Diocese augments legal defense team

The Diocese of Knoxville has added two new attorneys to its defense team in the case of John Doe v. Catholic Diocese of Knoxville and Richard F. Stika.

Dear Friends,

On June 17, 2025, the Diocese of Knoxville added two more attorneys to its defense team in the case of John Doe (pseudonym) v. the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville and Richard F. Stika (Case No. C-22-014622). The two new attorneys are Charlotte Winterton and Lindsey Shepard, both of the law firm Gordon Reese Scully Mansukhani (GRSM).

There are now four attorneys defending the Diocese in this lawsuit, as Winterton and Shepard join Matthew Pietsch, also of GRSM, and Gino Marchetti of Taylor, Pigue, Marchetti & Blair.

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I queried diocesan officials about this development, asking about the reason for the additional attorneys and for the entity that is funding the Diocese’s defense. I received no response.

The plaintiff Doe is represented by Nashville-area attorney John Spragens and David Kieley of Spragens Law and Baltimore-area attorney Patrick Thronson of Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman.

In his lawsuit, the plaintiff Doe claims that he was raped on February 5, 2019, by a seminarian for the Diocese of Knoxville. He further claims that the Diocese, under Bp. Stika’s leadership, scuttled the investigation into the alleged rape, and that Bp. Stika defamed him at various times, either by stating that no rape occurred or that Doe was the aggressor.

Originally, the plaintiff filed his lawsuit under the pseudonym John Doe. Although Doe claimed to be a victim of sexual assault, and his identity was well known to diocesan leaders, the Diocese persuaded the court that Doe should have to sue under his true name. Doe filed an amended version of the lawsuit under his true name on January 27, 2023. (I have redacted the plaintiff’s name from the amended lawsuit, and I will continue to use the pseudonym “John Doe” to protect his identity.)

The lawsuit is in the discovery phase.

Questions about the Diocese’s actions may be directed to spokesman John Mecklenborg (jmecklenborg@dioknox.org, 865-862-5746).

I’m grateful to Susan Vance of SNAP Tennessee for the tip on this news and to Taylor Williams for her faithful editing.

Jennifer Hay
Knoxville Nobility
jennifer.hay@knoxvillenobility.com
865.804.9721

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2025 Running Total: $292.39 donated by KN readers to East Tennessee’s mobile sonogram van.

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