Bro. William Mueller in a 1971 photo.
A former teacher at Vianney High School, Brother William Mueller, has been ordered to pay one of his former students $500,000 in a case alleging sexual assault.
According to the civil case filed in St. Louis County Court, Bryan Bacon was a 15-year-old student at the Catholic high school in the 1985 when Mueller cornered him with a knife and rubbed up against him. The 71-year-old Mueller, now a resident of Texas, has been accused of abuse in 24 civil suits in three states, including allegations he that he used ether to render his former pupils unconscious.
Earlier this month St. Louis County Judge Barbara Wallace ordered that Mueller pay Bacon $500,000 for sexual abuse and/or battery. The details of the assault (below) read like the opening plot lines to a snuff film.
Per a motion filed in the lawsuit:
Plaintiff came to Bro. Mueller's office the next day during his Physical Education period.Today at 1:30 p.m. the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests plans to picket outside the Marianists' St. Louis office (4425 W. Pine in the Central West End) to bring attention to the case. Vianney is a Marianist school. Both Vianney and the Marianists were initially named as defendants in the case against Mueller but were dismissed from the suit after reaching financial settlements with Bacon.
When Plaintiff arrived, Bro. Mueller instructed Plaintiff to lock the door to Mueller's office. Again, Mueller emphasized that the project had to be kept secret. Bro. Mueller then had Bryan sit in a chair in the center of the office and then asked Bryan a number of questions. Bro. Mueller then walked up behind Bryan and began to touch Bryan's neck, upper back and chest, including rubbing Bryan's nipples.
Bro. Mueller then began asking Bryan if he was frightened. At that point, Bryan was asked to stand up where Br. Mueller began to rub Bryan's neck, back, chest and nipples. Bro. Mueller then went to his desk and found a black blindfold and secured it over Bryan's eyes.
The entire time, Bro. Mueller continued to ask Bryan if he was scared. Next, Bro. Mueller pulled Bryan very close to him and began breathing hard and began to kiss Bryan's neck and ear. Id. Next, Bro. Mueller went to his desk and removed something from the desk and then Br. Mueller pressed a knife against Bryan's throat.
Again, Bro. Mueller asked Bryan if he was scared. At that point, Bro. Mueller began to breathe hard, kiss Bryan and began to press his penis against Bryan's back, simulating intercourse on Bryan's buttocks through his clothing.
The entire time, Bro. Mueller continued to press the knife against Bryan's throat. After a short period, Bro. Mueller was interrupted by a telephone call. Bro. Mueller then removed the blindfold and rather harshly, reminded Bryan to not tell anyone about the "experiment."
A few weeks after the incident described above, Bro. Mueller was removed from his position at St. John Vianney because of stress and personal matters.
Bacon, who now resides in Columbia, is also scheduled to be in attendance. SNAP hopes that Mueller can one day face criminal charges for his alleged abuse spanning some four decades.
View the initial complaint versus Mueller, the Marianists and Vianney.
And a copy of a memorandum that outlines the sexually abuse detailed above.
