Church sued over proxy baptisms

SALT LAKE CITY -- A Las Vegas man injured in Raleigh, N.C., while performing submersion baptisms in the name of the dead has sued The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for medical expenses.

The civil suit filed Wednesday in Salt Lake City's 3rd District Court claims Daniel Dastrup suffered severe back injuries, including a herniated disk, after performing about 200 baptisms Aug. 25, 2007, at the LDS temple in Raleigh.The lawsuit contends the church was negligent in failing to warn Dastrup that the repetitive nature of the proxy baptisms - bending, lifting and twisting - could result in physical injury. "The church owed the plaintiffs a duty to exercise reasonable care to avoid injury to the plaintiffs from the services they performed to the church," the lawsuit states.

Dastrup, who now lives in Las Vegas, claims he has suffered "a significant permanent injury that substantially changes his lifestyle," including damaging his relationship with his wife. The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages to compensate Dastrup to cover medical costs and loss of earnings.

Church spokeswoman Scott Trotter said he had no details about the lawsuit and could not comment. Dastrup did not immediately return telephone or e-mail messages Thursday from The Associated Press.

Dastrup's claims

Court papers indicate Dastrup filed the lawsuit on his own behalf and does not have an attorney. In the documents, he claims the proxy baptism ceremonies required him to immerse young men and women under water. He claims some of them weighed as much as 250 pounds.

The lawsuit alleges Dastrup, then 25, complained about his injuries, but an LDS temple officiator ordered him to continue and refused to let another worker relieve him.

Dastrup later learned of the herniated disk and had to undergo two back surgeries. He contends that the severe pain he suffers makes him unable to work and has forced him to take an indefinite medical leave from law school.