LDS Church seeks to have fraud suit related to MTC rape allegations dismissed

SALT LAKE CITY — (KUTV) — The Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints filed to have a lawsuit against it for fraud dismissed.

A federal judge previously upheld the suit while it dismissed those against the former head of the church's Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, because too many years had passed since McKenna Denson claims she was raped by Joseph L. Bishop. He was president of the church's training center for missionaries when Denson was getting instruction on how to proselyte for the church.

In the filing, the plaintiff, identified as COP in the document -- short for Corporation of the President -- denies that Bishop confessed "past red flag sexual improprieties" to a church leader. It says the "COP is without knowledge or information" about the validity of her claims.

MormonLeaks first released audio in March of Denson interviewing Bishop. In the tapes, she confronted him about abuse she said happened when she was a missionary in the 1980s.

Bishop was accused of sexually assaulting her in the recording made by Denson who was a missionary under his supervision in 1984. It also referred to a small basement room where she said the attack happened. The details of that attack were denied, but a former employee confirmed the room's existance to KUTV.

KUTV learned that Bishop told BYU police that he did ask the woman to expose her breasts to him but denied the accusations of rape. Later, documents revealed how the LDS Church dealt with the allegations.

A judge previously allowed Denson's lawsuit to go forward.

The new petition claims the suit should be dismissed because of the statute of limitation, the doctrine of laches and because, "Ms. Denson’s claims are barred by the First Amendment to the United States

Constitution and by Section 4 of the Utah Constitution."

The First Amendment states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

The petition also asks the the "COP be awarded its costs, attorneys' fees, and such other relief as the Court deems proper."