9 of 10 claims dismissed in Milwaukee archdiocese bankruptcy

A judge in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee bankruptcy has eliminated the largest number of sexual abuse claims to date in the 4-year-old case.

Federal bankruptcy Judge Susan Kelley has dismissed nine of 10 claims challenged by the archdiocese. In seven of the claims, Kelley ruled they failed to show evidence of fraud. In the two others that were tossed, Kelley said the cases had previously been dismissed by state courts.

As for the remaining case, the Journal Sentinel reports the judge ruled there's evidence the archdiocese may have known as early as the 1950s that the Rev. Lawrence Murphy was molesting boys a St. John's School for the Deaf in Milwaukee.

Archdiocese spokesman Jerry Topczewski says the ruling affirms their position "that the vast majority of abuse was not known to the archdiocese until years after it occurred."