IOWA
Quad-Cities Online
The former bishop of the Sioux City Diocese was accused in a civil lawsuit of sexually abusing boys while holding several Catholic offices, some in Davenport.
Retired Bishop Lawrence D. Soens has been accused of "harmful, illegal, immoral and sadistic sexual contacts with numerous minor aged boys attending Iowa City Regina High School," according to the seven-count lawsuit filed Monday in Scott County District Court.
Attorneys Craig Levien of Davenport and Patrick Noaker of St. Paul, Minn., filed the lawsuit against Bishop Soens, Iowa City Regina High School and the Diocese of Davenport on behalf of their client, Dennis Allen of Johnson County, Iowa. The two attorneys have filed other sexual abuse lawsuits against the Diocese.
The lawsuit alleges the abuse began in 1966, when Bishop Soens was principal at Regina High, a Roman Catholic high school under the direct supervision of the Davenport Diocese.
According to the lawsuit, Bishop Soens engaged in "repeated harmful and illegal sexual contact" with Mr. Allen while fondling him in the principal's office as reprimand for Mr. Allen's alleged misconduct.