Washington Attorney General Wins Right to Investigate Catholic Church
The Washington State Court of Appeals has unanimously ruled that the Office of the Attorney General has the authority to investigate the Catholic Church’s handling of child sexual abuse allegations against clergy. This legal win is outstanding news to survivors and seekers of justice alike, as it shows that the Catholic Church is not above the law.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson agrees, stating “As a Catholic, the Church must do the right thing and engage in a public accounting of how the Church handles allegations of child sex abuse.”
Background on The Investigation
This court ruling is the most recent development in a years-long struggle between the Catholic Church and the Washington government. Three years ago, the Office of the Attorney General (AG) launched an investigation into the Catholic Church’s alleged cover-up of child sexual abuse by priests, serving subpoenas to Archdiocese of Seattle, Diocese of Spokane, and the Diocese of Yakima. This was done to access personnel files of abusive priests and other documents necessary to the investigation, however the Church only produced documents publicly available. The AG responded by making the subpoenas more specific concerning financial records, secret archives, and other hidden files. The Church blatantly refused.
This prompted the AG to file a lawsuit in 2024 to compel the three dioceses to comply with the subpoenas. The King County Superior Court sided with the Church, arguing that since the Catholic Church is a religious nonprofit organization “acting in good faith”, the government did not have a right to subpoena it.
Unsatisfied with this answer, the AG appealed the decision to the Washington Court of Appeals. After over a year, the court made a decision on March 2nd, 2026: The Catholic Church is not above the law, and the Office of the Attorney General has a right to subpoena and investigate it. Refuting the Church’s argument mentioned above, the ruling states “that acts of involvement in sexual abuse can never be done in good faith”, thus stripping the Church of that protection in this case.
Although the Archbishop of Seattle publicly states that the Church “share[s] the same goals as the Attorney General”, the actions taken seem to disprove this declaration.
Multiple Legal Battles with the Church in Washington
At the same time as this dispute over the right to investigate child sexual abuse, another legal battle between Church and State was playing out on an even larger scale. In February 2025, Senate Bill 5375 was introduced in the Washington Senate. This bill, like other laws such as those in Minnesota and Oregon, would add all clergy members to the group of mandatory reporters. Unlike other bills, however, SB 5375 included compulsion for priests to report child abuse learned through confession. This revolutionary assertion was the first of its kind, and was widely seen by survivors and advocates as a common-sense protection for children.
The Church disagreed. The Archbishop of Seattle, Fr. Paul Etienne, sued the government of Washington on the basis of violating freedom of religion as outlined in the First Amendment of the Constitution. The federal government became involved, filing a separate lawsuit against Washington for violating rights of Catholic citizens under the Fourteenth Amendment. The members of the Washington legislature introduced an amendment to the bill that would allow priests to withhold information on child abuse if learned through confession, which resolved the legal dispute in October 2025.
Another issue that created a split in trust is the scandal involving Father Miguel Mejia. Fr. Mejia was pastor of Our Lady of Fatima’s parish until he was removed by the Bishop of Spokane in October 2025. The Diocese’s Review Board found that Fr. Mejia had used parish funds to convince impoverished women to perform sexual acts on him. This incident gathered public support for the investigation of the Church, proving in many eyes that priests are not infallible.
Importance to Survivors
The importance of this court ruling is immense. It allows an investigation to begin into the actions of the Catholic Church and bring perpetrators to justice. Similar Attorney General reports, such as in Michigan and Rhode Island, uncovered monumental cover-ups of child sexual abuse well into present day.
Survivors of clergy sexual abuse deserve to be heard and helped, not shoved underneath the rug as the Church has so often done. This court’s decision to allow an investigation of the three dioceses in Washington is an important step in the right direction, but survivors deserve full transparency and accountability by the Catholic Church.
If you have any questions regarding child sexual abuse or need additional resources, visit our questions and answers page.