WINONA (MN)
KAAL-TV, ABC-6 [Austin MN]
June 30, 2025
By Rachel Mantos
On Monday, a jury issued a verdict on a civil lawsuit in which a male survivor accused a Diocese of Winona-Rochester priest of sexually abusing him as a child from 1973 to 1976.
The accused priest is Father Joseph Cashman, and after deliberation, the jury awarded the victim, named Doe 254 in court documents, with $7.6 million.
“This is a case about accountability, it’s about justice. It’s about Doe 254 finding his voice and regaining his power. We stand with him on this momentous day,” said Attorney Josh Peck.
Father Cashman was employed by the Diocese of Winona, Lourdes High School, and Rochester Catholic Schools. During the time of the abuse of Doe 254, Fr. Cashman served as the principal of Lourdes High School.
“I’m proud to say that I stood, we stood with a very courageous survivor who was violated by a very revered and trusted priest,” said Attorney Jeff Anderson. “He stood up in court, and a jury heard the evidence about the harm that had been done, and returned a verdict.”
Vicar General Very Rev. William D. Thompson from the Diocese of Winona-Rochester provided ABC 6 the following statement on the verdict:
“Today, an Olmsted County Jury returned a verdict in the amount of $7,600,000, in a 50-year-old case involving allegations of sexual abuse of a minor in 1973-1976 by Joseph Cashman, a former priest of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. Prior to the trial, the Diocese of Winona-Rochester admitted liability for Cashman’s wrongful acts.
“Cashman was ordained a priest on June 13, 1960, and served as Principal of Lourdes High School from 1970 to 1977. Cashman was suspended from ministry in 1992 and did not return to ministry before his death on July 4, 2018.
“This verdict is part of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester’s bankruptcy reorganization, wherein the Diocese paid $22,056,000 in damages to survivors of child sexual abuse. Because of the prior funding of damages within the bankruptcy reorganization plan, the money damages awarded by the jury in this proceeding will not require any additional financial contribution by the Diocese of Winona-Rochester or its parishes or schools.
“For the past twenty-three years, in accordance with the national Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the Diocese of Winona-Rochester has been committed to ongoing transparency and to providing and maintaining a safe environment for all. We pray for the survivor that was involved in this case, as well as all individuals who have been affected by clergy abuse.“
While the case was against the Diocese, the nine-year legal battle was drawn out due to the Diocese’s insurance company, U.S. Fire, refusing to pay the survivor.
“That denied responsibility, refused to give the survivor and so many others like it a chance to heal, to recover and get a full measure of justice,” said Anderson.
Now that the verdict is reached, U.S. Fire is on the hook for paying that settlement.
“It’s time for reckoning and it’s time for the truth and it’s time for these courageous survivors to stand up,” said Anderson.
There are at least four other active cases against the diocese in Southeast Minnesota:
Blue Earth County
- Doe 212 vs Diocese of Winona, Loyola Catholic School, Ss Peter and Paul Catholic Church: Filed in June of 2023. Court documents allege that the victim attended Saints Peter and Paul Catholic school in Mankato, where he was sexually abused by Father Joseph Cashman from 1972 to 1973.
- The case’s next scheduling conference is set for Sept. 4, 2025.
Olmsted County
- Doe 222 vs Diocese of Winona, Lourdes High School of Rochester, Inc., Rochester Catholic Schools: Filed in June 2023. Court documents allege that the victim was sexually abused by Father John Cashman while he attended Lourdes from 1972 to 1974.
- In May 2025, Jeff Anderson and Associates argued to the court that the church’s fourth attempt to delay the trial revealed a “concerning pattern” of “delay(ing) resolution to avoid responsibility.”
- “The effect on the aging survivors in this case, and the others, is apparent,” the legal firm argued. “Several have passed away. This is their goal.” The case is scheduled for a pretrial hearing Oct. 17, followed by a trial beginning Oct. 27, 2025.
Winona County
- Doe 220 vs Diocese of Winona, Holy Trinity, aka The Church of Holy Trinity, Rollingstone, Minnesota. Filed in June of 2023. Court documents allege that the victim attended the Church of Holy Trinity, where he was abused by Father Leland Smith from 1968 to 1971.
- The case has a motion hearing July 1, followed by a pretrial hearing Nov. 25 and trial scheduled for Dec. 8-17, 2025.
- Doe 539 vs Diocese of Winona; The Fathers of the Sacred Hearts (North American Province), a.k.a. St Mary’s Church of Winona, Minnesota, Winona Area Catholic Schools, Inc. et. al.: Filed in June 2023. Court documents allege that the victim was sexually abused by Brother Gene Hubert when he attended St. Mary’s in Winona in 1970 and 1971.
- The case is scheduled for a pretrial hearing Sept. 11, followed by a jury trial Oct. 6-17, 2025.