If you or a loved one were sexually abused or sexually assaulted by someone at the Mormon Church (i.e., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), you may be entitled to compensation from a Mormon Church sexual abuse lawsuit case or settlement claim.
A team of institutional sex abuse injury lawyers and class action attorneys is investigating potential Mormon Church sexual abuse lawsuit and settlement cases of individuals who assert they were sexually abused or assaulted by someone at the Mormon Church.
The Mormon Church (a/k/a The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Latter-day Saints Church and the LDS Church) is a Christian-based religious denomination that was organized on April 6, 1830, in Fayette, New York, by Joseph Smith. The LDS Church is incorporated in, and has its headquarters in, Salt Lake City, Utah. It is reported to have over 17 million members worldwide and over 30,000 congregations.
Unfortunately, in recent years there have been growing reports of claims of sexual abuse involving individuals associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Victims of alleged sexual abuse within the Mormon Church have been coming forward and filing sex abuse lawsuits against the Church seeking compensation for the physical, emotional and psychological trauma they claim to have experienced.
Mormon Church Sexual Abuse Lawsuits: Overview
- What Do The Mormon Church Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Allege?
- Who May Qualify For a LDS Sex Abuse Lawsuit or Settlement?
- What Is Sexual Abuse?
- What is Institutional Sexual Abuse?
- Where Has Sexual Abuse Been Reported at The Mormon Church?
- Who Are The Alleged Sexual Perpetrators Within The LDS Church?
- What Defendants Have Been Sued For LDS Church Sex Abuse?
- What Injuries May Be Claimed In LDS Sex Abuse Lawsuits?
- What is the Status of the Mormon Church Sex Abuse Litigation?
- Can I Recover Compensation From A Sex Abuse Lawsuit?
- Is There A Deadline To File a Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?
- Request A Free Case Review From A Sex Abuse Injury Lawyer
Mormon Church Sex Abuse Lawsuits & Settlements
Mormon church sexual abuse lawsuit and settlement cases potentially being investigated include those involving sex abuse victims and survivors who claim to have been sexually abused by individuals (e.g., a bishop, elder, member clergy, volunteer, counselor, teacher, missionary, youth leader, etc.) at the LDS Mormon Church:
- Mormon Church
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- The Latter-day Saints Church
- The LDS Church
- The Church
- The Church of Jesus Christ
If you or someone you love were sexually abused or assaulted by someone at the Mormon Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), you may be eligible to recover monetary compensation from a Mormon Church sexual abuse injury lawsuit or settlement case.
Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Against The Mormon Church
Numerous sex abuse lawsuits have been filed against the LDS Church by sex abuse victims and sexual assault survivors alleging decades of sexual abuse and a systemic cover-up by church leadership. These sex abuse lawsuits claim the LDS church prioritized protecting its reputation and finances over safeguarding church members.
The Mormon Church abuse lawsuits have alleged various forms of sexual abuse (grooming, sexual assault and battery, molestation, and exploitation, etc.) by people in positions of trust, authority or power at the Church (such as bishops, youth leaders, counselors in bishoprics and stake presidents, Sunday school teachers, mission presidents, missionaries, temple workers, other members and volunteers, etc.).
LDS abuse lawsuits allege that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints defendants are legally responsible for harm from sexual assault, abuse, and misconduct committed by individuals associated with the Church since they, among other things, allegedly:
- Negligently hired, supervised, retained, monitored, and/or investigated perpetrators
- Breached their duty to implement and enforce adequate policies, guidelines, training, education, and procedures aimed at preventing, deterring, uncovering, and reporting instances of child sexual assault and/or abuse by adults, including its agents, servants, representatives, staff, and volunteers
- Negligently and/or intentionally failed to report known and/or reasonably suspected sexual assaults and/or sexual abuse, and molestation of plaintiffs to law enforcement
- Permitted perpetrators to remain in positions of good standing after they knew or should have known, reasonably suspected, or were otherwise on notice, that Perpetrators sexually abused and/or sexually assaulted, and molested minor children
- Permitted perpetrators continued and/or unsupervised access to plaintiffs after Defendants knew or should have known, reasonably suspected, or were otherwise on notice, of Perpetrator’s misconduct that created a risk of childhood sexual assault
- Failed to inform or concealed from law enforcement officials that plaintiffs and others were or may have been sexually assaulted, thereby creating the circumstance where plaintiffs and others were less likely to receive medical/mental health care and treatment, exacerbating the harm to plaintiffs
- Failed to take reasonable steps, and to implement reasonable policies, procedures, and safeguards to avoid, detect, and report acts of unlawful sexual conduct by employees, including perpetrators with minor children
- Failed to implement a system or procedure to supervise or monitor employees, volunteers, representatives or agents to ensure that they did not molest or assault minors in Defendants’ custody or care
Mormon Church sex abuse lawsuit complaints have asserted various legal claims (i.e., counts or causes of action) including, among other things, negligence, negligent supervision of a minor, sexual abuse of a minor, negligent hiring, supervision and retention of an unfit employee, negligent failure to warn, train or educate, breach of fiduciary duty, intentional infliction of emotional distress, vicarious liability (respondent superior), sexual assault, battery, conspiracy and violation of various state and/or federal statutes.
Plaintiffs in the Mormon sex abuse lawsuits have sought to recover compensatory damages, both economic damages (e.g., medical expenses, loss of income, therapy costs, etc.) and non-economic damages (e.g., pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, etc., punitive and exemplary damages, interest, costs of suit and/or attorneys’ fees.).
LDS Church Defendants Sued For Sex Abuse Claims
Defendants in the LDS church sex abuse lawsuits have included The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Temple Corporation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and various unincorporated and incorporated ecclesiastical subdivisions.
Latter-day Saints Church Sex Abuse Cases
Sexual abuse lawsuit claims against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints potentially being investigated include cases involving victims and survivors who assert they were sexually abused or assaulted by individuals associated with the LDS Church, including:
- Bishops
- Stake presidents
- Counselors in bishoprics
- Missionaries
- Church volunteers
- Mission presidents and MTC leaders
- Elders, high priests and other priesthood holders
- Youth leaders
- Sunday school teachers
- Church members (non-leaders)
- Church employees or affiliates
- Counselors
- Temple workers
- Other possible perpetrators and sex abusers
Reports Of Sex Abuse in LDS Programs & Settings
Sex abuse and other sexual misconduct has been reported to have occurred within various Church-related programs and settings within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints including, for example:
- Local congregations (wards)
- Bishop interviews / worthiness interviews
- Foster care
- Adoption programs
- Church buildings
- Scouting programs
- Youth camps
- Overnight events
- Other youth programs
- Primary (children’s program)
- Sunday School and weekday activities for children
- Counseling sessions
- Spiritual guidance
- LDS Church sponsored activities
- Young Men (Young Men’s) organization
- Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association (YMMIA)
- Young Women (Young Women’s) organization
- The Indian Placement Program (ISPP)
- Seminary and Institute programs
- Home teaching / ministering program
- Missionary programs
- Other Mormon Church programs
Mormon Church Lawsuit & Settlement Updates
Recent updates and news about sex abuse lawsuits and settlements involving The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints include:
- April 2025: As of April 2025, more than 91 child sexual abuse lawsuit cases have been filed in California courts, accusing numerous former LDS church leaders and members (including bishops, elders, missionaries, high priests, teachers, counselors, youth leaders and a stake president) of sexual abuse and alleging that LDS church officials failed to report the abuse to law enforcement.
- April 2023: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints agreed to pay $1 million to a Riverside California woman who alleged that she was molested for years by her stepfather from age 5 until she was 14 at their home and at events, meetings, and property of the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- January 2023: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints agreed to a $1.1 million settlement with a man who alleged he was sexually abused as a preschooler in the 1980s by a teenage volunteer in his Tacoma Washington ward. The lawsuit claimed that a Mormon bishop discouraged the victim’s parents from reporting the abuse to the police.
According to FLOODLIT.org estimates of Mormon Church Sexual Abuse Settlements that have been publicly reported, the Mormon church may have paid over $50 million so far to settle sex abuse lawsuits. FLOODLIT.org, a non-profit organization, conducts investigative reporting and research to compile and publish case reports about instances when Mormon/LDS church leaders or members allegedly perpetrated sexual abuse or other sex crimes worldwide and provides public access to a Mormon Sexual Abuse Map and Mormon Sexual Abuse Database.
Recover Compensation For Sex Abuse Injury Claims
Victims and survivors of sexual abuse who bring sexual abuse lawsuits against The Church of Latter-day Saints may be able to recover compensation for injuries suffered, including money damages for losses incurred as a result of being sexually assaulted or abused, such as:
- Compensatory damages for pain and suffering
- Loss of wages or earnings due to missed work
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Medical care expenses incurred or to be incurred
- Other out of pocket expenses
- Loss of quality or enjoyment of life
- Mental anguish/emotional distress
- Other possible sexual abuse damages
Non-economic damages may be awarded to compensate sexual abuse victims for the pain, suffering, emotional distress, and psychological harm caused by the sexual abuse, including for long-term trauma, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other mental health consequences resulting from the sexual abuse.
Economic damages may be awarded to compensate sexual abuse survivors for any financial losses incurred due to the abuse, including costs for medical treatment, therapy or counseling, lost wages if the victim is no longer able to work or has suffered a long-term impact on their ability to work, and other out-of-pocket expenses related to the sexual abuse.
Time Is Limited To File An LDS Sexual Abuse Claim
There are legal deadlines known as statutes of limitation and statutes of repose that may limit the time that sexual assault survivors and sexual abuse victims have to file a sexual abuse lawsuit against the Mormon Church to try to recover compensation for injury and harm suffered as result of being sexually assaulted or abused.
This means that if a Mormon church sexual abuse lawsuit claim is not filed before the legal deadline or limitations period, the victim may be barred from ever pursuing litigation or taking legal action regarding their LDS Church sexual abuse injury claim. That is why it is important to connect with a sex abuse injury lawyer or attorney as soon as possible.
If you or a loved one were sexually abused by someone at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you may be entitled to recover compensation from an LDS Mormon Church sex abuse lawsuit case or settlement claim. Contact a sexual abuse injury lawyer to request a free confidential case review.
*If you or a loved one are experiencing physical or mental health issues or complications as a result of sexual assault or abuse, we urge you to promptly consult with your doctor, physician or therapist for an evaluation.
**The listing of a company, organization or facility (e.g., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or the Mormon Church, etc.) is not meant to state or imply that it acted illegally or improperly; rather only that an investigation may be, is or was being conducted to determine whether legal rights have been violated.
***The use of any trademarks, tradenames or service marks is solely for product identification and/or informational purposes.
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