Fallout at U. of St. Thomas on Sex-Abuse Allegations Elsewhere

The University of St. Thomas, in Minnesota, is facing fallout from a series of allegations about sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests. The abuse is not alleged to have taken place at the university, but St. Thomas has been drawn into the scandal.

• The Rev. Michael Keating, a professor of Catholic studies, is on leave following the filing of a lawsuit by a woman alleging that he abused her in the late 1990s when she was 13 to 15 years old. While Father Keating has not spoken about the allegations, his lawyer has denied the allegations. Minnesota Public Radio has reported that documents it obtained suggest that church leaders may have planned to communicate with the university about the allegations as early as 2006.
• The Rev. Harry Flynn, a former archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis at a time that many victims say the church didn't do enough about abuse allegations, has resigned from the St. Thomas board.
• The Rev. Kevin McDonough, former vicar general of the archdiocese, and who investigated allegations against Father Keating and others, has also resigned from the St. Thomas board, The Star Tribune reported.