ST. LOUIS — A lawsuit filed Wednesday in St. Louis Circuit Court accuses the Archdiocese of St. Louis of knowingly enabling and covering up the sexual abuse of minors by its clergy members for decades.
The lawsuit lists 25 plaintiffs, identified by initials only, and names as defendants the Archdiocese, Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski and an unnamed priest identified as "John Doe I." The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys Bailey & Glasser LLC, Levy Konisberg LLP, and Randles Mata LLC.
Todd Mathews, an attorney with Bailey & Glasser, said in an email that he was in the process of filing similar lawsuits on behalf of about 35 more plaintiffs for alleged abuse that occurred in St. Louis, Jefferson, Franklin and St. Charles counties.
The plaintiffs are demanding a jury trial and asking for compensatory, statutory, punitive and other damages for 10 counts alleged in the suit:
- childhood sexual abuse;
- intentional failure to supervise clergy;
- negligent failure to supervise children and report sexual abuse;
- negligence per se;
- breach of special relationship/duty;
- fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud;
- fraudulent misrepresentation;
- constructive fraud;
- intentional infliction of emotional distress;
- intentional infliction of emotional distress (alleged against John Doe I);
- sexual abuse (alleged against John Doe I); and
- aiding and abetting.
"Defendants have covered up and concealed their own intentional misconduct in enabling this sexual abuse by exploiting the trusting and confidential relationship the defendants encouraged and established with plaintiffs while they were impressionable young children," the lawsuit stated. "This shameless cover-up spanned decades and allowed various clergy and other employees to access and sexually abuse numerous children, including plaintiffs, and hindered plaintiffs from discovering their causes of action against the defendants for their negligent and intentional conduct."
The St. Louis Archdiocese is also accused of regularly transferring employees who committed abuse to different locations within the Archdiocese or the Catholic Church, or sending them away for treatment "before returning them to unsupervised access to children," the lawsuit said.
The suit laid out the disturbing and harrowing stories of alleged sexual abuse that the plaintiffs, who are now adults living in Missouri and elsewhere, endured as children.
Several priests were named in the suit, many of whom received convictions for sexual abuse or child pornography or were the subject of civil suits citing sexual abuse. The lawsuit detailed how the archdiocese responded to each priest's case, alleging they repeatedly knowingly covered up details and failed to take action to protect children.
The priest listed as defendant "John Doe I" was a priest at St. Ambrose Church when the lawsuit alleges he abused one of the plaintiffs. According to the lawsuit, the victim doesn't currently know the priest's full identity and the lawsuit will add his name once it is confirmed.
Several of the other plaintiffs also did not know their abuser's full names, often only knowing them as "Father (first name)" when they were children. Their full identities were expected to be learned during the course of discovery, the lawsuit said.
5 On Your Side asked the Archdiocese for a statement or interview after hours Wednesday night, as well as Thursday morning and Thursday afternoon, prior to and after a demonstration by advocates from the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).
David Clohessy is the Volunteer Director for Missouri SNAP.
"Missouri is definitely among the worst states in terms of child protection," Clohessy said. "Plenty of archaic, predator-friendly arbitrary laws like the statute of limitation, plenty of needless deadlines that end up advantaging the abusers, not the abused."
Clohessy cited current Missouri laws as one of the reasons religious abuse cases are commonly civil and not criminal.
"We've long pushed for secular legal reform," Clohessy said, "and we're almost always met with pushback from Catholic lobbyists."
Susan Hurt experienced pushback in 2021 when she brought her abuse case before the Archdiocese. She said the person parishioners are told to contact if they have experienced abuse "gave a heads up to the priest" who abused her.
Hurt told 5 On Your Side, "When the police did talk to the priest, he was surrounded by Archdiocesan lawyers. It was all prearranged so that he was protected. He was just covered, covered by the Archdiocese."
Hurt then shared a follow-up echoed in the 74-page lawsuit filed on Wednesday: "He was transferred within the dioceses to another parish with a school."
In a message to the 25 plaintiffs of the new lawsuit, Clohessy said that no matter how it resolves, "these admirable survivors have already won. They’ve made huge strides towards rebuilding their lives and taking control of their futures. We hope they feel some relief and pride in having taken this big, brave step forward."
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) offers support and resources. Click here for a list of SNAP chapters.