ABUSE & VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH, Bill Gothard & IBLP Lawsuit, Failure to Report Crimes, Homeschool Movement, IBLP and ATI, Mandatory Reporting, Modesty and Purity Teachings, Sexual Abuse/Assault and Churches, Spiritual Authority, Statute of Limitations

Second Amended Complaint Filed in Bill Gothard & IBLP Sex Abuse Lawsuit: 18 Victims in Lawsuit

Julie Anne

Bill Gothard, Lawsuit, IBLP, Institute in Basic Life Principles, David C. Gibbs III, Sex Abuse, Sexual Grooming, ALERT

 

 

Yesterday, I received the following summary from the office of Attorney David Gibbs III. While it would have been easy to pull only specific highlights, the reality is that for each individual named, either by their real name or a pseudonym, their lives have been greatly harmed by Bill Gothard and/or the leaders at Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP).  I would rather let each survivor’s story be acknowledged and read. This is their voice now speaking out. These are true heroes!  Please pray for them. This is an emotional time for them as they finally get their day in court after years of suffering in silence. ~Julie Anne

iblp, Institute in Basic Life Principles, Bill Gothard, sex abuse, lawsuit, David Gibbs III
IBLP

 

 

Responses to Lawsuit Filed against Sovereign Grace Ministries

WARNING:  Details of abuse (including sex abuse). Survivors, read with caution:

*****

Atty. David Gibbs III asked me to forward you the attached copy of the Second Amended Complaint in Wilkinson, et al v. IBLP & Bill Gothard. The Complaint was filed within the last hour and is currently pending review. Below is a summary of the case, and a brief synopsis of the facts stated in the Second Amended Complaint for each client.

Our clients are telling the same story that happened over and over again. There was repeated abuse – re-victimizing women and men for being raped. Psychological abuse and sexual harassment of rape victims. Manipulating and torturing people – including criminal activity – over and over again for decades. The Board knew about it time and time again. Ultimately, they did nothing but after Internet pressure sent Gothard out to further harass victims and cover up the abuse.

The Board states that they are looking forward to the order and structure of the legal process to find the truth. That means they hope they can hide behind a legal technicality to get the case dismissed. What the IBLP won’t do is sit down with these 18 victims, and the others that are out there – like Christians – and open their checkbook and do what is right for these people. IBLP built a 100 Million Dollar organization on the backs of people that they required to work 70 hours per week without paying them over time or in some cases not paying them at all – it was slave labor – but they won’t consider using the assets of that empire that was built on the backs of its victims to do what is right to help these people get counseling and to compensate them for what they helped Bill Gothard and others do to them.

Many of these victims have lost their health, their opportunity to be educated, and had their faith traumatized by a man and his organization. It is heartbreaking that IBLP will not do the right thing by those they have hurt. Instead, the re-victimization continues.

For each Plaintiff, in the NIED count (counts I,V,IX, XIII, XVII, etc.), you will find a description of the facts of that Plaintiff’s case – their story – what happened to them. Those facts are then used as the basis of each of the counts for that Plaintiff.

The following is a brief synopsis of the facts stated in the Second Amended Complaint for each Plaintiff:

  1. Gretchen Wilkinson – the Second Amended Complaint states: she was sexually molested and harassed by Bill Gothard. (See paragraphs 123 – 129.)

  2. Jane Doe – the Second Amended Complaint states: she was a victim of incest and severe physical and psychological abuse at home. Despite the fact that she repeatedly came to Bill Gothard and IBLP for help, she was told to “let go of her bitterness, “to let go of her rights,” and to “stop being rebellious.” Because she was adopted, Bill Gothard advised her family to disowner her, which they did. Because she was medically fragile, this had a devastating effect on her health. (See paragraphs 155 – 173.)

  3. Melody Fedoriw – the Second Amended Complaint states: she was sexually molested by Bill Gothard at IBLP headquarters in 2012 at the age of 15. She made a report to the Hinsdale, Illinois Police Department. The conduct was classified as a misdemeanor and was not prosecuted, because the criminal statute of limitations had passed by the time the report was made and the matter was investigated. An associate of Bill Gothard’s had made a FOIA request for the police report back in 2014. (See paragraphs 200 – 211.)

  4. Charis Barker – the Second Amended Complaint states: she was sexually harassed by Bill Gothard at IBLP headquarter for an 18 month period, beginning when she was 18 years old. The details of his behavior toward Ms. Barker a very similar to the ways he sexually harassed many of his other victims. (See paragraphs 237 – 258.)

  5. Rachel Frost – the Second Amended Complaint states: she was sexually harassed by Bill Gothard at IBLP headquarters while she was a minor and then while she was an adult. This continued over approximately a three-year period. (See paragraphs 282 – 314.)

  6. Rachel Lees – the Second Amended Complaint states: she was sexually harassed by Bill Gothard at IBLP headquarters when she was twenty years old for approximately one year. (Paragraphs 339 – 360.)

  7. Jane Doe III – the Second Amended Complaint states: she was sexually harassed by Bill Gothard at IBLP headquarters when she was 18 years old. Gothard had invited Jane Doe III to come to headquarters for counseling due to difficulties in her relationship with her father. He really had no interest in counseling Jane Doe III. He used this opportunity to try to separate her from her mother, so he could have her at headquarters alone. When Jane Doe III posted her experiences to the Recovering Grace website, Gothard verbally assaulted her for three weeks, until she agree to take the posts down. Jane Doe III made a number of attempts to bring Gothard’s conduct to the IBLP Board’s attention. She even went to CLA directly, to make sure they were aware of Gothard’s conduct for purposes of their “investigation,” but she was ignored. (Paragraphs 385 – 408.)

  8. Jamie Deering – the Second Amended Complaint states that she was one of the younger victims. The Amended Complaint states: Gothard invited her to come to headquarters – alone – at the age of 14. Gothard sexually abused Ms. Deering, including inappropriate touching while she was a minor. Gothard also refused to help Ms. Deering when she attempted to contact him, as a result of physical abuse that she was suffering at home. (See paragraphs 432 – 453.)

  9. Ruth Copley Burger – the Second Amended Complaint states that she is the adopted daughter of former IBLP “Biblical Counselor” Kenneth Copley. The Amended Complaint states: Copley repeatedly sexually molested and abused Ms. Burger. This occurred while Ms. Burger was living at the IBLP Indianapolis Training Center. Copley would use Training Center rooms – outside his residence – as the site of some of Ms. Burger’s abuse. He had a history of sexual misconduct before he was hired by IBLP and was ultimately terminated by IBLP due to sexual misconduct. Copley also raped Jane Doe II. (See paragraphs 477 – 494.)

  10. Joy Simmons – the Second Amended Complaint states that she was sexually assaulted on her 24th birthday. When Ms. Simmons’ parents and her pastor, Pastor York (who is also an IBLP Board member), learned of the sexual assault, they determined that she was partly to blame for the sexual assault and determined that the appropriate course of action would be to send Ms. Simmons to Bill Gothard for counseling at IBLP headquarters. There, Gothard would press her for details of her sexual assault, sexually harass her while counseling her for her sexual assail,t and require her – on occasion – to work 100 hours a week for little to no money. IBLP refused to pay overtime. (See paragraphs 518 – 547.)

  11. JANE DOE IV – the Second Amended Complaint states that she was raped at the age of eleven years old. She was sent to IBLP headquarters for rape counseling. There Gothard flipped a coin and decided that they should not report the First Degree Rape, as it would have been classified under North Carolina law. Gothard advised JANE DOE IV that he was the only one who knew how to counsel rape victims, denied her the opportunity to obtain professional counseling, and sexually harassed her while he was counseling her regarding the rape that she suffered at age 11. JANE DOE IV had to go hungry because of the minimal amount of money IBLP paid her, while requiring her to help take care of disadvantaged young girls. She is the only Plaintiff in this lawsuit who was interviewed for IBLP’s sham investigation. (See paragraphs 572 – 602.)

  12. Carmen Okhmatovski – the Second Amended Complaint states that she was 17 when she went to work at IBLP. Although she was scheduled to have ankle tendon surgery when Bill Gothard began to pursue her – to bring her to IBLP headquarters, Gothard advised her parents that he knew a doctor who could cure her ankle problem by injecting her ankles with sugar water. When she arrived at headquarters, no medical care was provided for her ankles. Rather, Ms. Okhmatovski was sexually harassed by Gothard when he would frequently call her to his office, before hours, after hours, during the day, and in an IBLP van during trips. Gothard also sexually harassed Ms. Okhmatovski on a trip to Russia. Ms. Okhmatovski was also aware of the rape of another Plaintiff, JANE DOE V. Although the rape by an IBLP staff person had been reported to Gothard and the IBLP staff, it was never reported to the appropriate state child welfare agency or law enforcement. (See paragraphs 626 – 656.)

  13. Jennifer Spurlock – the Second Amended Complaint states that she went to the IBLP Indianapolis Training Center (“ITC”) at the age of 15. Once she arrived, despite only having an 8th grade education, Ms. Spurlock was denied any further education by IBLP. While she was at the ITC, a juvenile delinquent by the name of “Jarvis” attempted to rape her. Fortunately, she was able to fight him off. The attempted rape was never reported to the state child welfare agency or law enforcement out of concern that it would discredit IBLP and the ITC. Ms. Spurlock was then transferred to IBLP headquarters and was assigned the job of keeping Bill Gothard company by sitting outside of his door and being at his “beck and call.” Still, Ms. Spurlock was denied any education beyond the 8th grade education with which she arrived. Gothard would regularly sexually molest Ms. Spurlock by rubbing her upper thighs, near her vaginal area and by rubbing her breasts by hugging her and rubbing his chest back and forth on her breasts, while he made disgusting noises. (See paragraph 680 – 718.)

  14. Megan Lind – the Second Amended Complaint states that she was forced, by her parents, into the Indianapolis Training Center at the age of seventeen years old. Both before and after her eighteen birthday, Ms. Lind was illegally confined to her room at the ITC. Frequently, the only opportunity Ms. Lind would have to leave her room was for a counseling session with Bill Gothard. During these sessions, Bill Gothard would sexually harass Ms. Lind. After her eighteenth birthday, Ms. Lind was transferred to another IBLP facility where she was illegally confined and required to make meals for the people in the facility. (See paragraphs 742 – 761.)

  15. JANE DOE V- the Second Amended Complaint states that Bill Gothard convinced JANE DOE V’s parents to send her to headquarters when she was fourteen years old. When she arrived, JANE DOE V spent a significant amount of time in Bill Gotahrd’s office in counseling sessions and running errands for Gothard. During the counseling sessions, Gothard would sexually harass JANE DOE V. Because a young man on the headquarters lawn crew took an interest in her, JANE DOE V was sent to the Indianapolis Training Center (“ITC”) in 1997. During an IBLP conference in Knoxville, Tennessee, JANE DOE V was raped by a 22 year-old IBLP staff person by the name of Matthew Heard. Although the rape was reported to the IBLP staff and Bill Gothard, the rape was never reported to the state child welfare agency or law enforcement. When JANE DOE V returned to the ITC, Mr. McWah, director of the leaders in training program, whipped her for being raped. JANE DOE V was regularly locked in the ITC “prayer room” for weeks on end. Sometimes the ITC staff would forget that JANE DOE V was locked in the prayer room and would forget to feed her. At one point ,JANE DOE V had an opportunity to run away. The only place she knew to run was IBLP headquarters. When she arrived, Bill Gothard ordered her back to the ITC. (See paragraphs 786 – 816.)

  16. Daniel Dorsett – the Second Amended Complaint states that he began working at IBLP in 1993. From 1994 though 1996 he was Bill Gothard’s primary driver. During this time, Mr. Dorsett saw Bill Gothard sexually harass or molest over one hundred fifty young ladies. Gothard told him that if he told anyone about what he saw he would go “straight to hell.” In 1996, while a participant in IBLP’s ALERT program, Mr. Dorsett was illegally locked in a room for admitting that he had committed a sin. During his brief stay in the ALERT program Mr. Dorsett was exposed to unbearable torture when he was required to perform a mock rescue in the freezing cold in his underwear with no shirt or shoes. (See paragraph 841 – 858.)

  17. JANE DOE VI – the Second Amended Complaint states that she went to work for IBLP when she was sixteen years old. She worked for IBLP from 1991 through 1998. From 1992 through 1997, she was Bill Gothard’s assistant. During this time period, Gothard constantly touched JANE DOE VI. He would play “footsie” with her (against her will), hold her hands, rub her legs, and fall asleep on her. JANE DOE VI eventually approached two IBLP Board member’s wives about Gothard’s behavior and the Board apparently implemented a policy in 1997 that prevented Gothard from having female assistants because of the sexual harassment. Apparently that policy was never enforced and the abuse continued. (See paragraph 883 – 896.)

  18. JOHN DOE I – the Second Amended Complaint states that he was initially a volunteer and was later employed by the Indianapolis Training Center (“ITC”) from 1993 through 1994 and later from 1996 trough 1997. While he will still a minor at the age of seventeen in 1994, JOHN DOE I was sexually molested by an IBLP employee by the name of William Tollett. JOHN DOE I immediately reported the molestation to his father and ITC staff. Although Tollett resigned from the ITC the next day, the molestation was never reported to state child welfare officials or law enforcement. (See paragraphs 920 – 938.)

 

 

**Corrected age of Jane Doe V p/survivor request.

 

Responses to Lawsuit Filed against Sovereign Grace Ministries

Here is the pdf file to the 213-page Second Amended Complaint. Be forewarned, it is very disturbing and details sexual abuse.  Second Amended Complaint

 

 

60 thoughts on “Second Amended Complaint Filed in Bill Gothard & IBLP Sex Abuse Lawsuit: 18 Victims in Lawsuit”

  2. Thank God for the internet and bringing victims together and giving them a voice. Bill…all those years..you never thought your evil would be broadcast to the world. Dont worry about what the world thinks…worry about the God you say you served that your professed and that you….will soon meet…as you are near the end of your years. You cannot hide anything from Him.

    Liked by 2 people

  3. Still shaking my head. Hard to believe he got away with so much **** for all this time. Just nasty stuff all of it, although I think the absolute topper so far is #15, with the false imprisonment combined with other people literally forgetting to feed her for who knows how many hours at a time. That, on top of everything else in her complaint. Gothard needs to spend the remainder of his life, what there is of it, in prison.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Surely there must have been lots of praying going on when these despicable things were happening to these women?
    So you’ll forgive me if I don’t do any praying now, JA, as I’ve not seen any evidence that it works. What I’m really hoping for is that GotHard and his band of brothers get their comeuppance in the courtroom. Perhaps that will send a powerful signal that men cannot do what they damn well please to women, although there seems to be an abundance of the faithful who are convinced they can. The really unfortunate fact is that they’ve managed to brainwash many women into compliance. 😦

    Liked by 3 people

  5. I’m so thankful for these people who are willing to come forward and give of themselves to further the cause of justice and truth. My sincere hope is that victims who are out there will continue to come forward and speak the truth and put an end to this lie that Bill Gothard created and perpetuated with the help of his cronies.

    Am I the only one who finds the picture of the building creepy? What is it about it?

    Liked by 1 person

  6. I’d like to smash Bill Gothard’s face in with a crowbar. I mean it. I won’t actually do any such thing, but by God I’d like to.

    Like

  9. Am I the only one who finds the picture of the building creepy? What is it about it?

    I’ve been in that building and it’s a disturbing caricature of a real house. There are oversized clocks, faux Colonial furniture everywhere, illustrations from “Character Sketches” painted on the walls, and Bill’s favorite Bible verses hanging in frames. It’s a real monument to mental illness is what it is. It’s literally a disturbed grown-up’s attempt to architecturally render a stage version of their distorted memories of Mom & Dad’s musty old house. The place even stinks of mothballs. It’s hilarious.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Thanks for that comment, Dash. When I’ve seen pictures of the inside of it, I found myself staring at how it was decorated, the furniture and not sure what to make of it.

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  11. This literally blows my mind. I don’t think any of us can find the words to express how disgusting and sick this is. I haven’t read the pdf file yet, but I am at the point of tears right now. How God must hate all of this. If we his people feel this way, surely he does to.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. JA, if you compare photos of the inside of IBLP HQ and the Duggar family home, you’ll see that they’re identically laid out and appointed. It’s nauseating.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. I’m stunned to see William Tollett indicated in the John Doe account. Tollett is a very well-respected citizen in Little Rock (not that that means anything at all, just how big a bombshell it will be). According to his Facebook he was volunteering with at-risk kids as of 2014.

    Like

  15. According to his Facebook he was volunteering with at-risk kids as of 2014.

    It’s not uncommon in certain Protestant denominations ({cough} SBC {cough}) to let a sexual abuser go while not reporting to authorities. The abuser finds employment or a place of service in another church where he can continue to abuse. What IBLP did is not new. You start to wonder if there is a guidebook of sorts that they all follow.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Ummm. . .BTDT. . the Catholic Church did it for years and years and years on many continents. . there’s a guidebook, alright. . .

    Like

  19. The bottom line in these instances is that these sick perverts were in a unique position of power to denigrate, exploit, and abuse people at will. Many, many ‘ordinary’ people endorsed their power and fed their egos. It’s sickening.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. During this time, Mr. Dorsett saw Bill Gothard sexually harass or molest over one hundred fifty young ladies. Gothard told him that if he told anyone about what he saw he would go “straight to hell.”

    I wonder if this puts IBLP on par with SGM for the largest evangelical sex-abuse scandal.

    Like

  21. I constantly wonder what the members of the board of directors think about this. Do they just honestly believe the accounts are all made up, or do they know that there is truth in the accounts, and they choose “darkness rather than light” to save their beloved institute? Gil Bates seems like such a nice guy on TV. How can he be helping to cover this all up and choosing to not help these women? He has daughters!

    Julie Anne, do you think that you could show us the pictures of the inside of the headquarters buildings or tell us where to find them? I’m curious now as to how the decorations are similar to the Duggar’s house.

    Like

  22. As for Gil Bates seeming to be like such a nice guy on TV….
    So did Dr. Cliff Huxtable (AKA- Bill Cosby).

    TLC (Discovery) is complicit in the cover-up in these crimes.
    I know for a fact (as I was one involved) that they have received multiple certified letters about the crimes of Bill Gothard and the danger of the “religion” that the Duggars and Bates preached VIA their TV shows.
    People have actually joined ATI and or taken their children out of school because of these shows!

    Reading these PDF’s have made me cry, feel sick and so many things I can’t put words to.
    These people that have come forward are stronger than I can ever be.
    They are giving voices to the thousands of lives and childhoods ruined by the IBLP, ATI and Gothard & his teachings.

    I pray for them every single day!
    I also pray that this is the beginning of the end for the IBLP

    Liked by 2 people

  24. I haven’t read through the entire Legal complaint. The weight of it is overwhelming and so disturbing. All I can think of is these were all little girls or very sheltered young women in long dresses and ultra conservative clothing, shoved into an awful sexual assault and harassment situations, as alleged in this lawsuit, all in the midst of the pressure of the purity movement – the cognitive-dissonance must have been horrid! These victims, no, these survivors! are true heroes for standing up and helping to put a stop to this for hundreds of other little girls. Thank you. Thank you. May God bring you justice and healing.

    Liked by 2 people

  25. IBLP ATI will HOPEFULLY shut the doors now. I hope all of their money is going to the good cause of helping the victims. Our family is victim as well. Thousands are. But many had it much worse. We were in for over ten years and that JUNK was in us for much, much longer. I rue the day I ever first went to a seminar. I am grateful to God for His grace and help out of this garble.

    Like

  26. Julie Anne, do you know if there is any talk about a lawsuit against Bill’s brother, Steve? I have read several stories about how he sexually abused women as well. Apparently Bill seemed to think he solved the problem by banishing Steve to a retreat center. But there are reports that he continued the behavior there as well.

    Liked by 1 person

  27. One has to wonder how all of this could have been kept from the public eye for so long. My guess is that there must have been an incessant, unrelenting campaign of intimidation, including threats of being sued for defamation. Well, even if the entire law suit gets tossed on something short of a determination of the merits of the complaint, the plaintiffs have achieved one thing. Their stories have been told. The public is now aware.

    One advantage of having told their story in the form of a Complaint under the rules of civil procedure is that their statements would appear to be absolutely privileged. Statements made in the course of a legal proceeding cannot form the basis of a suit for defamation. See, e.g. http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/privileges-defenses-defamation-cases.html

    Like

  28. I’m rethinking my question. Is Steve still alive? Even if he isn’t, Bill knew of the problem and if there are any other women who were assaulted by Steve, there could be a potential case.

    Also, remember Bill’s brother David? The state of Florida filed a lawsuit against him for racketeering and fraud. He used Bill’s name and ministry to get the money. I guess lack of propriety runs in the family.

    http://www.naplesnews.com/news/state-sues-naples-businessman-saying-he-bilked-elderly-people-out-of-millions-ep-840749414-332494442.html

    Like

  30. THE IBLP building reminds me of a local mausoleum with windows. Pretty eerie. Reading these accounts brings tears and a breaking heart for these women. May justice be served for each and every assault they have felt.

    Liked by 1 person

  31. Pingback: Second Amended Complaint Filed in Bill Gothard & IBLP Sex Abuse Lawsuit: 18 Victims in Lawsuit | chrissymonds65

  32. It always fascinates me to observe how “ministry money” is spent within the appearances of c’hristian religion as a whole. While men, who label themselves as important, are building stunning pieces of architecture to appease the human eye/ego, Jesus says that His ekklesia was not, nor ever will be a building built with human hands. And our money is rarely used to help the sick, the poor, the dying, the widows, or the orphans. This is a ministry of the past.

    Interesting how false religions seek to impress with buildings and false appearances, meanwhile wicked and evil men seek the pleasures of sexual sins behind closed doors and in the secret chambers of their hearts.

    Sexual sin does not know ‘conservatism or liberalism’ for I have personally witnessed just as much wicked sexual, perverse immorality within the constructs of ‘conservatism’ as well as ‘liberalism’ with regards to c’hristianity. Do we honestly believe that satan knows the difference between the two? Absolutely not, for he embraces both as we are witnessing in the news every day.

    These stories break the hearts of those who desire to honestly follow Jesus and learn His Ways as these young women desired to do. In prayer for their lives, their suffering and healing, and for justice to be done. It should break all of our hearts.

    I came out of a ‘conservative’ church where the hidden sexual sins of the proud ‘conservatives’ were legion, all the while name calling those of us who did not bow down and worship them, Jezebels. In understanding the word jezebel in the Book of Revelation, our LORD associates ‘jezebels’ with ‘sexual sin’, both male and female genders. I wonder if the pastors calling out the ‘jezebels’ within their congregations have their own sexual sins/or the sexual sins of their own household in order? Most do not.

    Liked by 1 person

  33. Excellent comment, Katy. Someone on the SSB FB page commented how twisted it is to think that parents paid a lot of money to send their kids to IBLP. So, they paid Gothard/IBLP to be work slaved and to be sexually abused. Unbelievable!

    Liked by 1 person

  34. @GaryW:

    One advantage of having told their story in the form of a Complaint under the rules of civil procedure is that their statements would appear to be absolutely privileged.

    And a matter of (permanent) Public Record.

    @Carmen:

    Surely there must have been lots of praying going on when these despicable things were happening to these women?

    Remember that “I’ll Pray For You” or “I’m Praying” is Christianese for doing nothing. (And getting doublepluswarmfeelies for it, which is what’s truly important.)

    @Della:

    I constantly wonder what the members of the board of directors think about this.

    You mean the “Good Little Inner Party Members”?

    @Dash:

    I’ve been in that building and it’s a disturbing caricature of a real house. There are oversized clocks, faux Colonial furniture everywhere, illustrations from “Character Sketches” painted on the walls, and Bill’s favorite Bible verses hanging in frames. It’s a real monument to mental illness is what it is. It’s literally a disturbed grown-up’s attempt to architecturally render a stage version of their distorted memories of Mom & Dad’s musty old house.

    1) It’s a cartoon of itself.
    2) Remember Cartman and “Disturbed Little Boy’s Tea Party” from South Park?
    3) Or the set design of the original Invaders from Mars, based on a little boy’s dream imagery of a police station, backyard, etc?

    @BrendaR:

    THE IBLP building reminds me of a local mausoleum with windows. Pretty eerie.

    GREAT DESCRIPTION, BRENDA!

    “Whitewashed sepulchers, all clean and pretty on the outside, filled with dead men’s decaying bones on the inside.”
    — paraphrase of some Rabbi from Nazareth

    @(NotRainbow)Dash:

    JA, if you compare photos of the inside of IBLP HQ and the Duggar family home, you’ll see that they’re identically laid out and appointed. It’s nauseating.

    Groupies and fanboys trying to be exactly like their idol. Whether it’s shaved head and HUMBLE(TM), kewpie-doll fauxhawk and tough-guy cussing, or bowler hats, brollies, and veddy veddy faux-Oxford accents.

    “Imitate me, then, even as I imitate Got Hard.”
    — NOT St Paul

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  35. @JulieAnne:

    Excellent comment, Katy. Someone on the SSB FB page commented how twisted it is to think that parents paid a lot of money to send their kids to IBLP.

    Not only get the marks to send their daughters off to be the con man’s private harem, but get them to PAY BIG BUCKS FOR THE PRIVILEGE! Invoking GAWD(TM) to get them to do it!

    Now THAT’s a Successful Scam!

    Like

  36. I read the whole complaint, and it was worse than I thought it was. Gothard’s teaching on adoption is outrageous. My family is big on adoption. To treat those adopted like unpaid slaves and worse should be illegal if it already isn’t.

    I have watched the Bates show many times, including last week. But I won’t any more. I believe the whole board of directors along with Gothard should go to jail. To turn a deaf ear on complaints of a sexual nature is beyond wrong.

    I don’t live that far from Big Sandy, Tx, so I may have run into these ladies at the local Walmart. They come to my town as it is the closest large town.

    Gothard’s ideas of the young men at IBLP not talking to the young women reminds me of Warren Jeff’s and his polygamy group. The young women there were isolated and also not allowed to talk to the young men.

    Liked by 1 person

  37. JA
    Thank you for sparing us any picture of bg. It is far worse as a trigger for me than the building I have spent many hours.
    I no longer see mention of the rape victim that was included in the first amended document. Perhaps a separate law suit?

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  38. Katy: You said: Jesus says that His ekklesia was not, nor ever will be a building built with human hands.

    Can you or anyone else smarter than me help me find this. I would really like to use this at the next “Healthy church?????” class.

    Liked by 1 person

  40. Acts 7:48-49King James Version (KJV)

    48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
    49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?

    Like

  41. Brenda R: Hope this helps, I’m not smarter than you but Bible Hub is. 🙂
    From http://biblehub.com/

    Stephen Addresses the Sanhedrin
    …47″But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. 48″However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says: 49’HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET; WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?’ says the Lord, ‘OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REPOSE?…

    Cross References
    Isaiah 66:1
    This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?

    Luke 1:32
    He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

    Acts 17:24
    “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.

    2 Corinthians 5:1
    For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
    Treasury of Scripture
    However, the most High dwells not in temples made with hands; as said the prophet,

    Isaiah 66:1,2 Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

    Bible Hub

    Like

  43. @Harley (Not 1200cc Electra-Glide):

    I read the whole complaint, and it was worse than I thought it was. Gothard’s teaching on adoption is outrageous. My family is big on adoption. To treat those adopted like unpaid slaves and worse should be illegal if it already isn’t.

    It makes sense from Patriarchal ANIMAL Herd-Harem behavior.
    Those adopted are NOT MY SEED!
    (Actually NOT MY DNA, but Christianese patriarch types follow Aristotle instead of science.)

    A male bear encountering a female with cubs will first kill the cubs to put the mother into heat. (And you wonder why Mama Bears are so protective?)
    A male lion taking over a pride will first kill all the existing cubs before getting down to work replacing them with his own.
    NOT MY SEED.

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  44. @Harley (Not Quinn):

    Gothard’s ideas of the young men at IBLP not talking to the young women reminds me of Warren Jeff’s and his polygamy group. The young women there were isolated and also not allowed to talk to the young men.

    In ANIMAL Herd Harem behavior, the Alpha Male/Herd Boss/Patriarch claims ALL the females in the herd (including his own female offspring) for himself. And drives off any other male, including his own male offspring when they hit puberty and become rivals/threats to Daddy’s right to the females. MOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

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  45. I’ll have to check on that, Deb. Feel free to send me a reminder note if you don’t hear anything. I need reminders! I did remember not to use BG’s picture because of you. Thank you!

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  46. Thank you wonderfulworks, I will favorite Bible Hub. I probably could have done a google search, but very low on brain matter today.

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  47. http://www.religionnews.com/2016/02/18/women-sue-home-schooling-guru-sexual-harassment/
    The story is getting around. I hope some major secular publications run with it.

    PS: I have 3 cousins who were adopted – 2 from the U.S. as infants less than 6 weeks old, and one from Russia at almost 2 years old. They ARE family, they know no other family, and they are every bit as much my cousins as those who are “blood” relatives! Gothard and his followers are clueless idiots, IMO.

    Liked by 1 person

  48. Nancy2
    Gothard and his followers are clueless idiots, IMO.

    Perhaps. But I recall that my heart was to get parenting RIGHT after being raised with an alcoholic parent. My motives were to raise my children to be mighty in Spirit and break the cycle of alcohol. Does that make me an “idiot” because the man offered us THE only way to raise Godly children in 7 steps? Then I guess your judgement is correct.

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  49. Deb
    “Perhaps. But I recall that my heart was to get parenting RIGHT after being raised with an alcoholic parent. My motives were to raise my children to be mighty in Spirit and break the cycle of alcohol. Does that make me an “idiot” because the man offered us THE only way to raise Godly children in 7 steps? Then I guess your judgement is correct.”

    I was referring to what Gothard has said about adopting children. Do you agree with Gothard’s opinion and teachings on adopting children?

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  50. This is disgusting. I hope this blows up in his face! ( Hope the link works)

    Bill Gothard Threatens Recovering Grace with a $1,000,000 Lawsuit
    by R.L. Stollar
    Bill Gothard threatens the whistleblowing organization with a million-dollar lawsuit.

    Read more of this post

    R.L. Stollar | February 19, 2016 at 1:05 pm | Tags: Bill Gothard, Featured, Gaffney & Gaffney PC, Glenn Gaffney, homeschool, lawsuit, Recovering Grace | Categories: IBLP/ATI | URL: http://wp.me/p2SYMn-2X7

    Like

  51. From what I’ve studied, Bill Gothard’s response looks like a case of SLAPP — which stands for Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation. These are civil suits whose purposes are generally designed to silence or intimidate opponents. SLAPP suits are often frivolous and insidious, used by individuals or entities with “deep pockets” – ample funds to outlast and outlawyer their opponents.

    The following paragraph from the wikipedia article on Anti-SLAPP gives a helpful overview of the SLAPP type of defamation lawsuit.

    Other widely mentioned elements of a SLAPP are the actual effectiveness at silencing critics, the timing of the suit, inclusion of extra or spurious defendants (such as relatives or hosts of legitimate defendants), inclusion of plaintiffs with no real claim (such as corporations that are affiliated with legitimate plaintiffs), making claims that are very difficult to disprove or rely on no written record, ambiguous or deliberately mangled wording that lets plaintiffs make spurious allegations without fear of perjury, refusal to consider any settlement (or none other than cash), characterization of all offers to settle as insincere, extensive and unnecessary demands for discovery, attempts to identify anonymous or pseudonymous critics, appeals on minor points of law, demands for broad rulings when appeal is accepted on such minor points of law, and attempts to run up defendants’ costs even if this clearly costs more to the plaintiffs. [Retrieved February 2013.]

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_lawsuit_against_public_participation

    Typically, an anti-SLAPP motion is filed to counter SLAPP defamation lawsuits, and protect defendants from frivolous lawsuits. As of late 2014, there still was no national anti-SLAPP law in place. However, many states have some version of an anti-SLAPP statute. Filing an anti-SLAPP “motion to dismiss” would be considered a routine legal response in a defamation lawsuit like this.

    I learned a lot about this topic while tracking the $500,000 Beaverton Grace Bible Church (BGBC) defamation lawsuit in 2012 against Julie Anne Smith (of Spiritual Sounding Board blog) and four other defendants for $500,000 over alleged defamation for posting negative Google Reviews of the church and labeling him as spiritually abusive. Here’s a link to the archive of the BGBC lawsuit Table of Contents page:

    https://spiritualsoundingboard.com/about/bgbc-defamation-lawsuit-archive/

    Given that Mr. Gothard would more than likely be considered a “limited public figure” for the purposes of a defamation suit — and given that this looks like his countersuit is designed to silence critics — it would probably qualify for an Anti-SLAPP suit by those he names in his countersuit.

    Because there is not yet a national standard on Anti-SLAPP, there are a lot of “it depends” issues with it … what state the suit is in, what that state’s particular laws are, etc. But it is worth looking into at this stage to see what could take place, and as part of research for whenever these kinds of apparent victim-silencing suits get filed. As best I can recall, at least in the case of the BGBC suit, Anti-SLAPP immediately stopped the discovery process by the church and its pastor, Charles O’Neal, and gained expedited processing in the Oregon court system.

    For a very instructive “grand tour” of SLAPP and anti-SLAPP issues — including when issues involve religious public figures — read the Memo in Support of Special Motions to Strike, written by Linda K. Williams. She was the lawyer for Julie Anne Smith and several other defendants in the BGBC lawsuit. Ms. Williams is an expert on Anti-SLAPP issues, and often found in that era that she needed to provide the Court with detailed case law reviews because the procedure is still so rare in its application. So, that document will give a wealth of background information:

    Click to access 2012-04-26-Smith%20Memo%20in%20Support%20of%20Special%20Motions%20to%20Strike.pdf

    Three other helpful sites on SLAPP/Anti-SLAPP.

    1. California Anti-SLAPP Project. Many states have used the California Anti-SLAPP laws as the basis for their own laws. This site is a tremendous resource for understanding the general legal issues, constitutional principles, and case law involved. Very helpful, even if your state has no Anti-SLAPP law yet, or one that differs from California’s.

    http://www.casp.net/

    2. Public Participation Project – State Anti-SLAPP Laws. Contains a map so you can quickly see the states that do/don’t have Anti-SLAPP laws in place, plus an extensive state-by-state listing of laws with links to the specific state code sections referenced.

    http://www.anti-slapp.org/your-states-free-speech-protection/

    3. First Amendment Project – The Anti-SLAPP Resource Center.

    http://www.thefirstamendment.org/antislappresourcecenter.html

    Hope this is of help in researching background issues, and resourcing survivors of spiritual abuse …

    MODERATOR NOTE: This comment was edited at brad/futuristguy’s request to add several paragraphs more information, and to make the format easier to read.

    Liked by 1 person

  52. Are Gothard’s pockets still that deep?

    His lawyer is an employment lawyer with a very small and inexperienced firm.

    That he has the gall to even file such a thing.
    Well I can’t type what I feel because it is probably quite offensive.

    Liked by 1 person

  53. HUG said: “Whitewashed sepulchers, all clean and pretty on the outside, filled with dead men’s decaying bones on the inside.”
    — paraphrase of some Rabbi from Nazareth

    This is exactly what I kept thinking as I read the post. He always managed to get it right

    Liked by 1 person

  54. I was adopted too, by my wonderful godmother. She & her mother raised me.
    I have told many a story about these folks here. They are my spiritual ancestors– I feel blessed to call them my family. (Clearly my dad & mom chose well when they told these two great ladies they wanted them to raise me if anything ever happened to them).

    Liked by 1 person

  56. @gm370:

    Bill Gothard Threatens Recovering Grace with a $1,000,000 Lawsuit
    by R.L. Stollar
    Bill Gothard threatens the whistleblowing organization with a million-dollar lawsuit.

    An Example Must Be Made.
    Make an Example of one and you silence a hundred.

    Like

  57. Aren’t we as Christians all adopted into the family of Christ. If this is true, then evidently Gothard has forgotten about this is. I guess he can pick and choose which scriptures to believe. I counted up and we have 7 adoptions in my very large extended family that I know. Ask any of the parents of these children if they would treat their adopted children the way Gothard says too. If they rest of my family found out that they did that, God help that parent. My family treats all children the same. Red and yellow black and white we are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.

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  58. “That he has the gall to even file such a thing.”

    That’s not Gall, that’s the RIghteousness of One Who Can Do No Wrong.

    “Every now and then this crust is pierced, and the scalding lava of their hatred spills out.”
    — C.S.Lewis, Preface to The Screwtape Letters

    “Nowhere do we corrupt so effectively as at the very foot of the altar!”
    — Screwtape

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  59. The Anti-SLAPP bounds of law in Washington State was ruled unconstitutional on 5/28/2015. Persons have the right of access to the court system:
    http://caselaw.findlaw.com/wa-supreme-court/1702446.html

    Everyone has the Civil Right to Religion, with atheism or lack of belief being the opposite of the scale. There is no protected right of anti-Religion or to tear down the rights of others; in any instant.

    Evil exists in all groupings of persons and I definitely have no desires to support such; but it definitely does not remove the rights of those assembled or the the individuals thereof.

    Yet I see many claims, insinuations, accusations and continuance of such; but no proof. I see many self proclaimed “experts?”; with insufficient training or experience to rate even individual opinions (both sides).

    Should proof not be produced? Does the lack of proof denote innocence?

    Does this help the victims in any way? Should they not expect expect “expert help” (from both sides)? Does any of this help the victims recover? Does it somehow stop others from becoming victims? We continue to have more and more victims; mostly outside the bounds of issue theory. Maybe the fight should be against the individual ideologies of non-experts and evil; not against those with the protected Right of Religion and many other Civil Rights.

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  60. It looks like in about 20 to 30 years the truth come out about things. Maybe that is the length of time it take for the “fruit” to mature and it is part of reaping and sowing? Or maybe the prayers are being answered–in God’s time.

    Like

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