Amended Lawsuit
January 14, 2013 in Sovereign Grace Ministries
You can read the original lawsuit here.
For those of you who are new to the site and are interested in understanding some of the assumptions and the mindset that could cause leaders to behave in ways described in the lawsuit’s allegations, this post from 2011 does a good job of connecting the dots.
What follows are some of the portions that reflect the changes in Friday’s amended filing.
Paula Poe is a female who was repeatedly sexually assaulted during her childhood at the School at CLC and at various church events convened in Maryland. Due to the nature of the lawsuit, she wishes to use the pseudonym Paula Poe to keep her identity confidential. Paula Poe brings this action on her own behalf and on behalf of those similarly situated.
FACTS REGARDING PAULA POE
Paula Poe attended the School and services at CLC beginning in kindergarten until her family moved away from Gaithersburg, Maryland. Paula Poe was repeatedly sexually assaulted by two men. The primary perpetrator was a pastor and teacher. The secondary perpetrator was a children’s ministry worker.
On multiple occasions, the two perpetrators, acting in concert, had Poe strip, and sexually molested her. These sexual molestations occurred on the School and Church premises, and at Church events, such as picnics.
On multiple occasions, the primary perpetrator sexually molested Paula Poe at the School and Church events.
On one occasion, the secondary perpetrator sexually molested Paula Poe outdoors during a Church picnic.
Upon information and belief, Paula Poe was not the only victim of this pedophilia ring operating within the School and Church.
Upon information and belief, the pedophilia ring’s victims included children who subsequently went on to prey upon other young children.
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Carla Coe is a female who was repeatedly abused by Defendant Tomzcak, primarily in Maryland and Virginia. Due to the nature of the lawsuit, she wishes to use the pseudonym Carla Coe to keep her identity confidential. Carla Coe brings this action on her behalf and on behalf of those similarly situated.
FACTS REGARDING CARLA COE
Carla Coe was repeatedly assaulted by Defendant Tomczak and his co-conspirators during a 25-year period spanning her childhood and young adulthood. Defendant Tomczak assaulted Carla Coe with his hands, as well as with various instruments, including but not limited to, plastic and wooden sticks.
On multiple occasions, including occasions after Carla Coe reached the age of majority, Defendant Tomczak forced Karla Coe to strip out of her clothing against her will, and be beaten on her bare buttocks. Defendant Tomczak continued to engage in this forced undressing and beating of Carla Coe until she fled and escaped from the abuse.
On several occasions, Defendant Tomczak imprisoned Carla Coe and denied her food for extended periods of time.
Defendant Tomczak verbally admitted on one or more occasions to the individual Defendants and to the Church that he abused Carla Coe. No one reported the beatings to the secular authority.
The assaults by Defendant Tomczak and his co-conspirators’ assaults primarily occurred in Maryland and Virgina.
—————————–
Grace Goe is as female who, along with her siblings, was repeatedly abused by her father while residing in Maryland. When she sought assistance from Defendants to stop the ongoing physical and sexual abuse, they failed to assist the girls, failed to report the ongoing abuse to the secular authorities, and instead alerted the abuser to his daughters’ please for aid. Due to the nature of the lawsuit, she wishes to use the pseudonym Grace Goe to keep her identity confidential. Grace Goe brings this action on her own behalf and on behalf of those similarly situated.
FACTS REGARDING GRACE GOE
Grace Goe was physically and sexually abused by her father when she was a minor and living in Maryland. Grace Goe’s father repeatedly beat her on her naked buttocks so harshly that she bled and bruised. Her father would then submerge her into an ice bath to hide the physical manifestations of the beatings.
Grace Goe’s father also repeatedly sexually abused her, making her rub his feet, which he then inserted into her vagina.
Grace Goe’s father engaged in the physical and sexual abuse toward the other children, including the male children, whose penises he repeatedly fondled.
Grace Goe and her older female sibling reported the fact of the abuse to Defendant CLC, seeking protection from their father. Grace Goe and her sibling met with Defendants Ricucci and Layman, and explained the severity of the abuse.
Rather than report the ongoing abuse to the secular authorities, Defendants informed the father that his children had reported the abuse. This led to further abuse by the father.
—————————–
Karen Koe and Karl Koe are brother and sister, both of whom were sexually assaulted as children residing in Virginia. Due to the nature of the lawsuit, they wish to use the pseudonyms Karen Koe and Karl Koe to keep their identities confidential. They bring this action on their own behalf and on behalf of those similarly situated.
FACTS REGARDING KARL KOE
Karl Koe was seven years old when he was repeatedly sexually molested (approximately ten times) by the male son of a Church pastor.
The perpetrator (then aged approximately 12 or 13) molested Karl Koe in multiple locations, including the bathroom at Church. The perpetrator engaged in multiple unwanted sexual acts, including kissing Karl Koe and fondling his penis.
After Karl Koe informed his parents that he had been molested, his parents advised Defendants Ecelbarger, Gallo, Mullery and V. Hinders, as well as others, of the molestation. Defendants failed to report the molestation to the secular authorities. Defendant V. Hinders misrepresented to the parents of Karl Koe that the Church had taken care of the matter by requiring the perpetrator to attend a different church service than Karl Koe.
Defendants, including the pastor father of the predator, failed to take any steps whatsoever to prevent the juvenile sexual predator from preying upon other children. Defendants continued to permit the juvenile sexual predator to have unfettered access to children on Church premises and during Church activities, such as Home Group and Celebration.
Upon information and belief, the juvenile perpetrator may have been one of the victims of the pedophilia ring operating at the School prior to sexually molesting Karl Koe.
FACTS REGARDING KAREN KOE
Karen Koe was sexually molested by a juvenile sexual predator when she was eight years old.
Karen Koe did not tell her parents about the molestation until some years later. At that point, her parents alerted Defendants and also alerted the police.
Karen Koe’s parents learned that the juvenile sexual predator who had molested their daughter had been initially charged with raping a minor, and subsequently served time in juvenile detention. Although this fact was known to Defendants, they permitted the juvenile sexual predator unfettered access to children.
Defendants refused to cooperate with the prosecuting secular authorities, who successfully prosecuted and convicted the juvenile sexual predator on felony charges. Defendant Gallo took steps to obstruct justice, including but not limited to making misrepresentations.
EDITED TO ADD: IF YOU WISH TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION BY LEAVING A COMMENT, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM SPECULATING ABOUT THE IDENTITIES OF THE VICTIMS. COMMENTS CONTAINING SUCH SPECULATION WILL BE DELETED. THANK YOU FOR HONORING THIS REQUEST.
© 2013, Kris. All rights reserved.
Could these (potential) revelations be the real reason that both CLC and Fairfax pulling out of the SGM network? The threat of lawsuit has always been a strong motivating force in SGM but, it is interesting how many times the same pastors names come up in regard to mishandling abuses. Good thing Gary has always been so diligent to save his records. He may now be asked to share them with the authorities or be accused of obstructing justice.
*pulled
I think I am going to throw up.
My most sincere condolences to the victims and their families, and prayers for the Lord to heal broken hearts and bring justice.
Can we please get a clarifcation on the term “Defendant Tomczak”? Is that Larry’s son, the one with the secret confession in the blackmail section of the documents, or is that Larry himself being charged?
Again, I am so so so so sorry for all of those affected. Thank you for coming forward.
More heartbreaking testimonies.
So, VH is now a defendant, too? Isn’t that the whole crew?
Guy and Kris,
In the case of Paula Poe, is the pastor/ teacher named in the suit?
Did they also specifically amend the list of defendents? Is CLC or any other pastors or churches specifically named as defendents, or just referred to in the facts section of the filing? Is “Defendent Tomczak” supporsed to be Larry, or is it his son?
So, the obvious connection here is the blackmail. The question on the table is what did other SGM apostolic team members and employees know about this and did they all fail to report?
Jenn @ 5 –
What is worse is that instead of getting help for victims and protecting other children, said leaders were wanting to use information to make unwanted people go away so that they could continue building their brand.
So now the dots are getting connected and there are more questions. Larry Tomczak spanked a female butt naked for years. That rings “pervert”. A Pastor’s son molested young children. My educated guess is that the young pastor’s son was also molested by his father repeating that on other victims. That’s what is sure sounds like.
Who was the pastor at CLC that sexually molested a five year old?!?!?
So … Larry Tomczak is not only a liar,a pervert and a torturer, but he continues to stand on his ground of being blackmailed by CJ!
Gary Riccucci and Grant Layman should be in jail right now!!!!!!!!!!
Back to CJ … CJ KNEW about ALL of this stuff and still NEVER CONTACTED the police! Even worse, he then used this information against Tomczak so that he could move Sovereign Grace from a charasmatic organization to a reformed organization that Larry did not agree with.
What a bunch of flippin pigs!!! The whole lot of them!!!
May God have mercy on their souls because I sure the hell wouldn’t!
Somewhere – easy on the conclusions – it is not necessarily Larry Tomczack who is being accused.
Defendant Tomczak would have to mean Larry Tomczak. He is a named defendant.
To imprison and deny food — would that mean it was his own child?
Sick, sick, sick.
It remains to be supported with evidence in court, of course, but it is unlikely that so many complaints could come from so many individuals over a long period of time and from different churches unless there is a great deal of truth behind it.
In fact, given what we know, it all makes sense and is sadly believable.
I think a lot of people are seeing their worlds collapsing now.
This unravels everything all the way back to the beginning.
Truth is marching on.
Dear God, vindicate and defend the helpless and needy but bring down the arrogant and wicked.
So who is the “defendant Tomczak”? Larry Tomczak is named in the lawsuit. No other Tomczaks are on the lawsuit that I know of!
Here it is “Carla Coe was repeatedly assaulted by Defendant Tomczak and his co-conspirators during a 25-year period spanning her childhood and young adulthood.” … 25 years??? It IS Larry Tomczak!
The allogation with Tomczak is abuse. Not sexual abuse per se. “Defendant Tomczak forced Karla Coe to strip out of her clothing against her will, and be beaten on her bare buttocks.”
Hence my comment of “liar, pervert and torturer”! Who forces a child to strip naked to “spank” them? I know … a flippin pervert!!!
Golden said,
No, not that I can tell.
Guy is working on a redacted version of the Amended Filing, which he will add to this post later on tonight.
I don’t get it, Carla Coe was spanked over a 25 year period?? Assuming this started when a very young child, was she still be spanked at 27 or 28 years old?? Doesn’t add up.
Glad –
That is confusing me as well. Who is the pastor/teacher?
As someone who was abused, I can relate to Carla Coe being “spanking” or abused in young adulthood. Afterwhile, you are so brainwashed that you actually believe you should just submit to the abuse. SGM must have had quite a hold on her.
One thing I have NOT said that I would LIKE to say (without using names) are the dotted lines look as though they connect a family together. We’ll find out when this hits the courts.
I am so appalled by CJ Mahaney’s refusal to ever pick up the phone and call the police. Never once!!! This goes back to my previous messasge in that he is a narcisstic psychopath! He uses everything for his gain. It doesn’t matter what. Even the EVIL of sexual sin against a member of his church!!! It doesn’t matter!
I hope everyone is as angry as I am!
I’m hoping everyone UNDERSTANDS what this lawsuit is saying!
I’m hoping that you are smart enough to see that SGM is ran by EVIL men with EVIL hearts that have EVIL desires. They don’t care about you! They only care about themselves! Do you think Paul, Peter, John, etc. would care? You bet they would becuase they wanted to be a reflection of Jesus! Sovereign Grace leaders DO NOT! They are all about themselves.
Flippin PIGS!!!
My heart is grieved beyond words. There seems to be a rift in my spirit that goes from pain to anger and then back to pain. We scream for justice, Lord, hear our prayer.
While the truth needs to come into the light, I was unaware of the sick and twisted degree of sin that was hidden in these particular men’s hearts. It is difficult to be “glad” it’s out especially because there are MANY cases NOT listed and I am sure the attorney’s need to choose their battles with the victims is painsaking. For those who did speak up, know that the body of Christ followers on this blog grieve with you today. May justice abound both on earth as it will be in Heaven.
For those who did not have their names put into the suit our prayers are with you as well. I am broken inside and desire for you all to know that I believe GOD will put a stop to this. He has begun and hears the cry of His people. May God respond swiftly to us this very day.
This information requires our sorrow and prayer for all involved. . . and very little smug delight at someone’s sin being revealed. Perhaps a day of prayer and fasting for everyone involved wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Peter Smith has published an article about the amended filing:
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130114/NEWS01/301140087/New-abuse-allegations-target-co-founder-others-Sovereign-Grace-Ministries
I agree with the posters who are questioning who else is named in the lawsuit. There should be other Pastors and even churches named in this especially in light of the new charges.
It is especially confusing that Benny Phillips is not added to the original six as he is mentioned as a defendant later in the original document. Anybody know about this or have anything to shed some light on??
Can they add people (Pastors or victims) later?
Is there a cut off for ammending an ammendment?
I look forward to Guy adding in whatever he finds in the new paperwork and thank both Kris and Guy for helping us with the details.
#15 — We really don’t need to know who the pastor/teacher was. We need to check ourselves and be sure we are not being overly curious, maybe we just want to know who it was to be able to point a finger. I think we have enough information.
The news is out in Louisville:
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130114/NEWS01/301140087/New-abuse-allegations-target-co-founder-others-Sovereign-Grace-Ministries
My focus is on grief for the victims. I feel sorrow for what they went through and admiration that they found the courage to speak up through this lawsuit.
I also feel rage and horror and anger at the guilty parties and those who aided and abetted them
C.J. Mahaney and his close circle were aware of most, if not all, of this! They covered it ‘for the greater good of the Gospel’ when they were busy building their ‘Movement’ and then turned around and threatened to expose it for exactly the same reason — whatever kept up the facade so the ‘ministry’ could continue.
How clever and convenient for him now that he is the guy who ditched Tomczak and who is no longer associated with CLC and Fairfax! That cat has nine lives — but there will no escaping this by hiding behind the 1st Amendment and clergy privilege. Times have changed. This will undo his hoped-for legacy.
Oh, if only these men would cry out to God in heartbroken repentance and sorrow! If only they could think of the victims more than of their own survival and maneuvering. Then they might find the mercy they didn’t show to others.
Catherine #21,
I completely disagree with you. What if that pastor is still in a SG church? What if that pastor is still abusing victims. What if he is still pastoring?!?
What you are saying IS part of the problem with Sovereign Grace. People need to be called out by NAME when they are in sin. I WANT to know who it was. We DON’T have enough information.
Dearest (Saint?) Catherine Laboure, You fail to see if there is even one ounce of validity to these charges (which I 100% believe there is) – these men have access to children now!!! The brave men and women bringing the lawsuit have suffered greatly by these men. Would you not have that end? No more children being abused. Who it is matters indeed. Very much indeed. It is not just being overly curious. When there are children involved – no length is too far to go to protect.
Catherine @21,
Are you serious? Of course we need to know who he is so people keep their kids the heck away from him!
@ 21 –
You are assigning motives that are not a reality and which you have no way of knowing. No one involved in SGM should have access to names is a bizarre thought. For one — any children who may have been around those unamed perpetrators at the same time could have been harmed. People need to know so they can determine if they need to speak with their own children. I just don’t understand the thinking that the public doesn’t need to know about sexual perpetrators (thats part of what the suit is about). We have a national sexual predator registry that anyone can access, but names of a teacher/pastor who is a possible perpetrator should be kept secret????
We all need to know as much as possible to
1. be apprised of who to avoid leaving our children with
2. to report any further victimizations
3. to ensure all offenders are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law
And, I believe it are likely many more cases hidden in the annals of SGM.
Larry Tomczak is named as Defendant on the lawsuit. No other Tomczak is named.
#11 – The documents do not name the adult who was abused for 25 years, spanked naked, who had food withheld. This is for the protection of the victim.
It’s likely that people will be able to connect the dots on some of these stories as they have been told here. It’s important to remember that the victims will be reading here and as the news media gets the story and this will surely reopen old wounds. My thoughts and prayers go to the victims right now.
The Louisville Courier is reporting this:
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130114/NEWS01/301140087/New-abuse-allegations-target-co-founder-others-Sovereign-Grace-Ministries
Here is the information in short:
Paul POE: Sexually molested by a CLC Pastor and a CLC Childrens Ministry Worker
Carla COE: Abused by Larry Tomczak for 25 years (stripped naked (into her 20s) each time)
Grace GOE: Absused by father. Gary Riccucci and Grant Layman didn’t call police. They called the father when told of the abuse. The abuse got worse!
Karl KOE: Male. Sexually molested by a pastor’s son (read between the line. It’s not hard). Pastors Mullery and the other clowns … including the pastor did NOTHING!
Karen KOE: Sexually molested by juvenile. The church KNEW about it and continued to allow to pervert “unfettered access to children”. Church REFUSED to cooperate with with authorities!
I first PRAY for the people that were abused. We pray that the Lord heals you from these travesties!
I ask Jesus to FULLY CONVICT these pigs here on earth! I pray that their “ministries” will fall to pieces. I pray that they will feel the hurt, anger and pain that these kids felt. They surely can repent, and they surely can be forgiven, but I can not fathom the horrendous injustice that they caused and allowed to occur.
SHAME on Larry Tomczak! Shame on CJ Mahaney! Shame on the other “pastors”.
“and very little smug delight at someone’s sin being revealed”
And I suppose you are the arbiter of “smug delight”?
Somewhere:
You said, “Karl KOE: Male. Sexually molested by a pastor’s son (read between the line. It’s not hard).”
Sorry… I’m not sure what you are referring to. I do not remember reading about a male victim before. Can you explain?
Thanks!
No. 31, those are allegations, which do not exactly constitute factual information, that form the bases of the amended complaint. With that said, given that the document is a public record, why, Kris, are you redacting information before it’s posted?
An important question to ask is why CJ was content for so long to let all this garbage stay hidden, with these men remaining in power? The go-to excuse is that CJ didn’t know what was going on. Yet that should not be possible, at least not for the stuff that was happening at CLC/CLS. Those incidents occurred while CJ was senior pastor there – when he was the top dog in charge.
See, I suspect that CJ’s handlers’ tactic will be the same as it’s always been – they will just deny (and CJ himself will deny) that he knew anything about any of the abuses. He’ll try to pass it off as “below his pay grade,” stuff that should have been dealt with by the people beneath him.
But anyone who is following CJ these days, whether they’re longtime loyalists who traipsed behind him to Louisville, or whether they’re new converts to his new SGM church, needs to consider how likely it is that CJ, control freak that he has proven himself to be, would not have known about why this or that key person was let go – or the abuses that cropped up on church property.
We are only redacting the home addresses. It’s one thing if people find them by clicking on a link. It’s another thing if we’re posting the actual texts of addresses and phone numbers.
I want to throw up. I am so glad for these people that finally they get to have a voice. Perhaps this helps them heal from the torture they endured. I just don’t know what to think of ALL of the pastors of CLC/FFx/SGM and anyone else who knew and failed to protect the children.
In the meantime, any member of any SGM church better never again say “That is an SGM problem and not a problem in my church.” Or if I hear from another CLC person “We aren’t part of SGM anymore,” I will have a difficult time biting my tongue. I am so tired of people trying to disconnect the two. For over 30 years, they were one and the same. There are pastors at CLC today who were there 30 years ago.
[edited]
Diver, I’ll answer. What is redacted are addresses, some of them home addresses. As you know, there are people out on the innerwebs that do less than honorable things with that sort of information. Not unlike the “gun map” publication recently, I believe in protecting what I can. While, yes, the information can be found elsewhere, I am not publishing it.
So it appears that five more plaintiffs/victims have come forward and been added to the amended lawsuit. More will probably come forward in the future.
C.J. Mahaney and his close circle were aware of most, if not all, of this!
Humbly, of course.
How clever and convenient for him now that he is the guy who ditched Tomczak and who is no longer associated with CLC and Fairfax! That cat has nine lives…
HUMBLY, of course.
SHAME on Larry Tomczak! Shame on CJ Mahaney! Shame on the other “pastors”.
How can God’s Predestined Elect feel shame? How can God’s Anointed who can (Humbly) Do No Wrong be wrong? How can the (Humble) Sinless sin?
“TOUCH NOT MINE ANOINTED!!! DO MY PROPHET NO HARM!!!” — Benny Hinn
Gotcha Kris and Guy — perfectly reasonable and commendable IMO if that’s all that you’re redacting. I should have kept quiet until I saw the finished product. Thanks.
Very shocking. What started out as a blog discussing the odd culture and what I thought were a couple isolated instances, has turned into this.
Jared may have been right. Reading the blogs is now like reading porn, thanks to the selfish idiots that run SGM. CJ is indeed doing better than he deserves…. enjoy it while it lasts you jerk.
To Tim Shorey, get the heck out and return to your original passion. It may already be too late.
Imalone #32
It would appear that the juvenile molester is closely associated with one of the pastors that are being accussed of abuse as well. Looks like a family issue.
Kris,
Spot on! Do NOT let CJ Mahaney out of the spotlight on these issues! He was and is in charge of SGM. He allowed it. He profited from it. He protected SGM and not the abused! He is guilty. I go back to saying what I said earlier. He DOES NOT care for people. He only cares for himself.
Does Larry have a daughter? Or did a niece/other relative live with him back in the day? My heart cause out to Carla, as her abuse sounds the most wretched of all!
Somewhere in time, I am with you on your post #12! It is SICK. And to know this happened well after she must have hit puberty. SICK. Hate to go there, but since we all know that part of the spanking in LT’s world is to bend over for your spanking, now imagine this having to happen to someone naked. Exposed. Bent over.
Don’t tell me this isn’t sick and that there is any misunderstanding here. People don’t “misunderstand” having to strip and bend over AFTER the point of maturation! (Please tell me that someone out there gets how perverted this is! This is ABUSE!)
Glad I Am Out- it only doesn’t add up if the spanking and abuse ended by the time the victim hit 20. It would appear from this that the abuse continued into their 20’s. Do you believe that these men would really stop abusing people once they hit adulthood? With after what they did to you alone, this story makes perfect sense. A controller doesn’t stop simply because someone hit a magical age.
SMP, I’d love to echo what you wrote: For those who did speak up, know that the body of Christ followers on this blog grieve with you today. May justice abound both on earth as it will be in Heaven.
catherine laboure, hello and welcome. I don’t know if you have posted here or not so if I have already greeted you, I apologize for doing so again. I agree with you that “This information requires our sorrow and prayer for all involved.” Amen to that. And if God is leading you to pray and fast for this, then let me encourage you to do so. Many of us have done that in the past so it would be nice to have you join in. (And on some days, those of us who know certain stories about SGM have literally been too sick to eat food so I guess on those days there have been involuntary fasting.) I can’t imagine anyone being perverse enough to get any kind of delight in what has been written today, while I do know that some readers here have been physically ill today. I can’t help but wonder why your mind would even go to such a perverse place or insinuating or suspecting that ANYONE would take delight in the revelations today. I can see where the angels and God and his saints would rejoice in truth coming out and children and adults getting healed, but smug delight? That is quite a perverse thought and one which has yet to be expressed here. I can’t help but wonder again, why would your mind even go to such an evil place?
Is there any way to find out who this CLC pastor is in the Paula Poe case? At the very least, it would be helpful to know if that individual is still serving in pastoral ministry.
This. Is. So. Shocking. I’m in disbelief that people could hide under the guise of “advancing the gospel” all the while covering up evil deeds against innocent children . Praise God for shining the light on SGM.
Stunned-
Yes, it is extremely perverted. It is not natural or acceptable, especially for a father to see a daughter/female relative naked even before puberty, let alone after. The fact that this was a grown woman with a developed body is unbelievable. It is also really sad that this adult thought that they had to be subject to this kind of abuse. I had a father who thought it was acceptable to whip his children with a belt well after puberty (not naked, of course and thank God), but who was abusive, nonetheless. One day it had come to me that I didn’t have to allow this man to beat me anymore. And I began to fight back physically. But you know what people in the church did and said to me when I began to fight back, that I was part of the problem. That I needed to own my own wrongs in the situations. They failed to acknowledge my RIGHT to DEFEND MYSELF in the face of ABUSE. Needless to say, it effed up my head and my relationship with God. And it caused huge amounts of depression and suicidal thoughts within me. It caused great brokeness, self-hatred and a mistrust for others. My relationships suffered because of it. I had a lot to be healed from. Yet, it has happened, but not without work and hardship, but nevertheless, I have been restored in so many ways. I’ll never let anyone in the church ever tell me what to do again with my life. It’s my own life and I”ll do what I d**n well please. THese people are not equipped to counsel, neither are they qualified to do so.
My heart goes out to these victims. There are no words.
Eric Kircher wrote a letter with allegations of a sexual nature while at the SGM- Mooresville location. This letter was sent to the SGM leadership team. I wonder if this document will be part of the law suit.
While reading this post on Survivors, I was in the classroom of an SGM church where I teach in a home school co-op that rents the facility. (I am a former SGM member.) I have been weeping and feel like vomiting. I am heartbroken for the victims. A few months ago, I was telling my students (mostly tween girls) about “good touch – bad touch” and imploring them that if anyone (stranger, friend or family) tries to mess with them, that they must TELL TELL TELL until someone listens and the abusers are dealt with by PROPER law authorities.
#24, it is in the hands of the authorities right now. If you wish to pursue this through legal means, please do so. We just need to watch out that we don’t take an odd pleasure in seeing the downfall of others. They may very well deserve it, and I don’t condone ANYTHING these men have done. But there is an odd pride that can take hold of our hearts. That’s all.