Catholic Diocese and Casper, Wyoming, Church Deny Knowledge of Alleged Abuse by Former Youth Minister

The Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne and Our Lady of Fatima Church in Casper are denying responsibility for alleged sexual abuse of three former parishioners, who say they were assaulted as minors. The two institutions pushed back against the claims shortly after a Natrona County judge largely rejected their effort to have the case dismissed.

The allegations were made in a lawsuit filed by the three former parishioners in the spring of 2026. The men say they were abused in the 1990s. The diocese and the Casper church deny that the abuse happened and deny any knowledge of it.

Former youth minister Doug Hudson has denied claims that he abused three Casper boys between 1995 and 1997. The church and the diocese moved to dismiss the suit, but the judge’s ruling changed its shape. The source reports that the ruling largely rejected the dismissal effort, but it does not detail what claims remain beyond that.

The dispute over what the institutions knew, and when, sits at the center of the case. The church is denying knowledge of the alleged abuse, while the plaintiffs’ claims rest on the assertion that the abuse occurred while they were minors in the church’s youth activities (Psalm 82:3).

The source does not report any findings on the merits of the allegations. The claims remain allegations in a pending lawsuit, and the defendants’ denials have not been tested in a ruling on the facts.

Source: Read the original report