Thanks for waiting. So sorry, guys. Stuck on a call.Spotlight · 2015 — Chapter 8 of 21 · 1'59" · C1
Pressuring Macleish on Settlements, Explained: out of circulation
The reporters already know Macleish settled abuse cases, and they push him past his non-answers. He hides behind confidentiality — "I can't discuss that with you" — and warns he could be disbarred. Then they ask why the courthouse has no records, and the answer is that everything ran through the Church.
What happens
At his office, Macleish meets the reporters who ask about settlements involving Father Shanley and Father Paquin. He refuses to discuss them and says he could be disbarred for even acknowledging them. When they note there are no court records, he explains the cases were handled as private mediation with the Church.
Listen for
disbarreda sit-downout of circulationthe chancery
00:00 / 01:59Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
Phrase of the scene
out of circulation
removed from active public life or duty
记者追问是否核实过教会的承诺，麦克利什说教会答应把涉事神父撤出流通，也就是不再让他们接触信众。
The old notes were taken out of circulation.
Also in this scene
- disbarred
officially banned from practicing law
- a sit-down
a face-to-face meeting or talk
- the chancery
the administrative office of a diocese
- a private mediation
a settlement process held outside court
- a defense attorney
a lawyer who represents the accused
Everything marked in this scene
35 notes across 37 lines
Thanks for waiting. So sorry, guys. Stuck on a call.Not a problem. How are you? Good.Thanks for meeting us. You bet. What's up, guys?Thanks for meeting us. You bet. What's up, guys?Mr. Macleish, are you familiar with a priest named Paul Shanley?liaison
Mr. Macleish, are you familiar with a priest named Paul Shanley?And have you settled cases against Father Shanley?flap
And have you settled cases against Father Shanley?As I'm sure you can understand, I can't discuss that with you.As I'm sure you can understand, I can't discuss that with you.Even if I'd been involved in those cases, the settlements would be confidential,counterfactual with even if + past perfect
Even if I'd been involved in those cases, the settlements would be confidential,and I could be disbarred for acknowledging their existence.and I could be disbarred for acknowledging their existence.could + passive for a possible consequence
and I could be disbarred for acknowledging their existence.Look, I told you guys, these are tough cases.Most of these folks, they just want some acknowledgmentWe got 'em a sit-down with the bishop and a little dough,We got 'em a sit-down with the bishop and a little dough,and that's the best they could hope for.No, the Church promised they'd take the priests out of circulation.And did you follow up on that?Yes. Why aren't there any records?I was down at the courthouse earlier.liaison
There aren't any records of any of these settlements.We dealt directly with the Church.We would draw up a demand letter and send it to the chancery.would for past habitual action
We would draw up a demand letter and send it to the chancery.liaison
We would draw up a demand letter and send it to the chancery.You never filed anything in court?a settlement process held outside court
It's a private mediation.Occasionally, the Church would bring in another defense attorney to help out.Occasionally, the Church would bring in another defense attorney to help out.Nope.Pressuring Macleish on Settlements, explained
What's really going on
The scene is an interview that is really a chess match. The reporters come with specifics, naming priests, but Macleish has a wall ready: confidentiality. "Even if I'd been involved in those cases, the settlements would be confidential," he says, "and I could be disbarred for acknowledging their existence." The line is both a refusal and a confession in disguise — it describes exactly what he will not confirm. What turns the scene is the question about paper: at the courthouse there are no records at all. The answer, once it comes, is an indictment: the settlements were never filed, just a demand letter, a private mediation, and the Church's lawyers in a room. A phrase meant to sound official, "It's a private mediation," ends up describing a system built to leave no trace.
Theme
SecretsMacleish hides behind confidentiality, and the settlements leave no court record anywhere.
CorruptionCases are resolved privately with the Church, bypassing the courts that should oversee them.
Listen for
- familiar with a — liaison
- settled cases — flap
- records of any — liaison
- draw up a — liaison
There aren't any records of any of these settlements.The discovery that cracks the cover-up: the settlements left no trace in the courthouse at all.
Well, it's certainly the best the priests could hope for.A pointed inversion of Macleish's line, turning his defense of the settlements back on him.
No, the Church promised they'd take the priests out of circulation.The promise that was supposed to protect children, and the question of whether it was ever kept.
Look, I told you guys, these are tough cases.His framing of the cases as merely difficult, offered as a reason to expect little.
Questions about this scene
Why won't Macleish discuss the settlements?
He says the settlements are confidential and that acknowledging they exist could get him disbarred, so he refuses to confirm or deny them.
What do the reporters discover at the courthouse?
That none of the settlements were filed, so there are no records of them anywhere in the court system.
What is a private mediation in this context?
A process where the families' lawyer and the archdiocese's lawyers settle directly, without filing anything in court, which is why nothing is on record.
What was the Church supposed to do about abusive priests?
Macleish says the Church promised to take the priests out of circulation, but the reporters ask whether anyone followed up on that promise.
Why does Macleish mention being disbarred?
It is his reason for silence: under the confidentiality rules, even confirming that a settlement exists could cost him his license.
Spotlight · 21 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 9it takes a villageRezendes Meets the Informant
Chapter 1take a hard look atBaron Meets Robinson for a Drink
Chapter 2file a motionMarty Baron's First News Meeting
Chapter 3have something on someoneLawyers Break Down the Geoghan Case
Chapter 4think in centuriesRezendes Meets Garabedian
Chapter 5stand aloneMarty Baron Meets Cardinal Law
Chapter 6preyed uponPhil Saviano Tells His Story
Chapter 7the beginning of it allReporters Interview Abuse Survivors
Watching · Chapter 8out of circulationPressuring Macleish on Settlements
Chapter 9it takes a villageRezendes Meets the Informant
Chapter 10Good GermansSipe's Six Percent Estimate
Chapter 11off the estimateThe Team Counts 87 Priests
Chapter 12cottage industryRobby Confronts Macleish
Chapter 13from the top downThe Team Goes After the System
Chapter 14sledding uphillSpringfield Hearing on Sealed Records
Chapter 15off the recordGarabedian Reveals the Sealed Documents
Chapter 16get on the same pageReporters Confront Boston College
Chapter 17broke ranksRobby Refuses to Rush the Story
Chapter 18a few bad applesPete Pressures Robby Over Drinks
Chapter 19on a clockRobby Gets Six Weeks to Publish
Chapter 20lay something on someoneRobby Confronts His Old Friend
Chapter 21stumbling around in the darkThe Newsroom Finalizes the StoryChapter 8 of 21 · about 34 min to go