Though the Diocese of Gallup had its bankruptcy proceedings confirmed in June, legal disputes have stalled the case's exit from court.
The Gallup Independent reports (http://bit.ly/1hoDjlp ) that Phoenix attorney Robert E. Pastor has filed a lawsuit against the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, the Pennsylvania religious order that founded St. Michael Indian School in St. Michaels, Arizona, claiming a Navajo woman was sexually abused at the school by a Franciscan friar.
The Gallup Diocese, the Franciscans and St. Michael Mission Church have already entered a settlement agreement with another Navajo woman related to the abuse. That settlement was part of the diocese's bankruptcy case that was confirmed in June.
Because St. Michael already was part of the settlement, the diocese argues they should be allowed to exit the court.
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Information from: Gallup Independent, http://www.gallupindependent.com
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