Former deacon's lawsuit against Texas diocese goes to Supreme Court

Former deacon’s lawsuit against Texas diocese goes to state Supreme Court

Thursday, June 11th, 2020

The Texas Supreme Court agreed June 5 to review an appeal by the Diocese of Lubbock over a former deacon’s defamation lawsuit against it.

The suit, which lower courts said could proceed, sought more than $1 million in damages from the diocese claiming it had falsely included the former deacon in its published list last year of clergy with credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors.

Jesus Guerrero filed a defamation lawsuit last March, two months after all 15 dioceses in the state published lists of clergy members and deacons with credible abuse allegations.

In a response filed with the Lubbock District Court last April, the diocese said it was seeking dismissal of the suit calling it an ecclesiastical matter that civil courts couldn’t interfere with. Read more

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News category: News Shorts, World.

Tags: defamation, Diocese of Lubbock, Texas Supreme Court

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