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Woman Sues the LDS Church, Says She Was Raped by Missionary Training Center President

By Nate Carlisle
Salt Lake Tribune
April 5, 2018

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2018/04/05/woman-sues-the-lds-church-for-what-she-says-was-abuse-by-missionary-training-center-president/

(Tribune file photo) Joseph L. Bishop, in 1972, about a decade before he became Missionary Training Center president.

A woman who alleges the then-president of the LDS Missionary Training Center raped her sued The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Wednesday.

McKenna Denson says in her lawsuit that the church placed Joseph L. Bishop in charge of the training center in Provo despite “red flag sexual improprieties” years earlier.

Those include, the lawsuit claims, improprieties with a young woman while serving as a missionary in Argentina and inappropriate treatment of women when Bishop was president of Weber State University.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Salt Lake City. It names both the LDS Church and Bishop, 85, as defendants. Denson’s suit seeks damages to be determined at trial.

Denson’s attorney, Craig K. Vernon, is scheduled to hold a news conference Thursday in Salt Lake City discussing the lawsuit and providing results of a polygraph exam. The news release Wednesday named Denson and said she was coming forward as a victim of sex abuse.

“Denson seeks justice for this horrific sexual assault as well as the ongoing emotional distress she suffered by repeatedly being ignored, disbelieved, shamed and blamed by the Church she loved so dearly,” the statement from Vernon and his law firm said.

Eric Hawkins, a spokesman for the LDS Church, on Wednesday referred to two sentences from an earlier statement the church issued on the allegations against it and Bishop:

“The Church has great faith in the judicial system to determine the truth of these claims. Nevertheless, the Church takes seriously its responsibility to hold its members accountable for their conduct with respect of the laws of God and man.”

Bishop’s son, Greg Bishop, who is also an attorney who has spoke on his father’s behalf, did not return messages seeking comment Wednesday.

The lawsuit comes less than month after MormonLeaks published a recorded conversation between Denson and the elder Bishop. That recording was made in December.

In the conversation, Bishop said he didn’t remember taking her into the room, let alone sexually assaulting her. However, he repeatedly apologized, describing himself as a predator and saying he had confessed to other sexual misconduct.

 

 

 

 

 




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