Woman crying in church. cottonbro@pexels
“Nor am I greatly moved by jocular inquiries such as, ‘Where will you put all the mosquitoes?’ — a question to be answered on its own level by pointing out that, if the worst came to worst, a heaven for mosquitoes and a hell for men could very conveniently be combined.” ― The Problem of Pain”
On January 1, 2020, North Carolina passed the SAFE (Sexual Assault Fast reporting and Enforcement) Child Act. This act has a two-year window. It allowed those who were sexually abused to sue their abuser. In other words, the statute of limitations was suspended for two years. The Asheville Citizen Times posted: Deadline nears for child sexual assault survivors in North Carolina to sue their abusers. This explains the issues surrounding the reports of child sexual abuse by focusing on Rachel Howald, who attended a Christian school.
It took Rachel Howald more than 30 years to report being sexually abused by a coach throughout her high school years at Ben Lippen School — the private, Christian school that once sat on Dryman Mountain in West Asheville.
When Howald, 50, publicly revealed her childhood horrors in a lawsuit this year, it was still considered rare, experts say. That is because research shows child sexual abuse survivors can take decades on average to report such crimes, and through strict statute of limitations, North Carolina gives child survivors only a handful of years to process the trauma and to take action.
This case caught my attention when Boz Tchividjian, the victim’s attorney, posted the following on Twitter.
He is referring to this article posted by the Asheville Citizen. Child sexual abuse lawsuit under NC SAFE Child Act settled against former Asheville school. I wish I could repost the picture at the top of the article, but I can’t. So, I suggest you go to the link and see it yourself.
As I stared at the picture, it became evident that Rachel was molested by her female teacher at this Christian school. Rachel Howard is 51 years old. She sued the Ben Lippen school under the NC law. Here is the history of the school, which is now located in South Carolina.
A Scottish phrase meaning “Mountain of Trust,” Ben Lippen School was founded in 1940 by the Columbia International University (CIU) board of trustees under the guidance of CIU’s first president, Robert C. McQuilkin. The evangelical boarding school for boys was located at CIU’s Ben Lippen Conference Center on a mountain near Asheville, NC. The school became co-educational in 1952 and flourished as a school for missionary children. After a fire destroyed the main building in 1980, Ben Lippen moved its high school program to its current location in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1988 to be on the campus of CIU. An elementary program was begun in 1990 and currently boasts two campuses, one at the Monticello Road location and another on St. Andrews Road in Columbia. All upper school students attend the Monticello Road campus.
Today Ben Lippen School has more than 900 students in grades Pre-K3 through 12, with approximately 80 of them being international students who live on campus and attend our high school.
It is both a boarding and day school. For a bit of trivia (I spend too much time reading bios, etc.) Tullian Tchividjian attended Columbia International University. Billy Graham and his family live outside Asheville, so it was close by. Back to the story!
According to the Citizen Times:
Howald, who now lives in the New York City area, claimed that former Ben Lippen teacher and coach Pamela Kaye Herrington sexually assaulted her repeatedly from 1986-88 when Howald was 16 and 17 years old and that the school provided multiple opportunities for the teacher to victimize her.
…The assaults took place in dormitories and Herrington’s campus apartment, in school vehicles used for transporting student-athletes, at school athletic events off-campus, in hotel rooms during travel for sports, and in Howald’s own home, according to the suit. Howald’s family lived near Asheville, and she attended Ben Lippen as a day student, although most of the students were boarders.
…Howald sought a jury trial to award compensatory damages and punitive damages for the “severe physical and mental injuries arising from the sexual assaults/batteries” she suffered from Herrington.
Ben Lippen School-Hang your heads and repent for using the “legal age of consent” argument.
In its initial response filed March 31, 2021, Ben Lippen School denied all charges brought by Howald in 43 separate defenses, claiming in part that Howald herself was to blame for the alleged assaults and that the school, being grounded in a Christian tradition, prevented teachers from sexually abusing minors.
These defenses include that Howald was 16 years old when she first met Herrington, and therefore “had attained the legal age of consent prior to the alleged occurrence of the allegations set forth” in the lawsuit and “consented to all of the allegations,” and that Howald “created and/or caused all of the allegations she brought forth.”
The school also claimed that all faculty members were required “to confirm full acceptance and agreement with the School’s Statement of Faith, which included Christian principles of doctrine and practice,” and that the school “prohibited all faculty and students from engaging in homosexual acts, pre-marital sexual relations, and abuse of any kind, including sexual abuse, toward a minor child.”
This has to be the most perverse and addled argument in this age of #MeToo. Most of the country is well aware of the unequal power differential between a teen and her coach. The school then claimed that Howald as well as her coach did it (sexual contact) “against” policy, so it wasn’t Ben Lippen’s fault. Yep-those policies sure did a lot to protect the students.
The school even claimed that the “lookback law” was unconstitutional. Their lawyers tried throwing everything they had at the wall to see what stuck. They ended up looking at a whole pile of nothing even though they wouldn’t admit it. Remember, Boz was Howald’s lawyer. His name should strike fear into the hearts of those who don’t do what is right in matters of sexual abuse.
Here is a comment on this school on Yahoo Life. Is this what Ben Lippen administrators and lawyers thought was a good witness for Jesus?
The inevitable settlement with an NDA occurred.
Under the settlement, in which the details will remain sealed, the case against the school is resolved, but the suit against Herrington continues.
“The latest developments in my case have certainly been unexpected and a welcome step in the healing process. But it’s just that – another step in what is essentially a lifelong process for any sexual abuse survivor,” Howald said in an email to the Citizen Times.
“Litigation is a tool for changing the future for others, it’s not a magic wand that wipes away the past. While the case against the school is settled, the trauma that comes from being sexually abused will never go away. I always live with the effects.”
The alleged predator-abuser Pamela Kaye Herrington is being sued as well!
Dee is so glad to hear about this suit against the former coach.
but the suit against Herrington continues.
I hope Rachel Howald gets a massive settlement from Herrington. Justice is served, a little late, but still done! In the meantime, I believe that there should be no statute of limitations for those under the age of 18 who have been sexually abused. It is now understood that children and teens who are abused often are unable to speak about it for decades. Laws should reflect an understanding of the psychology behind the effects of sexual abuse on young people. As Jean Luc would say “Make it so.”
Given what we have seen over and over again, and I personally saw/experienced in the 1970’s, this kind of abuse had been going on for ever…. Maybe legal action like this will finally impact “leaders” that try to cover it all up..or blame the victims…
Jeffrey Chalmers,
Great comment!
It is so true that it can take decades to process sexual abuse experienced before age 18 until one can articulate what happened to one.
I wish Rachel well in her healing and her quest for justice.
“When Howald, 50, publicly revealed her childhood horrors in a lawsuit this year, it was still considered rare, experts say. That is because research shows child sexual abuse survivors can take decades on average to report such crimes, and through strict statute of limitations, North Carolina gives child survivors only a handful of years to process the trauma and to take action.”
Evil conniving predators do math and engage timing for their covert predation:
– they carefully groom until the age of consent, then assault.
– they assault children then attack their memory.
– they assault youth while love-bombing. Much later, the youth-turned-adult untangles the manipulation, long after the statute of limitation for reporting has run out.
Even as a guy, you were aware, and looking back, you remember. There should be a hashtag for #ISawThisToo. What could have been done at the time? You were young and polite society didn’t talk about it.
A prayer lady at church leads a Bible study in her Senior High-rise with ladies from all denominations, all in their 70’s-100’s. After reading my book, the prayer lady told me that throughout the week outside Bible study, the senior ladies visit to confide with her privately regarding WHAT THEY SAW DURING CHILDHOOD. Almost a century ago. They shed tears even now over grisly grandpas and church perverts back in their day. They never forget. My guess is most women of all time have seen stuff and never spoken of it.
This awful stuff has been going on a LONG time. Polite society, including polite sermons don’t seem to address these topics. Are there sermons? Seminary classes? Teachings? Bible studies? Do we really think God doesn’t know what goes on in our Christian communities? Do we think the topic is off-limits for God? Is the Holy Spirit not nudging anyone in pulpits or seminaries to talk on these topics?
If there are sermons, maybe Dee could feature them at eChurch. Big if.
Ava Aaronson,
I have posted on this before…. When I was in 7th grade, I was being groomed by my teacher in my Christian school…He was “removed” a couple of years later after being perp walked by the police.. but it was all covered up..
Because of TWW I looked him up, and found out he went to S. California, and later convicted of molesting several young boys, and was guest of the State of California for several decades…
I bet he molested many boys before he got caught…
Jeffrey Chalmers,
Sorry for your experience. Glad to know that the abuser was finally caught and punished. Same thing happened to one of my children in a christian school setting and I wasn’t made aware of it until decades later.
What’s the ratio?
For every one you know about, there are ten you don’t?
They never, ever forget.
“… the school blames the victim and claims that the coach couldn’t have abused the victim because it was against school policy and values. When has that ever stopped any predator? …”
A weak defense for sure. I think of the hundreds of SBC pastors who abused hundreds (perhaps thousands) when it was against everything that was Christian, when a sacred office of trust did not stand in the way! Titles, policies and values won’t stop anyone when it is within their heart to commit evil.
Jeffrey Chalmers,
Do you remember anything about the grooming? Was he overly friendly towards you or did he often touch you?
When I was walking home from school when I was in 4th grade, a man exposed himself to my friend and me. To this day, I can picture where he was standing, the weather, exactly what I saw, etc. It’s like my brain took a picture that I can call up immediately.
“I believe that there should be no statute of limitations for those under the age of 18 who have been sexually abused”
Indeed! No State should allow such protection for those who commit sex crimes against children. Statutes of limitation should not apply in seeking justice on earth … they certainly won’t in eternity.
Those would be in the fire and damnation category. Pulpits don’t preach like that anymore because pews don’t want to hear it. Christianity Lite turns a deaf ear to bad stuff. No condemnation from the pulpit applies acceptance. Predators love church like this! I could certainly preach a sermon or two that would rattle their teeth and shock them back into reality, but it would be a short career in ministry.
I’m convinced that there are millions of bad pictures embedded in the minds of millions across the planet, pictures that were snapped in church.
I was abused by an sbc deacon who was a serial child predator in the 50s. He used the church to prop himself up as being morally superior, insuring silence from his victims & causing devastating grief.
Really? When has a fire and damnation preacher ever addressed this stuff? Even adjacent?
Are the fire and damnation preachers talking about rules for themselves, too? Or is it rules for thee & a pass for me & my dude bros? Our topic here happens to be clergy abuse, leadership abuse, Christian institutional cover-up. When has that ever been condemned from a pulpit?
And you’ve uncovered it here. A step in the right direction. The cover-ups throw gas on the fire.
Tip from experience:
Politeness = Sociopath.
They just want to hear about All Those Sins of Those HEATHENS.
(Especially the Pelvic ones.)
“WE THANK THEE, LOOOOOOORD THAT WE ARE NOTHING LIKE THOSE HEATHENS OVER THERE…”
FEATURE, NOT BUG.
The last time that was done was probably Ezekiel 8 … but, Ezekiel was a prophet not a priest. Today’s religious institutions are non-prophet organizations.
dee,
Yes, I remember a number of things about the grooming…. And I have independent confirmation that we was “perp walked, in handcuffs” out my Christian school…
It might be worth collecting examples of grooming and listed at TWW to help others..
All I wanted to do was find a nice church (I have specific parameters in mind) but it has been one horrendous outrage after another to find the various pastors, deacons and schools I check out are either being sexually violent predators themselves (SVP) or covering up the crimes and some, secretly sending the abuser/rapist to the next innocent church/school.
An SVP in California is a WIC code of persons (men 98%) who have two or more convictions for non-incest sexual assault crimes. After their sentence is complete they are then held in forensic maximum security for further treatment with the idea that they are too dangerous by certainty of re-offending ie new victims.
The average rapes per conviction is 50 rapes. The average under age 18 rape/molestation is 180 per conviction. Because of the understandable silence of the victims these numbers may be higher. But these are the numbers used by California in late 1990’s to determine the seriousness of the crimes and the re-offending rates.
Keep in mind that the terms rape, sexual assault, molestation are clinical without much emotion and not equal to the outrageous atrocity of the crime. Prior to the 15th century these crimes were called “outrages”… reflecting the intense horror of atrocity of these crimes.
Christians are called to fear God and to eschew evil, just to name two. So this whole topic needs to addressed firmly from the pulpit. The perpetrator cannot be protected and the victim cannot be sullied or further abused. And, may the victims forgive those of us who did not help them and now repent.
Any ‘godly preacher man who does NOT speak up to demand public repentance (yes, public) by any perpetrator, full criminal prosecution & restitution to victims of these crimes; AND, refuse speaking engagements at churches/schools whose leaders cover-up such abuse… these men are in fact not ‘godly’ but cowards who allow evil to continue. And their preaching will always be tainted by their cowardice. Likewise, the preaching of the courageous pastor who publicly eschews this evil will edify his church and glorify God. “Evil flourishes when good men are silent.”
Finally, some comments hope that these sites deter such crimes. Sadly, the hearts of men are sinful. The Bible is clear on this. You can bet that the more educated perpetrators of these crimes read these sites to learn how to not get caught; thereby, to be more successful.
Only if they involve you (generic you) and another consenting adult:
Chester the molester? —- they’ll ‘restore him’
Bill and Betty (both over 21) caught doin’ the hanky panky? — they’re toast
you would think that a ‘sacred office of trust’ would imply that a person is MORE accountable for their actions than most . . . . but as we see, that has not always been the case especially among the ‘good ‘old boys’ of all persuasions
the LAW must have something to say about a person of ‘responsibility in an office of trust’ when it comes time to hold that person accountable for predatory acts, when the victims were ‘under their professional care’ . . . . . (?)
(here, I’m thinking how it must have been for victims of JUDGE Paul Pressler, so no guarantees when people ‘look the other way’ because predators hold important positions)
there WILL be an accounting in the Kingdom of Our Lord, and there will be healing for the wounded, if there is no justice in our own time
Muff Potter,
“Chester the molester? —- they’ll ‘restore him’”
+++++++++++++
the allure of grace glamour
————-
“Bill and Betty (both over 21) caught doin’ the hanky panky? — they’re toast”
+++++++++++++
the sport & fun of being judge
elastigirl,
Unfortunately, your position resonates with what I have seen…
The American church needs a 40 year LookBack Law (or longer).
States should not include sexual abuse of children in their statute of limitations laws. There should be no period of limitation for bringing legal action against pedophiles.
Exactly. Yes.
The preachers, theologians, apologists (RZ), professors, and seminary teachers read THE SAME NEWS REPORTS ON CHURCH PREDATORS as the rest of us.
Any of these churchy religious “leaders” who are NOT outraged, are worthless and meaningless in their so-called Christian “leadership”.
Every time an LE or DOJ report of clergy sexual abuse comes out, the fact that NO fellow clergy rise in outrage about this evil makes them complicit. The religious leader bystanders are driving the getaway cars. THEY ARE EQUALLY THE PROBLEM.
Are there tweets or comments on the watchblogs by these so-called paid-for-by-the-pew religious leaders about this horrible evil? Why aren’t they flooding Social Media with outrage?
No. They are dead silent.
There should be a myriad of comments, a response of outrage against predator preachers by the standup decent leaders. Where are they? It seems they don’t exist.
That being the case, NONE of them are worth their wages. They lack moral fortitude, the very people we look to for moral strength.
We see memoirs of survivors on Amazon. Are there any leaders who publish on these topics? They seem to love to put out books and see their words on paper but NOTHING on behalf on victims. The void is telling.
Churches that fail to address this are fruitless and may even be dangerous.
Thanks for sharing and shedding light on what some consider the Good Ole Days (only cuz it was not happening to them, as if it’s all about them … which it is not).
God bless you in your journey in every way. Sorry this happened to you, as an innocent trusting child. God help our innocent trusting children.
Interesting since prophecy is listed as a HS gift to the NT church: Rom 12, 1 Cor 12, Eph 4.
Personally, I wouldn’t even know what the HS gift of prophecy in church would look like.
I’ve been in charismatic churches where a lady stands up and says, “Thus saith the Lord thy God, ‘My children …'” blah blah blah. Seems to follow a template.
I’ve been in charismatic churches where some renowned prophet guy blows in from out of town for a “prophetic word” that also follows a template. Basically it’s a vague prediction of something that is nebulous like a horoscope, so nothing there.
The churches we have attended as members make it a point to negate the validity of prophecy in the contemporary church. The pastors teach that prophecy is disruptive. (They say the same about miracles except when their own family member falls ill.)
Child sex abuse IS A FELONY in all 50 states. Sooner or later one of these cases is gonna’ go viral, high profile, the whole 9 yards. And when they (law enforcement) determine that the church higher ups tried to conceal the perp, those who tried to hide it will go down for complicity.
But it *hasn’t* gone viral. Not even the (just to use as an example) Catholic priest scandal, which was, in its way, far more organized than its Protestant counterpart, hasn’t had that kind of effect. At least not here in the USA. I look over to the Republic of Ireland, though, and I can see how the combination of the priestly sexual abuse plus the Magdalene laundries has taken that country from the most churchgoing in Europe to the least, in less than two decades. That nation is practically Done. The USA? I have no idea where we’re at now.
(Instead we spend days on Twitter arguing about Bathsheba. And I’m as guilty as any!)
It’s an overlookable offense instead of a deal breaker for church goers and church leaders.
When it should be a deal breaker for church goers in choosing/remaining in a fellowship.
It should also be a deal breaker for church leaders in approving of their fellow church leader.
There should be public outcry on Social Media from every righteous voice in the Christian community. Silence is complicit.
In many countries it isn’t illegal not to report child abuse. It’s absolutely insane that this is the case.
The FBI may be using the Mann Act against priests trafficking children across state boundaries (I understand the principle that you prosecute for the actual crime that’s on the statute books but it’s still bizarre that it would be for moving the child not for abusing them).
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/fbi-opens-investigation-into-sex-abuse-in-the-roman-catholic-church-in-new-orleans
I do feel for you. I have come to the conclusion that once you have seen a horrendous outrage rather than turn a blind eye, you can’t not see them. After a while you start feeling like you’re actually attracting them but it’s more that you can’t not see.
It’s like someone realizing what abusive relationships are like and being aware, seeing the signs where others don’t.
Life is much easier if you just shrug and think it’s not happening.
Ava Aaronson,
I completely agree…..
my fundamentalist Baptist school “ quietly” “ sent the perp away who then molested boys later and WAS CONVICTED and was a guest of the state of California for many years…
And my school never asked if the perp molested other boys… i know, because others have told me on Facebook they were not asked, and they never asked me or my family…. And he was grooming me….
These same “leaders” were very “pious”
Sometimes, yes, polished manners hide awful traits. But lots of sociopaths are bullies too, and some are just oddballs.
Meanwhile I don’t want to believe that politeness = probable cause.
The contemporary church has made a dedicated effort to negate the validity of much of what was intended for the Kingdom of God on earth in the here and now.
How long were spiritual gifts given to the church?:
“His “gifts to men” were varied. Some He made His messengers, some prophets, some preachers of the Gospel; to some He gave the power to guide and teach His people. His gifts were made that Christians might be properly equipped for their service, that the whole body might be built up UNTIL the time comes when, in the unity of the common faith and common knowledge of the Son of God, we arrive at real maturity—that measure of development which is meant by the “fullness of Christ”.” (Ephesians 4:11-13 Phillips)
UNTIL! Has the Body of Christ reached a unity of common faith and common knowledge of Christ? No. Have Christians arrived at real maturity in the fullness of Christ? No.
Thus, the gifts – all of them – are still being given to the church. The problem is we don’t receive them because we are “contemporary” and want to do church our way in our generation. That’s why I say that much of the church is a non-prophet organization, not because God made it that way but because we have relegated the Holy Spirit to the back pew and don’t appropriate all that God has for us. Most churches don’t have enough spiritual power to blow the dust off a peanut and the people love it that way … they are satisfied living without a move of the Holy Spirit in their midst.
The more Righteous Piety, the more Corruption and Perversion.
“I asked how she survived [a Roloff Home]. She said ‘Simple. I just out-Pioused everybody else’.”
— long-ago comment in this blog, from memory; subject was abuse at Roloff Homes
Not with a CHRISTIAN Supreme Court who’ll overtun any such PERSECUTION.
But then whatabout our Church Potlucks/Gossip Sessions?
While Pious Preachers thunder from pulpits about The Heathen Hardness of Hearts.
Headless Unicorn Guy,
Here’s the actual comment, from Mirele:
https://wartburgwatch.com/2015/03/13/the-legacy-of-ifbs-lester-roloff-comes-under-scrutiny/#comment-184715
Found this explanation on twitter, about these preachers preaching their hearts out to the pew to shape up while their preacher compatriots are found guilty daily of sex crimes etc. (and the preachers say nothing about them):
Lauren @laurchastain22
“When we first left our church & my mind was reeling with confusion, I stumbled upon the series ‘scandal.’
It answered one of my biggest questions.
Why don’t these leaders call each other out?
It’s only been confirmed as years pass.
They have incriminating evidence on each other.
The lead pastor can’t call out his former buddy/discipleship torture guru, because if he does maybe a story will get out about abuse not reported at the school. The acting CEO can’t call out clergy sexual abuse when he was guilty of the same thing decades ago. And on and on.”
Like the Mob, it’s a self-protecting network. Of crime.
Ava Aaronson,
Except, the crimes these “leaders” commit are not “as bad” as what pew peons commit…. The supreme example is what Faldwell Jr got away with, while freshmen at Liberty get hammered for the smallest infraction..
RANK HATH ITS PRIVILEGES, especially when by Divine Right.
Is there any god or messiah out there for all us Lowborn?
With Godspeak and Bible Verses for Justification.
When I found out that my daughters had been sexually assaulted at church, my heart broke. I had been worshiping elsewhere, and they didn’t think anything would be done. They talked to each other and came up with a plan to keep themselves safe.
It’s one of the unspoken reasons that I’m pushing for accountability in that church. The kids need a place that takes their outcries seriously.
The rules do not apply to the Nobility, only to the Serfs beneath them.
Because GAWD SAITH!
Is there a God for all us Lowborn?