Religious Leader With Ties to Duggar Family Accused of Sexually Abusing Women: Lawsuit

Gothard told NBC Chicago Thursday that he is “grateful” for the lawsuit and denies the allegations

Ten women have filed a lawsuit against the former leader of a suburban ministry with ties to the Duggar family alleging he sexually abused and harassed them and his ministry covered it up.

The lawsuit filed in DuPage County Circuit Court Wednesday names Bill Gothard and the Institute in Basic Life Principles, a well-known homeschooling ministry based in Oak Brook.

The lawsuit alleges 10 women, who were each participants, interns, volunteers or employees at the institute, were sexually abused, sexually harassed and touched inappropriately, many times while they were minors, by employees of the institute.

Five of the women had earlier filed a lawsuit against IBLP in October. The complaint was dismissed but the judge allowed the lawsuit to be amended by Jan. 6.

Gothard was placed on administrative leave in 2014 after a series of allegations against him and later resigned from the institute he founded. He was replaced by Dr. Tim Levendusky, who at the time said he and his staff were “startled and concerned” by the claims.

Gothard told NBC Chicago Thursday that he is “grateful” for the lawsuit and denies the allegations.

“This is going to give me an opportunity to prove that all the allegations are false,” he said. “That’ll be seen in the days ahead.”

He declined to comment further about any previous allegations against him.

In the lawsuit, Gothard is accused of exposing himself to multiple women, having intercourse with one woman and undressing and groping another. One woman accused Gothard of grabbing her hair at the nape of her neck while whispering in her ear "I love your hair."

The suit includes a letter allegedly written by Gothard to the women who accused him. It’s not clear when the letter was written, but in it, Gothard allegedly writes that he “was very wrong in holding hands, giving hugs, and touching their hair or feet.”

“I have not only sinned against young ladies but also against their parents and husbands by breaking a trust to protect them,” the letter reads.

Gothard's ministry was at one time a popular site for conservative Christian families, including the Duggar family from TLC's "19 Kids and Counting," the Chicago Tribune reports. 

IBLP noted in a statement on its website that many of the allegations in the suit concern conduct that allegedly involved Gothard, who “is no longer associated with the Institute.”

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

The lawsuit claims the organization failed to report allegations of prior sexual abuse, sexual harassment and inappropriate touching of the participants, interns and employees to authorities.

IBLP also made headlines last year after People Magazine reported Josh Duggar spent time one of its facilities in Little Rock, Arkansas following claims he molested underage girls. The family posted on their website in August that Josh Duggar confessed to cheating on his wife Anna and having a pornography addiction and was checked into a long-term treatment center.

The 10 plaintiffs are each seeking $50,000 in damages, claiming they suffered “injuries of a personal and pecuniary nature and severe emotional distress.”

A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 13.
 

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