(St. Cloud, MN) – Stearns County District Court Judge Kris Davick-Halfen ruled that a clergy sexual abuse survivor’s public nuisance claim against the Diocese of St. Cloud can proceed. Judge Davick-Halfen’s June 22, 2015, order will help hold the Diocese of St. Cloud accountable for protecting pedophile priests in the past and will help keep children safe in the future. A similar decision in 2013
News & Events
(St. Paul, MN) – The creditors’ committee in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis bankruptcy case filed a motion in federal bankruptcy court today requesting the Archdiocese play an outreach video in all 216 of its parishes. It is the first time ever in a diocesan bankruptcy that survivors/creditors have made this request. Newly appointed apostolic administrator Bernard Hebda now has an opportunity to demonstrate the Archdiocese’s commitment to helping survivors of clergy sexual abuse.
The Roman Catholic archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis and a deputy bishop resigned on Monday after prosecutors recently charged the archdiocese with having failed to protect youths from abuse by pedophile priests. In statements released Monday morning, the archbishop, John C. Nienstedt, and an auxiliary bishop, Lee A. Piché, said they were resigning to help the archdiocese heal. “My leadership has unfortunately drawn attention away from the good works of His Church and those who perform them,” Archbishop Nienstedt said. “Thus my decision to step down.” The resignations come about 10 day…
(St. Paul, MN) – The resignations of Archbishop Nienstedt and Bishop Piché and acceptance of them by the Vatican signals an important step in the necessary reckoning in the child abuse crisis. It is equally important to note that the resignation of one or two men from high positions does not in any way signal the end to the crisis or deal with the scope of the problem. It does signal that finally there is a small measure of reckoning under pressure. That pressure has been brought because of the courage of the survivors and the Minnesota Legislature. It is the opening of the…
(St. Paul, MN) – The charges filed by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office and John Choi today deserve high praise. The complaint is against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and it demonstrates and recites the problem to be a systemic one, a corporate one, by the top officials, by the Archdiocese, spanning years. It names 10 officials engaged in a pattern of conduct and alleges serious violations of law about which we have been concerned and addressing for years. I have, in the past, been openly critical of the seeming inaction by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office and J…
It was reported that St. John’s priest Richard Eckroth, who was retired and living at St. John’s Abbey for years, died this week. It must also be noted that Eckroth had a long history of predatory conduct that shattered the lives and souls of innocent children whose numbers are yet to be known. The number of kids Eckroth abused could exceed 100. What is known is that Eckroth was a serial offender that had been described by at least one Abbot as dangerous. What is also known is that Eckroth was given cover for many of those years by top St. John’s officials. Our firm currently represents …
(St. Paul, MN) – The acquittal of Fran Hoefgen in the criminal case is sad, scary and a travesty of justice. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty because they were not able to know and hear the full picture of predatory conduct well-established by Fran Hoefgen. Today we release more information that the jury did not hear that could have and should have changed the outcome. Because they did not learn Fran Hoefgen abused at least two boys, had been sent to treatment for it, had admitted having abused at least one boy in prior parishes and given a free pass by a former pros…
Timeline – Fr. Allen Tarlton 19 Monks of St. John’s – Photos Key Documents – Fr. Allen TarltonDeposition Transcript of Fr. Allen Tarlton 10-10-2013
Today the Diocese of Winona publicly released and added the names of two more priests to their list of accused clerics, Father Harold Mountain and Father Thomas Duane. Both names have never been released to the public before. There are now 17 clerics accused of sexual abuse who worked in the Winona Diocese. This disclosure is a result of the October 2014 settlement agreement in the civil lawsuits…
Winona Diocese Publicly Releases Names of Two Priests Accused of Sexually Abusing Minors
Father Harold Mountain and Father Thomas Duane
added to the list of accused priests
(Winona, MN) – Today the Diocese of Winona publicly released and added the names of two more priests to their list of accused clerics, Father Harold Mountain and Father Thomas Duane. Both names have never been released to the public before. There are now 17 clerics accused of sexual abuse who worked in the Winona Diocese.
This disclosure is a result of the October 2014 settlement agreement in the civil lawsuit…
Court Rules That Survivors’ Public Nuisance Claims AgainstDiocese of New Ulm May ProceedOrder Will Help Protect Children, Expose Diocese’s Protection of Abusive Priests, and Scrutinize Archbishop Nienstedt’s Decisions Regarding Priest Information(New Ulm) – Brown County District Court Judge Robert A. Docherty has ruled that three clergy sexual abuse survivors’ public nuisance claims against the Diocese of New Ulm can proceed. Judge Docherty’s March 27, 2015, order will help hold the Diocese of New Ulm accountable for protecting pedophile priests in the past and will help keep children safe in …
The Diocese of New Ulm quietly released the names of four accused clerical offenders. One offender, Father Dennis Becker, was publicly named for the first time. To our knowledge the media and general public were not alerted to this important announcement.
(St. Paul, MN) – Today’s announcement of Curtis Wehmeyer’s removal from the clerical state by the Vatican is met with a mixed view from sexual abuse survivors and their advocates. While it is comforting to know a child molester is behind bars and will never be placed in a position of trust as a cleric again, questions still remain.
Today, we received the long-awaited decision from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals regarding the cemetery trust litigation in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee bankruptcy case. The Seventh Circuit ruled in favor of the survivors and held that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and First Amendment do not preclude survivors from challenging the Archdiocese’s designation of approximately $55 million to the care of its…