Settlement Reached in Civil Suit against Archdiocese

By Dana Thiede
KARE
December 18, 2015

http://www.kare11.com/story/news/2015/12/18/settlement-reached-in-civil-suit-against-archdiocese/77555498/

The Ramsey County Attorney's Office and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have hammered out a settlement involving a civil case accusing the Archdiocese of failing to protect children from predatory priests.

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi says the agreement, which runs for three years, includes intense oversight and potential enforcement by the Ramsey County Attorney's Office and District Court.

"Today's historic agreement increases oversight and transparency to systemically change how the Archdiocese protects children and responds to suspected incidents of child sexual abuse," said Choi. "As a result, it is my expectation that the facts of this case will never be repeated and the protection of children will forever be of paramount importance within this Archdiocese."

Choi and his office levied civil and criminal charges against the Archdiocese for failing to monitor the activities of former priest Curtis Wehmeyer. Wehmeyer was convicted in 2012 of sexually abusing two brothers and possessing child pornography while serving as pastor at the Parish of the Blessed Sacrament on St. Paul's east side. He is currently serving a 5-year sentence.

A criminal case filed in conjunction with the civil proceedings is moving forward. That matter was continued during a hearing Friday morning. The next court date will be set four to six weeks down the road.

"If there were ever any doubts about the pledge of the Archdiocese to keep kids safe, the agreement announced today, going beyond what the law would require, should help put those doubts to rest," reflected interim Archbishop Bernard Hebda.

The settlement announced Friday includes a number of key elements.

Two independent audits will be completed in 2017 and 2018, with substantial involvement by the RCAO, to ensure compliance with the Agreement.

Judicial oversight to enforce compliance in the event there is a breach of this Agreement.

Clergy must report any arrest or citation that violates Archdiocese policies to the Director of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment, who will determine whether the matter should be forwarded to the Archbishop, Ministerial Review Board, or both. When allegations of misconduct including child sex abuse arise in the future, they will now be addressed by the Ministerial Review Board, rather than allowing one or two clergy members to determine how to respond.

When the Archdiocese receives a report of child sex abuse and makes a mandated report to law enforcement, they won't conduct their own internal investigation and won't interfere with law enforcement's investigation.

When a cleric has been found not guilty of criminal conduct by civil authorities or has been investigated without prosecution, the Archdiocese will make an independent inquiry and evaluate the cleric's fitness for ministry.

Board of Directors will have oversight and knowledge of the Safe Environment Program to ensure accountability at the highest levels of the Archdiocese. In announcing the criminal and civil charges against the Archdiocese in June of 2015, Choi said repeatedly that the charges were in response to the Archdiocese's role in "failing to protect children," adding there were multiple opportunities for leaders to remove Wehmeyer but they chose not to.

He said "time and time again, they turned a blind eye" to what was happening.

Wehmeyer was later charged with having sexual contact with a teenager while the boy was unconscious in Chippewa County, Wisconsin. No plea has been entered in that case yet, according to online court records.

Bishop Andrew Cozzens says by settling the civil charges, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is living up to a promise made the day those charges were filed. "We promised that the Archdiocese would continue working with the Ramsey County Attorney's Office, the St. Paul Police Department, and our community partners to strengthen our systems to protect children," Cozzens emphasized. "Today we're here to announce we have done that. Our commitment to protecting children and families will never end."