Lawsuits filed Tuesday in Stearns County District Court claim that a priest who taught religion at St. John’s Preparatory School in Collegeville, Minn., sexually abused two former students.
A man identified as John B. Doe alleged that the Rev. Dustan Moorse sexually abused him in 1985 when he was in 12th grade.
He was receiving counseling from Moorse for family and sexuality problems at the time, he said.
A second man identified as John L. Doe said Moorse sexually abused him in 1983 when he was in 12th grade.
Moorse had been his religion teacher and provided spiritual and emotional counseling to him regarding sexual activities, he said.
Named as defendants in the suits are Moorse and the Order of St. Benedict, which operates the school. An attorney representing them could not be reached for comment.
Moorse taught at the school from 1979 to 1986, when he left to pursue graduate work, school officials said. He later taught history and religion at Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School in St. Louis Park.
He no longer teaches, but is still a monk at St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville.
Attorney Jeffrey R. Anderson, who represents both plaintiffs, said the suits were filed separately.
“The plaintiffs are unrelated and don’t know each other,” he said. “The similarity is that they were both sexually abused by the same monk or priest under similar circumstances 2 1/2 years apart.”
Paper: STAR TRIBUNE (Mpls.-St. Paul) Newspaper of the Twin Cities
Headline: Priest sexually abused 2 students, suits claim
Date: 08/07/91
Priest sexually abused 2 students, suits claim
