St. Louis Archdiocese Seeks Abuse Lawsuit Dismissal

TROY, Mo. (AP) — The St. Louis archdiocese is seeking the dismissal of a lawsuit by the family of a teenage girl who claims Archbishop Robert Carlson failed to prevent her molestation by a priest with whom he lived in the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica.

The Rev. Joseph Jiang is accused in eastern Missouri's Lincoln County of leaving a $20,000 check atop a car belonging to the girl's family after the alleged improper sexual contact. The lawsuit says Carlson asked for the check's return. The family instead reported the exchange to police.

A motion by the archdiocese to dismiss the lawsuit was scheduled to be heard Wednesday in a Troy courtroom.

Jiang also faces criminal charges of first-degree child endangerment and tampering in a separate Lincoln County case.