SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A judge is refusing to dismiss a lawsuit claiming a woman was raped after the Mormon church allowed a man to oversee young missionaries in the 1980s despite a history of sexual misconduct.
Her attorney, Craig Vernon, says the Monday decision will allow them to investigate Joseph L. Bishop’s tenure for other possible victims.
A Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spokesman says they’re confident the legal system will “evaluate these claims and determine the truth.”
The church wanted the case dismissed because the allegations are decades old.
U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball agreed on some counts, but allowed a fraud claim to stand because the alleged cover-up was discovered recently.
Kimball also dismissed the claims against Bishop, who has denied assaulting the woman.
