If you had a sharp eye reading Monday’s post here you probably caught where I mentioned I am doing what I can to help seek justice in the case of some men formerly in religious leadership. You may be wondering who these men are. Well, I believe that one of these cases has reached the point where I can best help by declaring myself. From this point forward, I will no longer be vague about my former association with the Institute in Basic Life Principles. I will be going through my about page and other items on this site to make it more specific. I’m done hiding. I left the Institute in Basic Life Principles and have spent the last 10 years trying to deprogram myself.
I’m sure some of you are aware that on Wednesday the 6th, the lawsuit against IBLP’s board was upgraded. Several new plaintiffs have been added, and one defendant of note as well, the man himself, Bill Gothard. The suit claims that several years, even decades, of sexual harrassment, sexual abuse, molestation and even rape were reported to Institute leadership with no effort made to involve or even contact authorities. The lawsuit claims that abuse and rape were perpetrated by family members, and even by members of IBLP leadership themselves. Further, it claims that the victims of the abuse were told to pack up and head straight back into the environments in which these acts were perpetrated.
And yes, in case you were wondering about a rumor you had heard, this is the cult that the Duggar family was a part of, and still participates in, although they’ve removed any mention of it from their website and other material.
If you are unfamiliar with the case, here are some articles of note for you to peruse:
- The latest news – https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/01/06/new-charges-allege-religious-leader-who-has-ties-to-the-duggars-sexually-abused-women/
- Charlotte’s Story, one of the plaintiffs – http://www.recoveringgrace.org/2014/02/charlottes-stori/#more
- And an article about IBLP’s teachings that blame victims for their own abuse or rape – http://www.recoveringgrace.org/2013/04/how-counseling-sexual-abuse-blames-and-shames-survivors/
- A summary of the charges – http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/2016/01/a-summary-of-allegations-against-bill-gothard-and-iblp.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Christian Feminist Daddy 