Anthony O'Connell

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Anthony J. O'Connell was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Palm Beach, Florida. He resigned March 8, 2002, after admitting that he sexually abused a teenage seminary student in the 1970s while serving as a priest in the Diocese of Jefferson City. The student, Christopher Dixon, stated the relationship lasted well into the 1990s, and was awarded $125,000 in an out-of-court settlement.

In 1988 O'Connell was appointed the first bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville, and was assigned to lead the Palm Beach Diocese in 1998 in order to help it heal after the resignation of Bishop Joseph Keith Symons, who admitted that he had sexually molested five boys earlier in his career.

Preceded by
erected
Bishop of Knoxville
1988–1998
Succeeded by
Joseph Edward Kurtz
Preceded by
Joseph Keith Symons
Bishop of Palm Beach
1998–2002
Succeeded by
Sean Patrick O'Malley
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