Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Curtis Wehmeyer Named in Civil Lawsuit

Claims Include Deception, Concealment, False Representations, Nuisance and Destruction of Evidence

(St. Paul, MN) – At a news conference today sexual abuse attorney Jeff Anderson will:

  • Announce the filing of a civil lawsuit on behalf a youth, Doe 31, who was abused by Father Curtis Wehmeyer at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in St. Paul. The lawsuit names the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Wehmeyer. The lawsuit alleges the Archdiocese had knowledge that Wehmeyer posed a risk to children and failed to protect Doe 31.
  • Examine the failure to report Wehmeyer’s repeated, inappropriate sexual behavior which the top Archdiocesan officials, including Fr. Kevin McDonough, learned about as early as 2004 when Wehmeyer reportedly solicited sex from two young men at a Barnes & Noble. Wehmeyer was sent to Saint Luke Institute in Maryland, a treatment facility for known offenders, for evaluation.  Upon return to Minnesota, church officials placed him back into ministry and required Wehmeyer to attend sexaholic’s anonymous meetings.  In 2006, Wehmeyer was assigned to Blessed Sacrament where he later abused Doe 31.
  • Discuss the Ramsey County Attorney’s decision not to file charges against top church officials for their role in Wehmeyer’s criminal case.
  • Encourage other survivors of sexual abuse to come forward, including those abused by Fr. Wehmeyer, and report their abuse to law enforcement.
  • Call upon law enforcement agencies and prosecuting authorities to examine the record that demonstrates concealment of crimes and obstruction of justice by top officials of the Archdiocese.

When
Thursday, January 30, 2014 at 1:00 PM (CST)

Where
Law Office of Jeff Anderson & Associates
366 Jackson Street Suite 100
St. Paul, MN 55101

Who
Attorneys Jeff Anderson and Sarah Odegaard.

Notes
The complaint and other documents will be posted to our website at andersonadvocates.com.

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