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	Out-of-court Deal Appears Likely in Sex Allegations against Ex-wyo. Bishop Hart By Michael Van Cassell Wyoming Tribune-Eagle August 20, 2008 http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2008/08/20/local_news_updates/20local_08-20-08.txt CHEYENNE -- Sexual abuse allegations against former Wyoming Roman Catholic Bishop Joseph Hart may soon be settled out of court, along with dozens of related lawsuits. According to an attorney for the plaintiffs, a settlement is expected in Missouri civil lawsuits involving allegations of sexual abuse and cover-ups against Hart and other priests in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. The Kansas City Star reported on its Web site late Tuesday that 47 plaintiffs have agreed to settle for about $10 million. Six of the cases involving the Kansas City diocese name Joseph Hart, who served as the Diocese of Cheyenne's bishop from 1978 to 2001, when he retired. Hart was a priest for about two decades at the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph before coming to Cheyenne as an auxiliary bishop in 1976. Rebecca Randles is an attorney with Randles, Mata & Brown who represents the plaintiffs with two other firms. She said she could not discuss details of the settlement until a Kansas City bishop finalizes it, which could happen Thursday. "We're going through the process of settling the individual cases as if we have a global agreement," Randles said. The Diocese of Cheyenne deferred comment on the case to Hart's attorney, who did not return calls on Tuesday. In the past, Hart has said the allegations are unfounded, and he has denied any improper conduct. The settlement ends years of litigation in which six men came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Hart. One of the men was from Wyoming, Randles said. David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said a settlement is progress on some level because it exposes what happened. "No amount of money can even begin to restore the shattered trust and stolen childhood," Clohessy said. He said Hart is "among the most shrewd and cunning of these predators." "Given six civil lawsuits and victims, it's hard to imagine how anyone would believe his alleged innocence at this point," Clohessy said. Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests came to Cheyenne in 2005 to ask the Diocese of Cheyenne to remove Hart's name from a wing at the St. Joseph's Children's Home in Torrington. Documents from the Jackson County Circuit in Missouri allege the following: "Hart perpetrated sexual abuse upon minors in the parishes he served. Additionally, Defendant Hart engaged in inappropriate sexual and sexualized behaviors in front of the minor children, allowed them to drink alcoholic beverages and made them witness to immoral and/or illegal acts that he committed." The documents also allege Hart had sexual intercourse with one of the plaintiffs and took another plaintiff to Kansas City while bishop in Cheyenne and engaged in inappropriate sexual activity. Contact: mcassell@wyomingnews.com
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