Judge refuses to move sex abuse suit out of Navajo court

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – A federal judge is denying a Mormon church push to move a lawsuit over sexual abuse allegations in a church-run Navajo foster program out of tribal court.

U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby decided Wednesday the church hasn’t proven that Navajo courts must be blocked from considering the suit filed by Navajo people who say the church didn’t do enough to protect them from abuse decades ago.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had argued that the case must move moved to Salt Lake City because the alleged abuse didn’t happen on tribal land.

The victims and the Navajo Nation say decisions about where to put kids did occur on tribal land and the case should remain there to respect their sovereignty.

The church couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.