Mormon church president Thomas S. Monson issues deposition subpoena for sexual abuse lawsuits

Thomas S. Monson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, was issued a subpoena for deposition in sexual abuse lawsuits.

The subpoena orders Monson to appear in court on Aug. 4.

It was filed by lawyers of four people — two men and two women — from Navajo Nation, who claimed they had suffered from sexual abuse during a placement program sponsored by the Mormon church that ran in the 1960s and 1970s.

Under the program, called the "Indian Student Placement Program," Navajo youths were put in the care of LDS foster families after being baptized as Mormon. They stayed with their forster families for the school year and returned home in the summer.

According to the lawsuit, the four plaintiffs suffered from sexual abuse while they were in their foster families. Some of them said they reported it to church officials, who allegedly did not take appropriate action.

One of the plaintiffs said the program was part of the church's goal to convert Navajo children to the Mormon faith.

Craig Vernon, an attorney for one of the victims, believed Monson could provide "unique information" that could help the case, thus it it necessary for him to testify in court.

"What President Monson knew or didn't know about this and child sexual abuse within this program in general, is relevant," wrote Vernon, according to Fox 13. "If President Monson claims no knowledge, that too is relevant to what the Church knew or should have known about Lee and his ability to lead this program within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation and protect Indian Placement Program's children from sexual harm."

Vernon was referring to George Lee, former church general authority of LDS who was excommunicated in 1989 on grounds of sexual abuse.

On July 21, lawyers from the LDS church filed a motion to quash the subpoena, saying requiring Monson to testify in court is "improper."

The motion stated that Monson's only connection to the case was that he was a senior church leader when the alleged abuse took place.

"[The attorneys'] subpoena should be seen for what it is — a tactical maneuver calculated to burden the apex leader of the LDS Church in a misguided attempt to create leverage in the litigation," the motion said, as reported by Deseret News.