Use of music by Catholic composer David Haas has been effectively prohibited in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles amid sexual misconduct allegations against the Catholic musician.
In an email sent July 30 to archdiocesan employees, parishes, schools, and ministries were asked to “refrain from using music composed by musician David Haas out of respect for those who have reported sexual misconduct by Mr. Haas.”
The email stated that the Archdiocese is “investigating allegations of sexual misconduct described in recent media reports” involving Haas, who for several years has been a popular performer and speaker at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, which attracts tens of thousands of participants each year to the Anaheim Convention Center.
Since June, Haas, 63, has been accused in several media reports of using his position of professional and spiritual authority to manipulate and abuse women sexually. According to Into Account, an abuse survivor support group, Haas allegedly “targeted multiple women using techniques that abuse prevention experts identify as grooming, to create conditions in which women felt obligated to perform sexual favors in exchange for professional opportunities.”
The Archdiocese’s Office of Victims Assistance Ministry, which receives reports of misconduct, had not received reports of sexual misconduct by Haas prior to the June 2020 allegations, the July 30 email stated.
As part of the current investigation, the Archdiocese said it was looking into “a past complaint of inappropriate interaction and/or communication by Mr. Haas with adult women.”
Haas is already forbidden to perform in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles pending its investigation into allegations against Haas. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the diocese where Haas lives, has also announced similar measures against Haas and the use of his music in light of allegations of “inappropriate conduct” with women dating back to the 1980s.
Haas is the composer of several well-known liturgical songs including “You are Mine,” “We are Called,” and “Blest are They,” which appear in the popular “Gather” hymnal published by Catholic music publisher GIA. GIA and OCP, another hymnal publisher, have suspended ties with Haas since the allegations first surfaced in June.
In its July 30 message, the Archdiocese stressed that it “stands against any sexual misconduct and is resolute in our support for victim-survivors of abuse,” and asked that “anyone with information regarding this matter to please make a report to the Office of Victims Assistance Ministry at (800) 355-2545 or [email protected].”
Additional reporting courtesy of Catholic News Agency.
For more information on the abuse prevention and protection efforts of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, visit: protect.la-archdiocese.org.
