KANSAS CITY (MO)
KCTV CBS 5 [Kansas City, MO]
November 18, 2025
By Sarah Motter
A new lawsuit claims the Catholic Diocese ignored years of warnings about a now-deceased predatory priest.
Court records filed in Jackson County on Tuesday, Nov. 18, show that an anonymous man has sued the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph.
The suit alleges that the late Father John Tulipana abused a boy in the late 1970s after his family moved to Grandview.
The petition claims that Diocese leaders knew Tulipana violated boundaries with children. Church leaders had received multiple complaints about Tulipana dating back to his seminary days.
Yet, the lawsuit alleges that the Diocese continued to place Tulipana in positions with access to minors.
According to the complaint, Tulipana began to target the boy, identified only as W.J., as he helped his single mother care for her children.
The suit notes that the priest would pick the children up from school and even attend their sporting events.
However, the petition alleges that Tulipana showed the boy pornographic material and sexually abused him and other children.
In one incident, the suit claims that Tulipana took W.J. and another child to an abandoned building. He forced one child to perform sexual acts while the other watched.
When the boy’s mother discovered the abuse, the complaint indicates that she brought her concerns to church leaders.
However, she was told not to file a complaint and was assured the matter would be handled internally. Unsatisfied with the response, the suit details a letter to the Diocese about Tulipana’s abuse.
The lawsuit claims that church leaders ignored warnings and allowed the abuse to continue.
According to the complaint, W.J. repressed all memories of the abuse until January 2021. During the final months of his mother’s life, she disclosed the abuse he had endured, triggering a flood of memories.
Despite the Diocese’s knowledge, the petition claims that church leaders continued to place him in positions of power and authority.
According to the suit, the Diocese:
- Failed to supervise Tulipana despite controlling his working conditions
- Kept a known predator in service to supervise children
- Hid the facts of previous abuse from those who might intervene
- Failed to provide a safe environment
- Violated its own internal policies and procedures.
W.J.’s attorneys, Andrew Smith and Jonathan Soper of Humphrey, Farrington & McClain, have demanded a jury trial.
Since Tulipana’s death in 2012, the Diocese has named him on its list of clergy with substantiated abuse allegations.
The lawsuit now joins several others that were previously litigated, alleging the priest’s sexual abuse of children.
As of Tuesday afternoon, no court appearance has been scheduled. KCTV5 has reached out to the law firm for statements and continues to await a response.
The Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph says it has not been presented with a lawsuit of sexual misconduct by Tulipana since 2020. He left active ministry in 1992.
The Diocese takes very seriously all allegations of sexual abuse of minors made against employees, clerics or volunteers who serve in the diocese. Anyone who has knowledge of such abuse or inappropriate behavior with a minor is encouraged to make a confidential report with the Ombudsman. For anyone who believes they were harmed by John Tulipana or any other person who has worked or volunteered for the diocese, no matter how long ago, the diocese wants to provide care and healing resources to them.Catholic Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph
The suit seeks damages for emotional distress, embarrassment, loss of self-esteem and other impacts that continue to affect the man’s life now.
Those who have been harmed by members of the diocese have been urged to contact the Ombudsman at 816-213-6204 or through email HERE.