KC Catholic Diocese covered up sexual abuse by priest for decades, lawsuit says

Caroline Zimmerman, The Kansas City Star on Nov 20, 2025

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A lawsuit filed against the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph Tuesday claims the church covered up sexual abuse the plaintiff allegedly experienced as a child at the hands of a priest around 50 years ago.

The lawsuit marks one of several in recent years against the diocese alleging sexual abuse was concealed by the church, and marks one of several allegations against former priest Father John Tulipana.

The suit alleges the abuse occurred several times between 1976 and 1979 in various locations, including the child’s home, an abandoned warehouse and the church.

The child’s mother reported Tulipana’s conduct to Father James Hart, who reportedly told her the church “was a family” and told her “it would be taken care of,” according to the lawsuit.

The mother also reportedly told the diocese about Tulipana’s conduct after she was “unsatisfied” with Hart’s response, the lawsuit said. Additionally, the child reported the conduct to Hart and Father Thomas Patrick Tobin during two separate confessions, according to court documents.

The lawsuit maintains the diocese “knew or should have known that Tulipana was using his role at the Church to abuse children based on previous complaints yet continued to place Tulipana in positions of power and authority over children, holding him out as a person to whom parents and those responsible for children should entrust them.”

Tulipana, who died in 2014, was barred from the ministry by Bishop Raymond Boland in 1994 following a series of allegations of sexual abuse. At the time, the church confirmed it had settled two complaints against him.

More allegations against Tulipana surfaced in 2008, when the diocese approved a $10 million settlement with 47 individuals who alleged sexual abuse by 12 priests.

Tulipana faced a similar lawsuit in 2010, when an individual alleged Tulipana and another priest sexually abused them at a youth retreat in the 1970s. Four individuals sued the priest in 2014, citing similar instances of abuse.

Tulipana denied all allegations against him. He is on a list of 24 priests the diocese says have credible sexual abuse of a minor allegations against them.

The 2025 lawsuit claims the plaintiff continues to face both emotional and physical pain as a result of the alleged abuse.

The diocese has been notified of the complaint, and has begun an internal process review, Ashlie Hand, director of communications at the diocese, told The Star in an email Wednesday.

“The diocese takes all allegations of misconduct by church personnel very seriously and works to respond to survivors’ needs with urgency, respect and compassion,” Hand said. “We encourage anyone with knowledge about any misconduct by a church volunteer, employee, religious or clergy member — regardless of when the abuse may have occurred — to contact civil authorities first and then call or text the diocese’s confidential report line."

The plaintiff is suing based on counts of intentional failure to supervise, intentional infliction of emotional distress and loss of consortium.

Andy Smith, the plaintiff’s lawyer, told The Star in an email Tuesday, “...our client is, like so many others, a survivor and seeks some degree of justice in the face of such a great and unthinkable betrayal and the harm it caused and still causes.”

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The Star’s Judy L Thomas contributed reporting.

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