Will the Catholic Diocese Whistleblower Face Legal Ramifications?

For months, Siobhan O'Connor leaked confidential church documents that highlighted the scope of the priest sex abuse scandal and its cover-up within the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. But what legal fallout might she face? "The law will only recognize the confidentiality of a document if it's considered privileged or if it's a trade secret or some special category of document,” explained Christine Bartholomew, an associate professor at the University at Buffalo School of Law. “If they were confidential simply because the diocese wanted them to remain confidential, that is not something that creates criminal liability. She might still have civil liability depending on her terms of employment contract, but the law is pretty protective of whistleblowers.”

http://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/news/2018/10/30/legal-analysis-of-diocese-whistleblower