In the public school system, the former practice of quietly relocating teachers accused of sexual misconduct was referred to as “passing the trash.”

Bradford native Jim VanSickle will be in his hometown today to talk about the Catholic church’s version of the same thing.

VanSickle, a victim of abuse by Father David Poulson at Bradford Central Christian High School decades ago, has become an outspoken advocate for abuse victims, and is speaking out internationally to end the decades of secrecy, coverups and victim-shaming that has taken place within the Catholic church.

He was one of the victims who testified before the statewide grand jury, which released a report last week that shocked the world with the allegations of abuse and cover-ups involving more than 300 priests in six dioceses in Pennsylvania.

First, VanSickle said, will be a news conference in Erie. “I have information about another (abusive) priest as well as a female abused by a lay person who was not in Bishop (Lawrence) Persico’s list.”

Before the grand jury released its report, the Erie diocese released a list of all priests and laypersons credibly accused of sexual abuse. Neither that list nor the grand jury report contains the names of the two VanSickle mentioned, he said.

Today’s news conference in Erie will be with the SNAP organization — Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. Then VanSickle, who is being trailed for a few days by Catholic News Service for a story on him and his message, will be in Bradford to meet with Father Ray Gramata of St. Bernard Church.

“We’re going to be talking about healing,” VanSickle said. Catholic News Service will interview Gramata also, he explained.

While in Bradford, he plans to hold another news conference — and he hopes to reach many with his message.

“I want to speak to a couple of things,” he said, adding that he wants people to understand he has no vendetta against Catholicism or those who remain faithful to the church.

“I want to make a point of talking about those 14 priests” with a local connection who were named by the grand jury. “For us to have 14 in Bradford out of 300-plus in a town with a population of 8,000? I can’t imagine there’s another place so small” that had so many abusers, he said. “There’s no doubt in my mind, if (church officials) had any doubt about a priest they would put them in Bradford.

“I want Bradford to know it’s been a swinging door with predator priests,” VanSickle said. “I”m reaching out to Catholics. I want them to speak the voice of change.”

He will be accompanied by another man who was abused as a child, but isn’t sure he’s ready to speak out.

“I can tell you, he and I were not the only two that were abused in Bradford,” VanSickle said. “I know other people in and around my age group were treated the same way. They may not have been abused, but they were groomed.”

Grooming is the practice of befriending and establishing an emotional connection with a child to lower the child’s inhibitions with the objective of sexual abuse, according to the National Center for Victims of Crime.

“I’m going to be reaching out to as many Bradfordians as possible,” he said.

While he didn’t have a definite time or place in mind on Monday, he said his news conference in Bradford likely will be around 4 p.m., either in front of St. Bernard Church or on Veterans Square.

VanSickle has been speaking openly about what happened to him, and has been vocal about asking for reforms and an end to secrecy.

“I’ve done 57 interviews in the last eight days,” he said, naming off an alphabet of stations with which he’s spoken, including CNN, HLN and more. He’s been interviewed by stations in Canada and Brazil as well.

“Most good Catholics don’t question the church,” VanSickle said. “The families go to the diocese first, not to law enforcement.”

Regarding the statement from Pope Francis about the abuse scandal, VanSickle said it rang hollow to him.

“The pope says he stands next to victims. I don’t feel that.”

He was hopeful Pope Francis would give a detailed plan for healing and for moving forward in a manner to protect children and abolish secrecy.

VanSickle said, “His statements were basically hollow to me.”