WICHITA (KS)
KWCH-TV, CBS-12 [Wichita KS]
March 8, 2022
A Wichita priest who was the subject of child abuse allegations will return to the ministry, according to the Catholic Diocese of Wichita.
In October of 2021, the diocese placed Rev. Michael Schemm on administrative leave following allegations that he had sexually abused a minor in the 1990s while he was serving at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Wichita. He denied the allegations.
The diocese then turned the case over to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.
In January, the district attorney’s office announced that too much time had passed to prosecute the case under state law.
On Tuesday, Bishop Carl Kemme said that the diocese performed its own investigation and presented it to the Charter Review Board (CRB) to further review.
“The CRB reviewed this entire matter, including investigative materials and other information relating to Rev. Schemm’s 28 years of service to this diocese. The majority of CRB members, which is composed mostly of lay persons, determined that there was insufficient evidence to corroborate Father Schemm’s involvement in this matter and therefore, recommended to me that Rev. Michael Schemm should be returned to ministry,” Kemme said.
The bishop said at the recommendation of the CRB and his own independent review, he would be reinstating Rev. Schemm to public ministry at Church of the Resurrection where he served as pastor prior to the investigation.
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