MICHIGAN
Central Michigan Life
By Sydney Smith
After a lawsuit was filed by a Central Michigan University student in January, attorneys for the Saginaw Diocese and St. Mary’s University Parish claim there is no “sufficient information” to confirm or deny multiple counts against them and former St. Mary’s priest Denis Heames.
Both the church and the diocese, represented by Masud Labor Law Group in Saginaw, requested all accusations in the lawsuit be dismissed. DeWitt senior Megan Winans filed the lawsuit on Jan. 14, asking the court to consider whether she was abused by Heames, who was removed from St. Mary’s in July, during her work as a “media intern” at the church from 2012-14.
The lawsuit claimed battery, defamation, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent supervision and retention.
Both the diocese and church responded on March 21, by either saying both entities deny the accusations as untrue or did not have sufficient information to confirm or deny the allegations made in the lawsuit.
“The Saginaw Diocese and St. Mary’s lack knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of the allegations in this paragraph,” read the response for most accusations.
This response was listed for the majority of accusations made by Winans and her attorneys in the original lawsuit, including that Heames and Winans maintained a dating relationship and Heames tried to have relationships with other female parishioners.
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