Understanding the LDS Church Lawsuit
The LDS Church lawsuit refers to a growing number of civil claims filed against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with local wards, stakes, and individual church leaders. They allege the Church knew about child sexual abuse within its congregations and failed to report it to law enforcement. These lawsuits generally don't just target the individual who committed the abuse.
Instead, they argue that Church leadership had the information and authority to stop abuse. But they chose an internal, private response instead.
A recurring pattern in these cases involves survivors reporting abuse to a bishop or other church leader. They are then told the Church will "handle" the matter internally. Police are not involved.
Plus, legal filings describe known offenders being permitted to retain roles with regular access to children, even after leaders were made aware of prior allegations. A December 2022 Associated Press investigation examined how the Church has handled abuse disclosures internally. The report drew renewed public and legal attention to this pattern.
These cases don't involve a single event or product. They involve decades of alleged institutional decisions, made across many different congregations and states, about how to respond when church leaders learned a child was being harmed.
Understanding the Impact of LDS Church Lawsuits on Health
Survivors in this litigation describe both the direct impact of childhood sexual abuse and the compounding harm of an institutional response that discouraged them from seeking help outside the church.
Childhood Sexual Abuse
The abuse itself is committed by a bishop, high priest, missionary, or other church member or leader in a position of trust.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Complex Trauma
Survivors frequently experience PTSD, anxiety, depression, and long-term difficulty with trust and close relationships.
Institutional Betrayal
Many claims describe a distinct, compounding harm: being told not to contact police, or learning the accused was informed of the disclosure, after coming forward to a trusted church leader.
Family and Community Strain
Some survivors describe lasting strain on family relationships and standing within their faith community after coming forward.
Dissociation
Some survivors report memory gaps, emotional numbness, or feeling detached from themselves and others following childhood abuse.
Suicidal Ideation
Survivors may experience suicidal thoughts or behaviors associated with long-term trauma.
| Case Pattern | What Plaintiffs Allege | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Delayed or discouraged reporting | Survivors told the Church would "handle" the matter instead of contacting police | Multiple state court filings, 2025–2026 |
| Known offenders retained in leadership roles | Church allowed individuals with prior allegations continued access to children | Washington, Illinois, and other state filings |
If you are a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and need to talk to someone, the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-422-4453) and the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-4673, operated by RAINN) are both confidential and available 24/7.
Who Qualifies to File an LDS Church Abuse Claim?
Every survivor's situation is different. You do not need to have reported the abuse at the time it happened to have a claim now.
Abuse by a Church Leader, Member, or Volunteer
Claims typically involve abuse committed by someone connected to the Church, such as a bishop, high priest, missionary, or Church-affiliated volunteer, particularly in a role involving supervision or trust.
Evidence of Institutional Knowledge
Claims are strongest when there's evidence the Church was made aware of the abuse or of prior concerns about the individual, whether through a report to a bishop, prior allegations, or a known criminal history.
Timing Under Your State’s Law
Because many states have recently expanded or temporarily reopened filing deadlines for childhood sexual abuse claims, you may be able to file even if the abuse happened decades ago.
While documentation like a contemporaneous report or a known offender's criminal record can strengthen a claim, many survivors come forward with only their own account, and an attorney can help build the case from there.
You are not required to still be a member of the Church, or to have left it, to pursue a claim. Contact our team for a free, confidential case evaluation.
What Is the Current Status of LDS Church Abuse Litigation?
There is no federal MDL for LDS Church sexual abuse claims. In April 2025, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation denied a request to consolidate these cases, finding the circumstances across cases too varied for a single, joint proceeding. As a result, lawsuits are being filed in state courts across the country. Many are in California, Arizona, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and West Virginia.
A substantial number of claims are also being resolved outside the traditional court process. Rather than take every case to trial, the Church has increasingly resolved claims through private settlements. Survivors’ attorneys send detailed case information directly to Church representatives. If the claim seems credible, settlement talks move forward without a judge, jury, or public record.
In May 2025, the Church agreed in principle to resolve more than 100 lawsuits filed in California under a since-expired lookback law. Litigation over related questions continues alongside the individual survivor cases.
How Long Do You Have to File an LDS Church Abuse Lawsuit?
Deadlines for filing a childhood sexual abuse lawsuit vary significantly by state. Many states have changed their rules in recent years specifically to give survivors more time. Some states have permanently eliminated the deadline for childhood sexual abuse claims.
Most states also pause, or "toll," the deadline for a minor's claim until they turn 18. Many apply a discovery rule recognizing that survivors often don't connect their harm to the abuse, or feel able to come forward, until years or decades later.
Because these rules vary so much and have changed recently in many states, it is not something to try to figure out on your own. Call to find out if your claim is still within the filing window.
What Compensation Can You Recover in an LDS Church Abuse Lawsuit?
Compensation in an LDS Church abuse case depends on many different factors. For example, the specific facts of the abuse and the strength of the evidence connecting it to institutional knowledge or failure. Claims generally cover the following:
- Medical and mental health treatment costs, past and future, including long-term therapy
- Lost wages and lost earning capacity, in cases involving significant, documented impact on education or career
- Pain and suffering
- Punitive damages, in cases involving evidence the Church knew of prior allegations and failed to act
Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Individual settlements reached through the Church's private resolution process are typically confidential and vary significantly based on the documentation and evidence presented.
Frequently Asked Questions About LDS Church Abuse Lawsuits
Talk to an LDS Church Abuse Attorney Today
Survivors have secured settlements ranging from confidential individual resolutions to a $2.28 billion jury verdict, and courts continue to scrutinize how the Church has handled abuse disclosures for decades.
If you were sexually abused as a child within the LDS Church, you deserve to be heard, and you don't have to navigate this alone. We offer free, confidential case reviews with no upfront fees. You only pay if we recover compensation for you. Call 866-582-7177, or fill out our free case evaluation form to find out if you qualify.