Spokane boys ranch records to be released to sex abuse victims
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS
Associated Press Writer
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SPOKANE, Wash. — The state Supreme Court has declined to review an order that the Morning Star Boys Ranch release the personal files of more than 1,000 past residents to lawyers for sex-abuse victims who have sued the home for orphans and troubled boys.
In seeking a high court review, Morning Star officials contended that the order by Spokane County Superior Court Judge Harold Clarke was unreasonable and should be immediately reviewed by a higher court.
In a decision released Tuesday, Supreme Court Commissioner Steven Goff denied the review, saying Morning Star did not show that the request for information violated privacy laws.
The records will be released to lawyers for the victims, not to the general public.
Thirteen people have filed abuse lawsuits against the ranch, claiming they were sexually abused in the 1970s and '80s. Six of the victims accuse the Rev. Joseph Weitensteiner, former director of the ranch, of abuse. Weitensteiner, 74, resigned last year. He has denied committing sexual abuse.
Morning Star was founded in 1956 by former Catholic Bishop Bernard J. Topel, but is a separate entity from the Catholic Diocese of Spokane.
Timothy Kosnoff, of Seattle, attorney for some of the victims, said releasing the files will allow the plaintiffs to locate and interview hundreds of former residents.
"In this way, a fuller picture of daily horrors at the ranch will emerge," Kosnoff said.
The plaintiffs believe the files will show that complaints of child abuse were made and recorded in personal files, but not disclosed on public daily logs at the ranch, Kosnoff said.
"We believe there was a concerted effort to suppress the existence of abuse information from the public and from child welfare authorities," Kosnoff said.
Officials for Morning Star said in a news release that they will turn over the records.
"We appealed Judge Clarke's decision because we felt it necessary to go to great lengths to protect the privacy and confidentiality of all our residents," acting director Dan Kuhlman said.
A 2006 protective order prevents information from the files being released to the public, the ranch said.
The ranch on Spokane's South Hill has served some 1,300 orphaned or troubled boys since it opened five decades ago.
In 2005, The Spokesman-Review newspaper reported there had been repeated sexual and physical abuse of boys at the ranch, based on records from the state Department of Social and Health Services, court documents and interviews with former counselors and residents.
It was another jolt for area Catholics, who were also dealing with allegations of past sexual abuse by priests of the Spokane Diocese, which filed for bankruptcy protection because of the claims.
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Just-Off-The-Cuff has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is Just-Off-The-Cuff endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Associated Press Writer
Go to Original
SPOKANE, Wash. — The state Supreme Court has declined to review an order that the Morning Star Boys Ranch release the personal files of more than 1,000 past residents to lawyers for sex-abuse victims who have sued the home for orphans and troubled boys.
In seeking a high court review, Morning Star officials contended that the order by Spokane County Superior Court Judge Harold Clarke was unreasonable and should be immediately reviewed by a higher court.
In a decision released Tuesday, Supreme Court Commissioner Steven Goff denied the review, saying Morning Star did not show that the request for information violated privacy laws.
The records will be released to lawyers for the victims, not to the general public.
Thirteen people have filed abuse lawsuits against the ranch, claiming they were sexually abused in the 1970s and '80s. Six of the victims accuse the Rev. Joseph Weitensteiner, former director of the ranch, of abuse. Weitensteiner, 74, resigned last year. He has denied committing sexual abuse.
Morning Star was founded in 1956 by former Catholic Bishop Bernard J. Topel, but is a separate entity from the Catholic Diocese of Spokane.
Timothy Kosnoff, of Seattle, attorney for some of the victims, said releasing the files will allow the plaintiffs to locate and interview hundreds of former residents.
"In this way, a fuller picture of daily horrors at the ranch will emerge," Kosnoff said.
The plaintiffs believe the files will show that complaints of child abuse were made and recorded in personal files, but not disclosed on public daily logs at the ranch, Kosnoff said.
"We believe there was a concerted effort to suppress the existence of abuse information from the public and from child welfare authorities," Kosnoff said.
Officials for Morning Star said in a news release that they will turn over the records.
"We appealed Judge Clarke's decision because we felt it necessary to go to great lengths to protect the privacy and confidentiality of all our residents," acting director Dan Kuhlman said.
A 2006 protective order prevents information from the files being released to the public, the ranch said.
The ranch on Spokane's South Hill has served some 1,300 orphaned or troubled boys since it opened five decades ago.
In 2005, The Spokesman-Review newspaper reported there had been repeated sexual and physical abuse of boys at the ranch, based on records from the state Department of Social and Health Services, court documents and interviews with former counselors and residents.
It was another jolt for area Catholics, who were also dealing with allegations of past sexual abuse by priests of the Spokane Diocese, which filed for bankruptcy protection because of the claims.
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Just-Off-The-Cuff has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is Just-Off-The-Cuff endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
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posted by Rick | 5:44 PM
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