Asheville Christian Academy Devastated by Helene Flooding and a Lawsuit Alleging a Failure to Report Sexual Misconduct

Posted on by January 26, 2025avatar

Asheville: Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash

“It is almost always the cover-up rather than the event that causes trouble.” Howard Baker

I will visit my new grandbaby in Boston for a few days but will check in regularly. The pugs are in my husband’s good hands.

This is a difficult post for me to write. Many well-regarded Christian schools in North Carolina have forged close relationships. The flooding from Helene ravaged the mountains of North Carolina, and the beautiful city of Asheville was hard hit. Asheville Christian Academy sustained serious damage, and many of the Christian schools are banding together to help them recuperate. Help us Recover from Helene.

Amid this recuperation effort, the Christian Post wrote  Christian school in North Carolina slapped with lawsuit over alleged sexual misconduct. Please note that this involves an alleged failure to report sexual misconduct on the part of the administration.

Asheville Christian Academy, a PreK-12 private school in Swannanoa, neglected to report the sexual abuse against an anonymous female student by 52-year-old Jason Ingle, a coach who was previously listed as the school’s dean of spiritual formation before he was terminated last June, according to the lawsuit filed Jan. 9 .

Long-term grooming is alleged to have lowered the inhibitions of a student.

From the Christian Post:

The lawsuit alleges that the female student, who began attending ACA at age 10, was groomed by Ingle “all with the goal of lowering [her] inhibitions with the ultimate plan of sexually abusing and exploiting [her].”

It appears the alleged abuser’s conduct was so blatant that those who ran the school should have been aware.

The lawsuit goes on to claim that Ingle would meet alone with the girl early in the morning for athletic workouts, was seen alone in his car with her on numerous occasions, and would spend significant amounts of time during school hours alone in his office with her, sometimes with the door closed, blinds drawn and lights out.

Ingle allegedly had a picture of the student on his desk next to his wife’s photo!!

From the Christian Post:

Ingle also allegedly had a photograph of the girl on his desk beside a photo of his wife, and would eat alone with her during school functions.

The lawsuit alleges the school staff should have known.

ABC 13 News posted Asheville Christian Academy faces lawsuit over alleged sexual abuse cover-up by staff.

The lawsuit, signed on Jan. 9, 2025, claims that ACA and its employees neglected to report and intervene in the sexual abuse and exploitation of the plaintiff student, who appears under a pseudonym of “Jane Doe.”

The lawsuit lists the following as defendants:

Asheville Christian Academy, Inc.
William George, former head of school
Taylor Bell, “director of social, emotional and spiritual care”
Wade Tapp, former associate head of school/head of Upper School
Alexis Zanias, Upper School teacher
Samuel Jason Ingle, former “dean of spiritual formation” and coach

This abuse allegedly took place over several months.

The lawsuit appears to say that the staff coordinated a coverup.

From ABC 13 News:

The lawsuit alleges that staff “unconscionably allowed this egregious and outrageous conduct to continue without taking any steps to report, intervene, investigate, discipline, pursue criminal charges, stop the grooming, abuse and exploitation or take any other steps to protect Plaintiff Jane Doe.”

The lawsuit also claims that staff worked jointly to “cover up the grooming, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse” of Jane Doe.

Ministry Watch reports

During a school trip to Greece, another student allegedly found Doe’s personal journal with entries about her sexual relationship with Ingle. The student claims to have reported the matter to Bell, who allegedly attempted “to downplay or cover-up” Ingle’s actions.

Several educators, including Willliam George, have been removed from their positions.

Please click on “Watch on YouTube” while I figure out how to solve this “bot” problem.

Question

Did anyone wonder why Ingle had a picture of the student next to the picture of his wife?

Prediction:

A settlement with an NDA will resolve the lawsuit. The public will not know the details.

Comments

Asheville Christian Academy Devastated by Helene Flooding and a Lawsuit Alleging a Failure to Report Sexual Misconduct — 51 Comments

  3. Susan: just b/c something is “Christian” doesn’t mean it’s safe or of good quality

    Going to church doesn’t mean you are a Christian … just as living in a garage doesn’t make you a car. Much of Christendom is in name only, the fingerprints of Christ are not on it. We read about the counterfeit every day on TWW. Praise God for the genuine at church, but always be on guard for the counterfeit in your midst.

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  5. Susan,

    “I recently commented in a Bible study that much as it pains me to say it, just b/c something is “Christian” doesn’t mean it’s safe or of good quality. Sadly, this story demonstrates that point.”
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    similarly, just because something/someone is not christian doesn’t mean it’s unsafe or of bad quality.

    i’ve long wearied of hearing my faith fellows putting down those on ‘the outside’ in mock pity, while congratulating themselves in mock humility.

    “the world”, they call them. the evil, worldly world.

    as if every human not part of christian church culture can’t help but be the goblin they are.

    i have news for my faith fellows: the best human beings i know are expressly not christian.

    they are my muslim friends, my buddhist friends, my agnostic friends and family.

    their honesty, integrity, kindness, and selflessness inspires me.

    my agnostic friends & family especially inspire me – because it’s pure.

    they didn’t need any holy book, no pastor, no sermon, no glossy bible study workbook, or christian blog telling them to.

    they have nothing and no one to satisfy and please. no points to score.

    no ideal which some influencer using Jesus’ name to build their brand for money & recognition is telling them to live up to.

    there’s nothing in it for them — they simply do what is right because it’s right.

    honesty, integrity, kindness, and selflessness for their own sake is the most pure & priceless thing in the universe.

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  6. At the basis of sexual abuse is power and control, and there are fewer places in American society where power and control is “out of control” than the church. All it takes is for one “pastor” to state, “God has told me . . .” or for one layperson to say, “God has laid on my heart . . .” and it goes unquestioned. Go into any other area of American life – work, family, public settings – and make such a statement, you will get push back.

    Walk into a church and justify yourself with the words, “God told me . . .” and all goes strangely silent.

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  12. elastigirl: “the world”, they call them. the evil, worldly world.

    All that is NOT Us.

    Most every tribal society’s name for their own tribe translates as “The People”. Their name for every other tribe translates as “The Enemy”. A lot of English names for American Indigenous Tribes are the neighboring tribes word for “Enemy” and/or “Subhuman”.

    Anyone remember the Rules of Engagement from the Book of Joshua?

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  15. Susan: I recently commented in a Bible study that much as it pains me to say it, just b/c something is “Christian” doesn’t mean it’s safe or of good quality.

    In local Fandom during the Eighties (where there was a flood of Christianese knockoffs of just about everything, including the subjects of the various Fandoms) the attitude was “Of course it’s Christian(TM) — look how shoddy it is!” (And the Bible Verses or their zip codes inscribed on said knockoffs were also an indicator.)

    As a compulsive creative, I found Christianese culture to be a Creativity Inhibitor. For decades after getting out of it, I had to push God and Christ completely out of the picture in order to Create.

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  16. Headless Unicorn Guy: In local Fandom during the Eighties (where there was a flood of Christianese knockoffs of just about everything, including the subjects of the various Fandoms) the attitude was “Of course it’s Christian(TM) — look how shoddy it is!” (And the Bible Verses or their zip codes inscribed on said knockoffs were also an indicator.)

    As a compulsive creative, I found Christianese culture to be a Creativity Inhibitor. For decades after getting out of it, I had to push God and Christ completely out of the picture in order to Create.

    And that is tragic, HUG.
    Of ALL people, we who claim to be children of God, Who IS CREATIVITY, should be set free to “have at it”…
    Unfortunately, I have had TOO MANY “discussions” with rigid Fundies who say CS Lewis “couldn’t be a Christian because of the occult in his books!” Of course, they mean “witches”.
    (On a personal note, many years ago I got raked over the coals for letting a kid play “Stairway to Heaven” during a church talent show. He was really good, actually, but the song was “demonic” or something because “Led Zeppelin did it” )
    “Blind guides! You strain out a nat but swallow a camel.” (Matt. 23:24)

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  17. Sandy,

    “It often seems like religion is meant to bury that simplicity under millions of obfuscating words and rituals.
    Why?”
    ++++++++++++++++

    perhaps the concept of God is so overwhelming that we assume “the pathway to God”…

    or what it means to “have faith in God”, or one’s “faith” or “walk” with God, or “the Christian life” (thinking of various ways people put this into words)

    is also overwhelming.
    ——–

    it facilitates in-groups and out-groups. (members-only mindset; special knowledge only available to the initiated)

    (in short, it appeals to our vanity)
    ——–

    it also creates jobs.
    ———

    and business ideas. and revenue streams.
    ———

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  18. Sandy,

    “It often seems like religion is meant to bury that simplicity under millions of obfuscating words and rituals.
    Why?”
    +++++++++++++++++

    We’re full-fledged adults, here. we don’t need to pay for faith by hiring faith-managers and being hooked up to all this excessive, unnecessary apparatus…

    like the moustrap game.

    23 separate instruments, 23 separate functions to get me from here to there. all redundant. (profiting 23 separate entities)

    when all i had to do was angle myself differently and take a step or two.

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  22. PapaB: (On a personal note, many years ago I got raked over the coals for letting a kid play “Stairway to Heaven” during a church talent show. He was really good, actually, but the song was “demonic” or something because “Led Zeppelin did it” )

    During the Satanic Panic (specifially “BACKWARDS… MASKING…”), “Stairway to Heaven” was the go-to song to play backwards and point out all the SAY-TANN-IC backwards lyrics.

    The Backwards Masking scare actually started somewhat local to me. Pastor Gary of Eagle’s Nest in Long Beach on all the CHRISTIAN airwaves in the Eighties, speaking tours PROVING the SATANIC Backwards Masking in EVERYTHING. And “Stairway to Heaven” was always the climax of his “What’s REALLY Going On”.

    Including his appearance on Rich Buhler’s “Talk from the Heart” on KBRT, one of the higher-quality talk shows in SoCal. Pastor Gary went through his presentation, ending with a reversed and annotated “Stairway to Heaven”; Rich Buhler (who was a fairly level-headed guy, though he did fall for the Recovered Represses Memory shick around the McMarten Preschool Affair) was nocommittal during the presentation.

    Well, the next morning Rumor Rich (a “Pun-o-costal” with a quirky sense of humor) decided to start his show with a Pastor Gary parody intro to an interview with then-CCM star Benny Hester and ended up accidentally torpedoing Hester’s career:

    Rich signs on, sounding very serious and ominous. “After Pastor Gary yesterday, I went into the station morgue and started playing them backwards. Here is What I Discovered…” and starts spinning the vinyl backwards on the air.
    “Here it says “Satan is With You And Me” — “SALYGHOTH THLLLLAGGGIC EEEEE!”
    “Here it says…” and the backwards “UUUUGGHNAGONVLUTHGKKKKK!” two or three times, then the Big Reveal:
    “This is NOT Led Zeppelin. This is NOT Black Sabbath. This is… BENNY HESTER! Who I’ve got on the phone right now… Benny! How could you do that! Are you into The Occult, Brother?”

    Benny got a laugh out of that, but the next day nobody was laughing. By the second or third retelling, it had become unwritten SCRIPTURE! that Benny Hester was not only into the Occult up to his eyebrows but a Satanist. Took several years for his career to recover.

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  23. Pat:
    elastigirl,

    We seem to forget it’s not religion, it’s a true relationship with Jesus.That’s why He says in the word: Be ye Holy as I am Holy

    In-country I heard so many “Religion” (sneer) or “Relationship” (smiiile) semons WITHOUT ANY DEFINITON AS TO WHAY THE PREACHER MEANT; NO EXPLANATION OR DETAILS. To the point it became totally meaningless, just a stock phrase of Christianese buzzwords on MP3 playback.

    And what is “Being Holy”?
    “Mortifying your Flesh” like St Rose of Lims? Scarring your face withyout fingernails and garbling lye to burn out your vocal cords?
    Quoting the Bible like a Taliban reciting his Korah, without any active neuron above the brainstem, only Quote Quote Quote from muscle meory?
    Being Holier Than Thou?
    Becoming a walking Jack Chick Tract on pain of Eternal Hell?

    Too many Christians are so Spiritual that what they say is so Christianese it has no meaning outside their little bubble.

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  25. PapaB: Of ALL people, we who claim to be children of God, Who IS CREATIVITY, should be set free to “have at it”…

    They’ve already anticipated you, PapaB:
    I remember some screaming radio preacher from the Seventies — “WE ARE ONLY THE CREATURE! HE IS THE CRE-A-TOR!!!!!”
    Unspoken corollary: Since HE is the CRE-A-TOR, nobody else can ever be permitted to create.
    Another expression of Worm Theology.

    It’s Lord Farquar from Shrek (an achondrophlasic dwarf) decreeing all in his realm shall have their legs amputated so nobody can ever be taller than their Lord.

    As another survivor of abusive Christianity put it, “Since God had the ultimate Importance, nobody else could have any importance at all.” (And if your reaction to that is “SCRIPTURE! SCRITURE! SCRIPTURE!”, you’re part of the problem, not the solution.)

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  26. PapaB: (On a personal note, many years ago I got raked over the coals for letting a kid play “Stairway to Heaven” during a church talent show. He was really good, actually, but the song was “demonic” or something because “Led Zeppelin did it” )

    During my first flush of Dungeons & Dragons, my first gaming group preferred “Battle of Evermore” from the same Led Zep album. Along with King Crimson’s intricate imagery in their “Court of the Crimson King”.

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  27. Pat,

    “We seem to forget it’s not religion, it’s a true relationship with Jesus.That’s why He says in the word: Be ye Holy as I am Holy”
    +++++++++++++++

    well, that’s what everyone says while at the same time nickel-&-diming people with an extensive list of rules deemed “biblical”. the list changes depending on who you’re talking to.

    really, “holy” is a code word for these extensive lists.

    i’ve seen revolting human beings described as ‘holy’ because they check all the right boxes.

    i’ve seen good and decent human beings castigated as ‘heretics’ because they didn’t check all the right boxes.

    just like these changing lists, the definition of holy changes depending on who’s talking.

    what’s holy?

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  31. It never helps to keep these things quiet. It always creeps out somewhere after you’ve met with the congregation and said “pastor so and so was caught making out with a 15-year old in the broom closet. Now, we’re trying to keep this quiet to protect the reputation of the church, so please don’t gossip. Remember, that’s a sin, you know.”

    And, you turn on the local news broadcast, and there’s pastor so-and-so in his orange jumpsuit that he’s rockin’ like a pro. Better to make the name of the perp public when asked, while keeping the victim’s name confidential.

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  32. Headless Unicorn Guy,

    I am literally laughing so hard at that story my ribs hurt!!

    But the “Satanic Panic” and “Repressed Memories” thing was seriously damaging to many people.
    I recall watching videos in which people were teaching that certain musical chords created vibrations that opened one to demonic attacks (apparently “Stairway” contains those chords?!). Talk about majoring on minors!! (Pun intended)

    No wonder people think we’re crazy…

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  33. Headless Unicorn Guy: During my first flush of Dungeons & Dragons, my first gaming group preferred “Battle of Evermore” from the same Led Zep album. Along with King Crimson’s intricate imagery in their “Court of the Crimson King”.

    I was listening to “Court of the Crimson King” this past weekend.
    One of the seminal albums in Rock history, certainly, and Robert Fripp, Greg Lake, et.al. were incredibly talented, creative geniuses, in my opinion.

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  34. elastigirl,

    “well, that’s what everyone says while at the same…”
    ++++++++++++

    not necessarily you. speaking in broad terms (& probabilities) based on a lifetime of experience (an enormous sample size; i recently took remedial statistics because i had to, pursuing the degree i should have chosen long ago).

    i apologize if the inference included you.

    (no surprise i have strong feelings on this greater subject)

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  37. Muff Potter,

    “what’s holy?

    “Whatever speaks to your inner guts and moves you.”
    +++++++++++++++++

    ……:|

    substance-wise, it’s either cracking one’s teeth on a rigid 4×4 slice of oak, or gnawing on a flab of memory foam.

    each can behave like the other at will.

    dick and jane woodenrigidity become joe and joanne wobblypassive to get what they want.

    they don’t always realize they’re doing this.

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  41. PapaB: I recall watching videos in which people were teaching that certain musical chords created vibrations that opened one to demonic attacks (apparently “Stairway” contains those chords?!).

    “Vibrations”? Sounds kind of Spiritualist to me.

    The Backwards Masking Scare sparked a lot of trolling from a lot of bands:
    * Weird Al Yankovic put a backwards track in his “Nature Trail To Hell”; played backwards, it says “Satan is Cheez Whiz”.
    * ELO was rumored to have recorded a musical palindrome that sounded the same played forwards or backwards.
    * And in CCM, I think Petra put in a backwards track that said “Why are you looking for the Devil when you should be looking for The LORD?”
    * And a lot of other bands threw in backwards tracks just to Troll the Christians.
    * “Why do you have to play the records backwards? With some of these bands, you can tell where they’re coming from when you play them forwards!” — Rich Buhler, Talk from the Heart

    Some years later, another preacher-man took up the Backwards Masking Torch. This time it was “Theme From Mr Ed” had SATANIC backwards messages. And that all Christian music says ‘Praise the LORD!” when played backwards. This time nobody took him seriously. When he hit the big time, Dr Demento started out his weekly show with “Theme from Mr Ed” played backwards. Followed by “That’s where the Satanic Messages are – In the horse’s whinny!”

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  42. PapaB: I was listening to “Court of the Crimson King” this past weekend.
    One of the seminal albums in Rock history, certainly, and Robert Fripp, Greg Lake, et.al. were incredibly talented, creative geniuses, in my opinion.

    Definitely a piece to put on the speakers during D&D games.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR3AWdyVVdU
    And Led Zep’s “Battle of Evermore”:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUmd6lujmuE
    And a little later, came the Cult of the Blue Oyster with several songs written by a certain “M.Moorcock’. Like “Black Blade”:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCxL3-Fl7bM
    Besides BOC, Moorcock (anyone who was into Sword & Sorcery in the Seventies & Eighties will recognize the name) had his own band, Hawkwind:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGFCbmAgHmU

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  43. Headless Unicorn Guy,
    Backwards Masking Lore about The Beatles:
    * It started when John Lennon was mixing the Beatles White Album(?) while high and got the first track on the cart running backwards. And went “This sounds Weird!” and called in Paul, George, and Ringo to listen. Since he had about a minute and a half left over at the end of the album, he filled it with the first minute and a half of the first song on the album played backwards.
    * And there was an urban legend around the time of Abbey Road that Paul had died and been replaced by a body double; the proof was when you played the album backwards, it told the truth – “Turn Me On, Dead Man” and/or “Paul is Dead, Miss Him, Miss Him”. Lotsa Beatles vinyl got worn out by being played backwards.
    * And as usual, the Christians were Late (and Extreme) Adopters.

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  44. Sandy: On soft gray mornings widows cry
    The wise men share a joke
    I run to grasp divining signs
    To satisfy the hoax
    The yellow jester does not play
    But gentle pulls the strings
    And smiles as the puppets dance
    In the court of the crimson king

    One very rich vibe, like some kind of incantaton.

    The Black Queen chants the Funeral March
    The cracked brass bells shall ring
    To welcome back the Fire Witch
    To the Court of the Crimson King

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  47. PapaB: And that is tragic, HUG.
    Of ALL people, we who claim to be children of God, Who IS CREATIVITY, should be set free to “have at it”…
    Unfortunately, I have had TOO MANY “discussions” with rigid Fundies who say CS Lewis “couldn’t be a Christian because of the occult in his books!” Of course, they mean “witches”.
    (On a personal note, many years ago I got raked over the coals for letting a kid play “Stairway to Heaven” during a church talent show. He was really good, actually, but the song was “demonic” or something because “Led Zeppelin did it” )
    “Blind guides! You strain out a nat but swallow a camel.” (Matt. 23:24)

    Cue Jack Chick and Rock Music backmasking…

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  48. Headless Unicorn Guy:
    Headless Unicorn Guy,
    Backwards Masking Lore about The Beatles:
    * It started when John Lennon was mixing the Beatles White Album(?) while high and got the first track on the cart running backwards. And went “This sounds Weird!” and called in Paul, George, and Ringo to listen. Since he had about a minute and a half left over at the end of the album, he filled it with the first minute and a half of the first song on the album played backwards.
    * And there was an urban legend around the time of Abbey Road that Paul had died and been replaced by a body double; the proof was when you played the album backwards, it told the truth – “Turn Me On, Dead Man” and/or “Paul is Dead, Miss Him, Miss Him”. Lotsa Beatles vinyl got worn out by being played backwards.
    * And as usual, the Christians were Late (and Extreme) Adopters.

    Some Beatle fans to this day believe that McCartney was replaced by a double.

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  50. PapaB: And that is tragic, HUG.
    Of ALL people, we who claim to be children of God, Who IS CREATIVITY, should be set free to “have at it”…

    But unless you’re doing 7-11 Praise Choruses or Witnessing Propaganda, it’s SIN! SIN! SIN!

    My writing partner’s blog has a guest editorial about this in relation to SF writing; the site went behind a “Sensitive Contents – Sign in with your Google Account” firewall about a week ago (we don’t call it “censorship”), but here’s the URL in case you can get through the not-censorship wall:
    https://alanloewen.blogspot.com/2016/09/guest-editorial-why-is-christian.html

    TL,DR: The only form of SF Christians are PERMITTED to write is Near-Future Persecution Dystopias with an End Times Prpphecy/Rapture Tie-In. i.e. a Jack Chick Tract without the pictures.

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