A Minnesota man who claimed he was abused by a Roman Catholic priest 25 years ago can seek punitive damages from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Diocese of Winona. In a 2006 lawsuit in Ramsey County District Court, the victim, who is not named, alleges he was sexually abused by Thomas Adamson, of Altoona, Wis. It also accused the church of negligence and fraud for not stopping a pedophile priest.
The ruling by Ramsey County District Judge Kathleen Gearin on Thursday is the second time one of Adamson's victims has been allowed to sue for punitive damages, said St. Paul lawyer Jeffrey Anderson, who is representing the plaintiff.
The other case was in 1989.
"This is an extraordinary breakthrough," Anderson said. Allowing plaintiffs to seek punitive damages in cases involving priests "just hasn't happened very often."
Dennis McGrath, a spokesman for the archdiocese, said the ruling was "not unexpected for us." He added the ruling "is not a verdict, however."
The lawyers for the church had argued that punitive damages would be unconstitutional and that it was improper to have multiple punitive-damage awards against the church for essentially the same conduct.
Peter Isely, director of the Wisconsin chapter of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said Thursday's ruling sent a message about church cover-ups of abuse.
"Punitive damages go to the heart of this issue. It's the only way that juries and judges can respond to what the diocese leaders have done," Isely said.
Adamson, now in his 70s, was removed from the priesthood in 1984 after several lawsuits revealed a long history of abuse during his 25 years as a priest.
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