WND EXCLUSIVE

CHRISTIAN SEX-ABUSE COVER-UP BECOMING 'LIKE BILL COSBY'

'More and more victims keep coming forward telling the same story'

A lawsuit alleging the cover-up of the sexual abuse of minors at a prominent Christian ministry is becoming “like Bill Cosby,” with “more and more victims … coming forward telling the same story.”

That’s according to David Gibbs III, whose Gibbs Law Firm initially filed a civil lawsuit in Illinois against the Institute of Basic Life Principles and its founder, Bill Gothard, in DuPage County on behalf of Gretchen Wilkinson, Jane Doe, Charis Barker, Rachel Frost and Rachel Lees.

Later, the lawsuit, which alleges the defendant organization is “liquidating assets” totaling more than $100 million “in an attempt to flee the jurisdiction (state of Illinois) where this wrongful conduct occurred,” was expanded to add plaintiffs Jane Doe II, Melody Fedoriw, Jane Doe III, Jamie Deering and Ruth Copley.

Now the plaintiff list, according to an updated complaint, includes 16 women and two men. The newest version was provided to WND in advance of its filing with the courts, which was planned for late Wednesday.

“Like Bill Cosby, more and more victims keep coming forward telling the same story,” Gibbs said in an email to WND.

The IBLP gained some recent fame through the now-canceled reality show “19 Kids and Counting,” featuring the Duggar family. It also was where Josh Duggar was sent after it was alleged that, as a teen, he molested his sisters.

“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,” Gibbs said.

The complaint charges negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional infliction of emotional distress, willful and wanton conduct and civil conspiracy.

“Each of the individual plaintiffs were the victim of sexual abuse, sexual harassment and inappropriate/unauthorized touching, many times while they were minors, at the hands of the IBLP, by and through its agents and employees, and suffered as a result thereof,” the original complaint explained. “Much of the sexual abuse and harassment occurred while the plaintiffs were receiving counseling from the perpetrators/IBPL employees.”

On Wednesday, a woman who answered the telephone at IBLP said the organization did not have a statement or comment on the new filing.

The organization previously posted a response: “The Institute takes very seriously any allegations of this nature, and above all else, is interested in determining the truth. We therefore welcome the structure and integrity of the court process as a means for determining the truth with respect to these allegations.”

The action argues Gothard and IBLP have a “duty under Illinois law to protect their participants from sexual abuse and from the psychological and emotional harm that results from sexual abuse.”

In an affidavit from Gothard in November, he explained he knew of the allegations and had agreed to meet with legal representatives for the women, but the board would not.

“I assume that the IBLP Board thought that the plaintiffs and their counsel were bluffing and that they would not sue. Obviously, that is not the case. … The IBLP Board has responded to this lawsuit unwisely and not even contacted me for information or assistance. The board is handling the case unwisely as I have the information they need. This is a shameful waste of donors’ money,” he said.

In the undated document, attached to the amended complaint, Gothard writes: “I have not only sinned against young ladies, but also against their parents and husbands by breaking a trust to protect them. Through the years, faithful individuals repeatedly warned me about my words and actions. I sinned by not following their counsel.”

Among the allegations is that a sex-abuse victim who came to Gothard’s organization for help was abused.

A woman also claims she was raped by a biblical counselor at the IBLP training center.

When the case first was filed, IBLP declined to respond to WND requests for comment.

As a civil lawsuit among private parties, IBLP officials are not accused of a crime. Gibbs Law Firm officials said there were no police complaints filed regarding the incidents cited in the filing. The civil action is seeking $50,000-plus per plaintiff.

“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 for them. 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” Gibbs continued.

“IBLP built a $100 million 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.”

The complaint says the four remaining board members of the organization are Stephen Paine, Gil Bates, Tim Levendusky and David York.

Paine and Bates are related through marriage. Levendusky is a full-time paid employee of IBPL, and York “was placed on the board for his loyalty to Gothard and quiverfull teaching, including having his wife undergo reversal surgery to have more children,” it explains.

“IBLP, under the leadership of the current board, spent $4.65 million more than income in 2014, as reported in their most recent IRS tax filing. The organization appears to be in a dramatic crisis due to declining donations, decreased sales and high expenses,” the filing warned.

The organization has a “decades long history of sexual misconduct,” with “Gothard’s own brother, who worked for IBLP … dismissed after it was discovered that he was having sex with many students,” the complaint alleges.

“Gothard would select girls based on how they looked and tell them that it was God’s will for them to come work for him. He would call their parents and tell them that he knew they were special. At IBLP’s Training Center, it was common for people to joke about Gothard’s ‘harem,'” it says.

The complaint alleges the institute controlled, manipulated and injured a long list of people.

“In this lawsuit, Gothard has constantly attempted to manipulate and control the lawyers for the plaintiffs. On December 31, 2015, he sent a letter threatening ‘greater damage to your clients and to the cause of Christ if you expand and refine your lawsuit.’ He also seemed to threaten death to the lawyers by stating ‘Jesus affirmed the death penalty for doing this when he stated, ‘He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.” He additionally explained that the ’emotional damages of your clients’ were caused by ‘whispering’ and ‘tale-bearing’ against him. He further stated that ‘Christianity is under attack in the world’ and that he wants ‘nothing to do with your amended lawsuit,'” the document said.

“Gothard and IBLP Control Group sexually, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and/or psychologically abused the plaintiffs – against their wishes and over their objections. This perverse and offensive conduct repeatedly took place over the course of several decades.”

The latest version of the complaint includes more than 200 pages of allegations.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2016/02/ministry-sex-abuse-cover-up-becoming-like-bill-cosby/#CM0e1o6EkfJO2t0q.99