SarahTX2 said: "I'm one of David Clohessy's biggest fans (from a distance) and that's why I'm just dumbfounded by this. I don't believe for a second that he would do anything illegal, and yet the timing of these resignations is sadly baffling."

When the civil case against Fr. Tierney was being filed, the defense attorney raised concern with the judge about Fr. Tierney being tried in the press before Fr. Tierney had a chance to defend himself in court. So the judge issued a gag order, which the plaintiff's attorney Rebecca Randles agreed to abide by. Before the trial was under way, David Clohessy held a press conference in front of the diocese and revealed information that Clohessy could have only gotten from Randles, indicating that the gag order had been violated and Fr. Tierney had been denied a fair trial. When the line of questioning was revealing illegal collusion, Randles simply withdrew the suit.