MINNESOTA
St. Cloud Times
David Unze, dunze@stcloudtimes.com March 28, 2016
Attorneys representing a man suing the Diocese of St. Cloud argued Monday that a Stearns County judge should order the diocese to immediately release personnel files of priests with credible allegations of sexual misconduct against them.
Jeffrey Anderson told Stearns County District Court Judge Kris Davick-Halfen that there is an ongoing threat to safety because the diocese hasn’t turned over the files. He criticized the diocese for stalling on turning over the files.
The diocese’s attorney, Thomas Wieser, argued that the names and work histories of those credibly accused have been public knowledge for more than two years and that Davick-Halfen should instead issue a protective order that would prevent sensitive information in those files from getting to the public.
Davick-Halfen took the matter under advisement and plans to issue a decision in early April.
The request for the priest files is part of a “public nuisance” claim against the diocese in a lawsuit involving the Rev. James Thoennes.
A former student at a Foley elementary school in January 2015 sued Thoennes, accusing him of abusing the student years after the diocese knew Thoennes had abused other children.
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