On Wednesday, June 20, Saint John’s Abbey filed seven lawsuits with Stearns County Court in Saint Cloud. These suits were served against Saint John’s by plaintiffs’ attorneys in the final weeks of the window created by the Minnesota Child Victims Act, which closed May 25. However, the lawsuits were not filed in court at that time.
Although it is usually plaintiffs who file cases in court, Saint John’s is itself filing these claims because of various legal issues that can only be resolved once the suit is actually filed and the court process begins. These are not lawsuits brought by Saint John’s, nor are they new claims. Instead, they are lawsuits served on Saint John’s this past Spring that are being filed with the court in order to move various legal processes along.
One of the complaints, brought by “Doe 304,” alleges “unpermitted sexual contact with Plaintiff” in 1993, when the plaintiff was a minor, and names then-Br. Doug Mullin, OSB, as the offender. Fr. Mullin was the Prep School Dean of Students at that time. Fr. Mullin adamantly denies the allegation. Saint John’s Abbey has full confidence in Fr. Mullin’s denial and, by filing the complaint in court—at Fr. Mullin’s request—is seeking to restore his good name.
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Saint John’s Abbey
July 24, 2016
