Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints responds to negligence lawsuit after child’s foot was amputated
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints responds to negligence lawsuit after child’s foot was amputated
Editor’s Note: A lawsuit only portrays one side of a story.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — In 2025, a lawsuit was filed against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, alleging that its negligence led to serious bodily injury to a minor. This week, the Church filed a response to the lawsuit, denying the allegations.
In November 2025, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of two minors, who have not been identified due to their age, after one of the minors had sustained serious injuries during a church activity in 2022. At the time of the incident, the minors were 12 and 14 years old.
A court-appointed conservator was assigned as the plaintiff on behalf of the two minor children. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was named as the defendant.
The incident
The juveniles were participating in an activity on a boat owned by their ward’s Young Women leader, according to the lawsuit. While on the boat, the 12-year-old was feeding out a rope to an inner tube when the young women’s leader reportedly accelerated.
Due to the acceleration, the rope wrapped around the boy’s left foot and severed it below the ankle.
The Young Women’s leader reportedly turned the boat off but was unable to restart it because the engine flooded. The 12-year-old’s brother, who was 14 at the time and is the other minor involved in the lawsuit, called 911.
The brother had to apply a tourniquet to the injured leg and, with the help of others, attempted to paddle his brother to shore on the inner tube.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Negligence lawsuit filed against Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after child loses foot
Despite additional medical attention, the 12-year-old’s foot could not be saved after undergoing two amputations. He also had to go through multiple surgeries.
The lawsuit alleges that the minor has sustained significant mental, emotional, and psychological trauma in addition to irreparable and life-altering harm. It also alleges that his brother sustained emotional and psychological injuries due to witnessing the incident and its impact on his brother.
Because it was a Church activity supervised by Church leaders, the plaintiffs argue that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a responsibility and duty to the minors and breached that duty by failing to provide a safe environment and failing to properly train supervisory individuals.
The plaintiffs are asking for compensation to help both minors with medical treatment and emotional recovery, as well as for any loss of future and past enjoyment of life.
The Church’s response
On Monday, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints filed a response to the initial lawsuit. While it admitted that some of its youth activities involve water sports and that the driver of the boat is in charge of some youth activities, it denied that it breached any of its obligations or legal responsibilities.
The Church also admitted that the adults who organized the activity were leaders within the church. However, they denied that the Young Women’s leader had increased the dangers of boating or that any injuries sustained were the result of acts, errors, or omissions by the Church.
Based on Wyoming law’s due care requirements, the Church admitted it owed a duty of care to the minors but denied allegations that it breached that duty.
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In its response, the Church argued that it bears no responsibility and that there are inherent risks of activities like watersports that it cannot prevent. It also argued that the plaintiff’s claims were barred by the volunteer immunity doctrine, which provides certain protections to individuals acting as volunteers.
The response reads, in part, “the injuries are the result of a rare and unforeseen accident that happened in the absence of negligence or lack of due care by the Defendant.”
It also says that the Church “prays plaintiff take nothing by way of the complaint” and asks the court to grant the defendant any relief that the court deems equitable.
ABC4 has reached out to the Church for a statement on the lawsuit and has not yet heard back.
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