MINNESOTA
Yahoo! News
By Timothy Mclaughlin
(Reuters) – A Catholic bishop in Minnesota threatened to thwart a man’s attempt to become a deacon and derail his son’s career as a priest for reporting sexual abuse by a senior church member 46 years ago, according to a lawsuit filed on Tuesday.
The personal injury lawsuit, filed in Polk County Court in Crookston, Minnesota, against Bishop Michael Joseph Hoeppner by Ronald Vasek, marks the first time a U.S. bishop has been individually sued for coercion, according to the plaintiff’s attorney, Jeff Anderson.
Hoeppner, who has been bishop of Crookston since 2007, refuted the charges.
“Bishop Hoeppner categorically denies that he in any way forced, coerced or encouraged Mr. Vasek not to pursue his allegations,” the Diocese of Crookston responded in a statement.
The diocese is also a defendant in the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages in excess of $50,000 and the release of records of abuses carried out by priests in the diocese.
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