Arizona Supreme Court Exempts Clergy From Reporting Child Abuse Learned in 2011 Confession
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 3
Arizona Supreme Court Exempts Clergy From Reporting Child Abuse Learned in 2011 Confession
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 3
Summary
A unanimous Arizona Supreme Court ruling said clergy are not mandated reporters when they learn of child abuse through confession or other confidential religious communications.
The 23-page decision threw out an appeals court win for three abused children, finding the First Amendment bars courts from probing religious doctrine to judge why clergy stayed silent.
The case stemmed from a 2020 lawsuit against the LDS church and two bishops after Paul Adams admitted abuse in 2011 and it was discussed again in a 2012 disciplinary hearing.
AP reported in 2022 that a bishop who called an internal church helpline was advised not to contact police or child welfare officials; the abuse continued until arrests in 2017.
The ruling reinforces confessional secrecy in Arizona and echoes a broader US clash over clergy reporting rules after Washington state dropped a 2025 proposal following Catholic legal action.