Findings re: Mormon official’s declaration on church knowledge of sexual abuse

Part of a series of Floodlit special reports on lawsuits alleging sexual abuse coverups by Mormon officials.

Floodlit.org has learned that in 2012, LDS church risk management director Paul Rytting declared under penalty of perjury, “the first lawsuit against the Church relating to sexual abuse was brought in 1989.”

But we found two prior lawsuits (1986, 1988) directly contradicting his statement.

Did he know?

In 2012, during an Idaho sex abuse lawsuit against the Mormon church, its longtime director of risk management, Paul Rytting, made a declaration in support of a motion to limit the disclosure of sensitive information pertaining to church records.

Related case reports:

• Trent Hugh Rogers
• Larren Bybee Arnold

We’ve included the full text of Rytting’s declaration below, as text and as images.

Rytting wrote, “The first lawsuit against the Church relating to sexual abuse was brought in 1989.”

However, Floodlit has identified two such lawsuits filed prior to 1989, directly contradicting Rytting’s statement:

• 1986 – re: Trent Hugh Rogers of Phoenix, Arizona
• 1988 – re: Richard Kenneth Ray of Mesa, Arizona (update based on further investigation: 1984)

Rytting did not name the 1989 lawsuit to which he was referring, but it might be Scott v. Hammock (Utah).

We were the first organization to publicly report that the settlement amount was $150,000.

We are also investigating three other claims made by Rytting in his declaration:

Rytting statement 1. “No record exists of any allegations or investigations of child sexual abuse in the 1960s or 1970s.”

In numerous instances, Mormon bishops were allegedly aware of accusations of child sexual abuse perpetrators in their wards prior to 1980. Here are 14 examples of these alleged perpetrators from a quick glance at the Floodlit database (we can easily supply more):

1. Melvin Kay Johnson – 1960s and 1970s – BYU religion professor, stake high council member
2. George Kermit Tilson – 1966 – scout leader, high priest
3. Richard Kenneth Ray – 1968 – various positions
4. James Phillip Schmidt – 1969 to 1974 – scout leader
5. Gary Fuller Reese – bishopric counselor, scout leader, seminary teacher – 1970s
6. Jack Loholt – 1971 – scout leader
7. Stephen D. Field – 1971 – scout leader
8. Arthur Noel Krigbaum – 1974 – scout leader
9. John Doe – 1975 – stake mission president – described by Vaughn Featherstone of the Mormon church seventy
10. Michael Simms – 1975 – church organist and music teacher
11. Dustin Hall – 1977 – scout leader
12. David James O’Connor – 1977 – scout leader
13. Franklin Curtis – 1978 or 1979 – various positions
14. Robert Gene Metcalf – 1978 or 1979 – scout leader

Rytting statement 2. “[N]o leader has ever testified suggesting that Church policymakers had any awareness of a problem with abuse in scouting or generally in the Church during the 1950-1972 time period.”

In at least five instances in the list above, LDS bishops allegedly knew prior to 1973 of allegations that scout leaders in their wards or other church members had sexually assaulted children.

Floodlit is investigating whether apostles knew of any of these allegations prior to 1973.

We are also trying to find out if there are any documented instances of excommunication for child sexual abuse prior to 1973.

Rytting statement 3. “[T]he Church has tried to ascertain when the Church first became aware that BSA maintained ineligible volunteer files. While no exact date could be ascertained, it appears the Church first became aware of these files in the context of litigation filed sometime after 1989. There is no information that suggests Church leaders were aware of these files in or before 1972.”

Floodlit is investigating this claim. A number of Boy Scout executives in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s were also Mormon officials – one notable example being former mission president Harold Hillam, who was president of the BSA’s Teton Peaks Council in Idaho in 1988 (related case report on Keven Brad Nelson).

Whether or not the Mormon church knew of the existence of the “perversion files” prior to 1989, we have compiled documents showing that multiple Scout executives who were also Mormon leaders knew about child sex abuse accusations against scout leaders in their ranks prior to 1989.

Do you know of any lawsuits against the Mormon church regarding abuse prior to 1990? If you have any information that might help us understand whether Rytting’s declaration under oath was accurate, please contact us.

Please get involved if you can!

Below is the full text of Rytting’s declaration.

“Case No.: 09-351-S-BLW

DECLARATION OF PAUL RYTTING

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF IDAHO

IN SUPPORT OF MOTION FOR CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDING PROTECTIVE ORDER

BISHOP OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS; CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS AND SUCCESSORS; BOYS SCOUTS OF AMERICA; and ORE- IDAHO COUNCIL INC. BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA,

Defendants.

Paul Rytting declares as follows:

I am the Director of the Risk Management Division for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the “Church”). I make this declaration based upon personal knowledge.

Based on a search of Church historical records, there were 504 Church units in Idaho in 1972, including Wards, Branches, Stakes and Missions.

To the extent the Church has files relating to allegations of sexual abuse, they are maintained in my office. No record exists of any allegations or investigations of child sexual abuse in the 1960s or 1970s. The Risk Management Division was created in 1979. The first lawsuit against the Church relating to sexual abuse was brought in 1989.

I have been employed at the Risk Management Division since 1995. During that time, Church leaders have been deposed in connection with child abuse related litigation on a few occasions. But no leader has ever testified suggesting that Church policymakers had any awareness of a problem with abuse in scouting or generally in the Church during the 1950-1972 time period.

To my knowledge, the Church has no records that discuss BSA’s ineligible volunteer files. If such files existed, they would most likely be maintained by the Risk Management Division or by the Church’s Young Men’s organization, which maintains the relationship with the Boy Scouts of America. Neither group has any documents mentioning ineligible volunteer files.

In the context of other litigation, the Church has tried to ascertain when the Church first became aware that BSA maintained ineligible volunteer files. While no exact date could be ascertained, it appears the Church first became aware of these files in the context of litigation filed sometime after 1989. There is no information that suggests Church leaders were aware of these files in or before 1972.

The Risk Management Division maintains settlement agreements. As is common with settlement agreements, in virtually every form they contain a very abbreviated (if any) recitation of the allegations, a categorical denial of the allegations and liability, and standard provisions such as a release. They contain no admissions and no information about Church knowledge of the alleged widespread problem of sexual abuse. Moreover, several of the settlement agreements contain confidentiality provisions to protect privacy interests.

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States that the foregoing is true and correct.”