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	Regina Won't Close over Lawsuits Sex Abuse Allegations Prompt Talk about Rumors By Rob Daniel Iowa City Press-Citizen October 5, 2006 http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061005/NEWS01/610050321/1079/NEWS01 Officials at the Regina Catholic Education Center are working to diffuse rumors that payments to settle sexual abuse lawsuits against the school and a former principal could force the school to close. Regina administrators and board members held informational meetings with parents Tuesday and Wednesday to assure them the Iowa City Catholic school will not be closed. Some parents are concerned the school could be forced to close if a large financial settlement has to be made to settle three lawsuits against Regina High, the Catholic Diocese of Davenport and Lawrence Soens, who served as Regina High's first principal from 1958 to 1967. "If your kids are going to Regina, you're concerned about the long-term viability of the school," said Lee Iben, chairman of the Regina Board of Education. "Parents are concerned, as they have a right to be. But there's no intent of (the school being closed) happening at all." Patrick Gannon, Gene Burns and "John Does 8-18" are suing Regina High, the Diocese and Soens, with the latest lawsuit being filed in Scott County District Court in August. The lawsuits allege Soens, who later served as bishop of the Sioux City Diocese from 1983 to 1998, sexually abused them during his tenure as principal at Regina High. The lawsuits, which will be tried together, are scheduled to go to trial Oct. 23 in Davenport, Iben said. Regina is, for the most part, self-sufficient, relying on funding from student tuition and donations from Iowa City-area parishes, said Deacon David Montgomery of the Davenport Diocese. He wrote in a prepared release in August that the diocese was not able to mediate in the lawsuits because it could not afford the requested claims. However, the diocese offered to meet with the alleged victims and offer assistance and counseling. Ann Rhodes of Iowa City, a member of the Davenport Diocese Board of Education, which oversees curriculum at Regina and 15 other Catholic schools in southeast Iowa, said several parents have approached her about the process a lawsuit would take in the court system. She said she was confident the Regina community would pull together. "I have a great deal of faith we're going to work through this," said Rhodes, who has a daughter who is a sophomore at Regina. "We'll work together to get through this. It's a very close-knit group, and we're very committed." Reach Rob Daniel at 339-7360 or rdaniel@press-citizen.com.
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