First Bishop in the United States Sued for Coercion; in 2015, a Minnesota Bishop Suppressed Report of Child Sexual Abuse
Survivor to Speak Publicly for the First Time Tuesday About Abuse by a Former Top Official in Minnesota Diocese
(St. Paul, MN) – At a news conference on Tuesday in St. Paul, attorney Jeff Anderson, a child sexual abuse survivor, and a Minnesota priest will announce the filing of a lawsuit on behalf of the survivor naming a current Minnesota bishop and diocese as defendants. This is the first time in the United States a bishop has been individually sued for coercion.“The coercion and concealment in real-time demonstrate the crisis continues unabated,” said Attorney Jeff Anderson. In 2010, the survivor, who was exploring whether to become a church Deacon, reported his abuse to the bishop. The bishop advised the survivor to tell no one of his abuse. In 2015, the diocese was ordered to produce all information on clergy accused of child sexual abuse, however, the perpetrator’s name, a former top official in the diocese, was not included in the required, court-ordered disclosure. After the court order was issued, the bishop actively suppressed the survivor’s abuse report. Tomorrow, the survivor, as well as a priest of the diocese, will speak publicly for the first time about how the bishop threatened retaliation against the survivor and a family member if he disclosed the sexual abuse.
When
Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at 11:00 AM (CST)
Where
Jeff Anderson & Associates, PA
366 Jackson St., Suite 100
St. Paul, MN 55101
-30-