.”
DIOCESE KNEW OFFENDER, FIRED HIM IN 2018
The diocese knew Kozak prior to his sex offender conviction. He used to work for it. In 2018, News 5 did a story when the diocese fired Kozak from his minister position at Cleveland State University after he liked a post about same-sex marriage and posted pictures supporting another gay marriage.
“The very next day I received a letter that said that I was terminated,” Kozak said to us in 2018.
KOZAK ANSWERS A FEW QUESTIONS
Fast forward to 2024, we didn’t have a phone number for Kozak, so we went to his home. We asked about the school attached to St. Thomas More. “Are you working with children at all?” we inquired.
“No…I played, um, played piano for one school mass, but I was at the piano and I didn’t even go over to where the kids are,” he told us while standing in the doorway of his home.
We asked if the pastor of the parish knew of his criminal background.
“I sat down with him and we had a nice long talk, plus I filed paperwork with the diocese,” Kozak replied.
Vercellotti was not impressed with his answers.
“I mean listen to what he’s saying. (The diocese knows) and it’s okay,” said Vercellotti. “What I don’t understand is why the bishop who is in charge of the entire diocese thinks that’s okay.”
OFFENDER AND BISHOP SIDE-BY-SIDE AT RECENT SERVICE
The advocacy groups said the most disturbing video from St. Thomas More Church is from early April of this year.
“Good afternoon, everyone,” said Bishop Malesic during a service. “The Lord will keep you from all evil. He will guard your soul,” he said while at the same time, Kozak can be seen walking up to the altar and then standing feet from the bishop while leading songs. “The Lord will guard you from all evil,” Kozak sang.
“It seems to represent the lack of effort and lack of serious intention that we see from this bishop,” said Barrett Doyle about the service involving the bishop and Kozak.
“You honor him as a sex offender by making him a church leader?” questioned Vercellotti. “It begs the question, what else is the bishop hiding?”
We asked Bishop Malesic for a sit-down interview. He said no and sent a statement saying, in part, there were “…substantial limitations placed on Mr. Kozak,” but he “will no longer be permitted to serve as a parish volunteer in any capacity going forward.” (See full statement below)
We also asked Kozak for an interview. He declined, saying he’s still struggling a bit and doesn’t want to be in the spotlight.
In emails, News 5 Investigators asked questions to the diocese about whether the congregation of St. Thomas More was informed of Mr. Kozak’s criminal past, are there any other sex offenders working in the diocese as paid employees or volunteers, if any corrective action was taken against the church’s pastor after the revelations were made about Mr. Kozak’s involvement in the church and more, but the diocese did not answer those questions.
Here’s the statement from the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland:
“Keith Kozak is a parishioner at St. Thomas More Parish in Brooklyn, Ohio. He is also a registered sex offender in the State of Ohio. The Church has a duty to allow him to receive the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ through participation in the celebration of the Eucharist at Mass and reception of the Sacraments. It also has a duty to protect children from abuse and harm. As such, there have been substantial limitations placed on Mr. Kozak while on parish property. These limitations included prohibiting his presence on parish property except when accompanied at all times by a chaperone approved by the parish and prohibiting him from interacting in any way with children when on the parish campus.
Upon learning that Mr. Kozak had been allowed to cantor at Mass and play the organ at some liturgies when the parish organist is unavailable, Bishop Edward Malesic informed the parish this practice must not continue; Mr. Kozak will no longer be permitted to serve as a parish volunteer in any capacity going forward.
The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland and its parishes are committed to the protection of children from harm and abuse, as demonstrated by its “Protecting God’s Children program [dioceseofcleveland.org].” For over two decades, the diocese has been proactive in mandating criminal background checks, VIRTUS training [virtusonline.org] of church personnel, and reporting allegations of the sexual abuse of minors to law enforcement.
For more information, please see the diocese’s Policy for the Safety of Children in Matters of Sexual Abuse [dioceseofcleveland.org].“
