KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A former church musician wants to drop a lawsuit he filed in 2022 against the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville and former Bishop Richard Stika that alleged sexual abuse and a failure to act.
The man’s attorneys from Maryland and Nashville filed a notice of voluntary dismissal Dec. 18 in Knox County Circuit Court. The notice was filed without prejudice, meaning his claims could be brought back in the future. The dismissal notice is expected to go through but must be refiled because of a technicality, WBIR has learned.
There’s been little activity in the lawsuit since it was filed more than three years ago. The man’s lawyers first filed it as a “John Doe” but then later updated it at Judge Jerome Melson’s direction to state his real name…