A northeast Kansas woman identified in court filings as Jane Doe alleges that a priest used the trust of their spiritual-counseling relationship to make unwelcome sexual advances, and that church institutions failed to respond adequately to her reports. Her lawsuit names the Rev. Ryan Anthony McCandless and two dioceses, and says the alleged conduct began after she started meeting privately with him around November 2021.
Lawsuit Details Alleged Misconduct
The lawsuit was filed in Wyandotte County District Court and names McCandless, the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, the Catholic Diocese of Salina and Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, according to The Kansas City Star. Jane Doe alleges that the relationship became abusive and that, from around March through October 2024, McCandless made unwelcome sexual advances, harassed and coerced her, and engaged in non-consensual sexual contact. She says she did not consent and repeatedly told him the contact was unwanted. The alleged conduct took place in Manhattan, Salina and Westmoreland, Kansas.
Jane Doe was a parishioner at Seven Dolors in Manhattan and later worked for the parish and the Diocese of Salina, the lawsuit states. McCandless served in Manhattan from 2021 through 2023, including assignments involving Manhattan Catholic schools and the St. Isidore Catholic Student Center, The Mercury reported. The suit alleges he was under the authority of the Diocese of Salina, the Kansas City archdiocese and Seven Dolors Parish during the period at issue.
Woman Says She Reported Misconduct, Church Did Nothing
The lawsuit alleges Jane Doe reported McCandless's conduct in 2024 to employees, agents or supervisors at the Diocese of Salina, the Kansas City archdiocese and Seven Dolors Parish — and that those institutions responded with what the suit calls a pattern of concealment and inaction. She further alleges church leaders breached their duty by failing to adequately supervise, monitor and control McCandless and failed to take reasonable measures to prevent foreseeable harm, per the same report from themercury.com. The suit also claims the Diocese of Salina ratified his conduct by allowing him to retain church authority even after being made aware of her allegations.
Jane Doe’s attorneys at the Wendt Law Firm said the timing of the allegations is significant, noting that the alleged child abuse in Belleville followed the reported misconduct the following summer. The firm said institutions have a responsibility to act when they receive a credible report, including by investigating, restricting, and protecting those who may be exposed to further harm, according to the Star. The firm said the litigation will examine whether the institutions’ response caused preventable harm and alleged that McCandless exploited the trust associated with his clergy role.
Separate Criminal Case Involves a 6-Year-Old Child
McCandless, 44, is also facing criminal charges in a separate case; those charges are unrelated to the civil lawsuit’s allegations. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation arrested him in July on three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a 6-year-old child. The alleged offenses occurred in Belleville between July and September 2025, according to The Mercury. He has remained in custody at the Republic County Jail in Belleville since his arrest.
Before his arrest, McCandless served as pastor of St. Edward Parish in Belleville, St. George Parish in Munden and St. Isidor Parish in Cuba. His previous assignments included Hays, Manhattan, Concordia, Mankato and Esbon. The Diocese of Salina said McCandless was removed from public priestly ministry when officials learned of the allegation and that restrictions would remain until he is cleared by civil, legal and ecclesiastical authorities, the diocese said in a statement cited by the Star. The Wendt Law Firm noted that McCandless is presumed innocent in the criminal case.
What Earlier Reviews Covered
A separate Kansas Bureau of Investigation inquiry into alleged Catholic clergy sexual abuse covered 1950 to 2022, according to Kansas Reflector. That historical review concerned alleged child abuse; it does not establish Jane Doe’s separate allegations of misconduct against an adult.
The Diocese of Salina says a StoneBridge audit found it fully compliant with all audited articles of the child-protection Charter for the period from July 1, 2021, to September 30, 2024, according to the diocese’s safe-environment page. The audit addressed child-protection practices and does not resolve Jane Doe’s allegations.
Church Responses and Damages Sought
The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas told the Star in an email that McCandless has never served in any capacity for the archdiocese and declined further comment on the pending litigation. Bill Meagher, a spokesman for the Diocese of Salina, also declined to comment on the case in an email to the Star.
Jane Doe is seeking more than $75,000 for each of four counts and has demanded a jury trial, according to the Star. She alleges the conduct caused serious and permanent physical and psychological injuries. Her attorneys said she continues to face the effects of the alleged conduct and the difficulty of pursuing legal accountability.
The lawsuit comes amid other legal and investigative developments involving Catholic institutions in Kansas and Missouri. Earlier this year, the Kansas City, Kansas, archdiocese opened an investigation into an allegation against the deceased Rev. Denis Pickert, according to the Star. In a separate case last November, a lawsuit alleged that a Catholic diocese failed to protect a child from a sexually abusive priest, KCTV5 reported.
