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--> --> Former altar boy sues Diocese of Baker PORTLAND (AP)- A former altar boy has filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of Baker, claiming he was repeatedly abused by his priest years ago. The $1 million lawsuit filed Tuesday in Deschutes County Court claims that the Rev. David Hazen, who died in 1983, abused the plaintiff, identified only as T.R. during the late 1950s. T.R., who now lives in western Washington, claimed the abuse began when he was about 14 years old and was serving as Hazen's altar boy. T.R. helped serve mass when the priest visited small outlying parishes that did not have a resident priest. Some of the trips requires overnight stays, and it was then that Hazen allegedly engaged in repeated sexual acts with the boy, the lawsuit claims. "I now realize the abuse was always eating away at me," said T.R., now in his 50s. "I have fought a long uphill battle with depression my entire adult life. ... No area of my life has escaped impact." The lawsuit was the latest to be taken up by Portland attorney David Slader claiming sex abuse by Catholic priests. Last month, he filed an $8.6 million lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Portland on behalf of two women who claimed they were repeatedly abused by their priest and that a nun witnessed the abuse but did nothing. Last year, the Portland archdiocese settled a lawsuit filed by 23 former altar boys who said they had been abused by Rev. Maurice Grammond, who served parishes in Portland, Oakridge, Seaside and other rural churches until he retired in 1986. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing