West Virginia AG sues Catholic diocese, says pedophiles were knowingly hired

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against the Catholic diocese of Wheeling-Charleston and its former bishop, Michael Bransfield, allegingthey violated the state's consumer protection laws by "knowingly" employing pedophiles.

The suit alleges the diocese and Bransfield did not conduct substantial background checks on people hired to work in Catholic schools and camps, The Washington Post reports, and then tried to "cover up and conceal arguably criminal behavior of child sexual abuse." The first incident mentioned in the suit took place in 1965, when a priest accused of sexually abusing a child was hired by the diocese and later became director of Camp Tygart despite new allegations surfacing.

Morrisey is seeking to block the diocese from "continuation of any such conduct." Because he used consumer law to file a civil lawsuit, the church's files can be viewed through legal discovery.

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The diocese, which covers the whole state, released a statement Tuesday saying it "strongly and unconditionally rejects the complaint's assertion that the diocese is not wholly committed to the protection of children." Last week, Baltimore Archbishop William Lori prohibited Bransfield from conducting any priestly duties after multiple adults accused him of sexual harassment.