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	Court Loss Could Prompt Catholic School to File for Bankruptcy By Erin Jordan Des Moines Register October 9, 2006 http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061009/NEWS/61009021/1001/MARKETPLACE Iowa City, Ia. -- Leaders of Regina Catholic High School are preparing to file for bankruptcy if they lose a lawsuit alleging a former principal molested a student in the mid-1960s, school officials announced this morning. Filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy would allow the school, which has about 1,000 students in preschool through 12th grade, to protect its assets from being seized as part of three pending lawsuits regarding Lawrence Soens, who was principal at Regina from 1958 to 1967. "Our goal is to continue to provide high-quality, Christ-centered education, no matter the outcome," said Patrice Carroll, treasurer of the Regina Board of Education. School officials have hired a bankruptcy attorney who has begun preparing for filing Chapter 11, "in the event of an adverse outcome," Carroll said. Regina has been named in three lawsuit involving 15 plaintiffs. The first suit, filed in April 2005 by Michael Gould, now of Florida, is scheduled for a jury trial on Oct. 23 in Scott County District Court. The trial is expected to last five days after jury selection, said Lee Iben, school board chairman. "We're still planning to go to trial on Oct. 23," he said. Regina officials have been involved in no settlement talks, Carroll said. Former students who are suing Soens, the school and the Davenport Diocese allege that Soens' abusive actions were so well known that students recited a ditty about the dangers of being called to the principal's office. Students said Soens took pleasure in cornering them in hallways of offices and twisting their nipples, a bruising action they called "purpling." Gould alleges Soens would call him into the principal's office on the pretext of discussing a disciplinary matter and then fondle his nipples and penis over his clothing, according to a sworn statement. Regina officials said Monday they don't think the school should be included in the lawsuit for three reasons, Iben said. At the time of the allegations, principals were hired, supervised and transferred by a school board of four area priests and the bishop -- meaning no lay Catholics were involved in the decisions, Iben said. School officials also believe too much time has passed from the alleged actions to when the suits were filed, starting in 2005. The third reason school officials don't think they should be involved in the lawsuit is because Soens has denied the actions and "no adult who was employed at Regina during Bishop Soens' time here has any recollection of inappropriate actions," Iben said. However, school officials said they are not judging the credibility of the accusations. "We weren't around at the time and we don't know what happened," Carroll said. School leaders met with about 250 parents in two meetings last week and with seventh- through 12th-grade students on Friday, leaders said. Students and parents asked questions about the lawsuits and how they might affect the school. "The temperature of the room was much calmer after the meeting," Iben said.
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