Father Kenneth LaVan, removed from ministry in December 2013, is a serial predator whom the Archdiocese continually disregarded as being a threat to women and children.
Allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior were made in the 1980s and twice LaVan was sent for treatment. A lawsuit involving one of LaVan’s victims was settled in 1985 and by 1989 LaVan was diagnosed with a compulsive sexuality disorder. In 1995 the Clergy Review Board examined LaVan’s history and recommended he continue in ministry. Archbishop Flynn was informed in 2005 that LaVan was not part of the monitoring system and Flynn advised Father Kevin McDonough to leave the situation alone. Finally, after a review of Church files by Kinsale Management LaVan’s faculties were removed in December 2013.
Kenneth LaVan’s file was released as part of a civil lawsuit filed in 2013 in Ramsey County. Doe 1, a sexual abuse survivor of Father Thomas Adamson, successfully sought and obtained the release of a list of credibly accused priests and their secret files from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Diocese of Winona. LaVan’s name was not part of the original list of credibly accused released by the Archdiocese in December 2013. LaVan’s name was later added after Kinsale completed its review.
A summary of the LaVan documents, a timeline, and a summary of LaVan’s priest file are available below.