Woman says she was abused by church leader, seeks $16 mil.
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LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. – A church now faces a mega-lawsuit in federal court as one of its former youth leaders is accused of grooming and sexually abusing a teenage girl.
The lawsuit asks for $16 million and names Our Savior's Lutheran Church of Lake Oswego.
The man accused of the abuse says he didn’t do it. Because it is a civil suit, KATU News is not naming the man.
The man was the head of the youth group in his church and was a banker in Lake Oswego and California, but according to the lawsuit, he methodically groomed the girl and then abused her for a long time.
The case goes back to the mid-1990s.
The woman, who is now 34 years old, says the molestation began when she was 15 years old.
According to the lawsuit, the "abuse continued for a period of years and occurred on a near-daily basis."
The woman also alleges that the man "gained her trust and confidence as a valuable and trustworthy spiritual guide and mentor."
Even though the alleged abuse happened a while ago, the woman's lawyer, Tara Lawrence said, "Thankfully, the Oregon Legislature passed legislation permitting victims of sex abuse to bring an action up to the age of 40 based on the fact that a number of victims really suppress the trauma."
The lawsuit says church leaders knew about "inappropriate and suspicious conduct by Defendant. ... Adult leaders ... discussed such concerns and observations with ministers and employees" but they "failed to take effective action to end the abuse."
By phone the former youth leader, who is now 65 years old and lives in California, said, "I'm blown away by (the lawsuit), and I don't know how to comment. I just know I haven't done anything."
Lawrence said she could not talk about whether there are other women who say they're victims.
The current pastor, who didn't work at the church in the mid-1990s, said Friday the church has not yet received the lawsuit.
If you have a story for the On Your Side Investigators, email them at investigators@katu.com.
Maybe this happened. Â But REALLY? Â She should get a job. Â Seeking 16 million?? Really? Â People come on.
I really feel sorry if this did happen but after all these years she NOW reports this ? I'm sorry she should have reported this to the police or her parents or someone right after this happned this should be thrown out of the court.Â
She is making the story up...she is only seeking money at the expense of the church. Â
Being the former owner of a corporation that was sued because I had a manager that was accused of sexual harassment I feel sorry for the Church in this case. Â The person responsible should be sued unless it was proven the Church knew about the crime and then covered it up. Â In my case I fired the person responsible and still had to settle out of court or lose my business. Â What it did was bring out other employees who said they were also harassed, even though I knew this was not the case. Â I would have fought the case but attorney fees would have eaten me up, if we had the law like Canada does where loser pays all attorney fees, I would have fought it.
If she is sincere, and she wins this settlement, then she'll be able to 'dine in Hampstead Village' after all. (Cross Eyed Mary).
Ah, KATU- correct us all if we are wrong - but you sure as heck do name names in civil suits. You do so - all the time.Â
Perhaps you "meant" to say something else and didn't edit your news report here?Â
You wouldn't be trying to unethically shield this one specific named defendant in this civil proceeding for some ulterior reason or motive, would you? His name is - what again? After all we are all smart enough to know at this point all he has been - is named in a suit. Not found guilty of anything. To date.Â
His name, KATU. Publish it.Â
All of you morons who blame God for the worlds problems amaze me! Just because you have gone out and got yourself in a mess, is that reflection on your parents as scum bags for parents? Also, glad to hear you all know more than anyone else in the world for centuries that there is no GOd. You better hope there is not, because if there is, then your left out. Be better and smarter to say "you just don't know!"
You notice these dirt bag accusers all come out years and years later to make their accusations. Many times years after the accused is dead and not able to defend themselves. Most youth at 15 and older know what abuse is and to say she just took it is idiotic. Of course, money money makes all the pain go away. I hope this woman loses her shirt and rots in Hell.
@stinger139 Yeah! All of those dirtbag victims of anal rape by catholic priests come out years after the fact.How dare they stand up to their Christian superiors!
I'm not saying that she was not abused, but I am curious as to how many of these claims are legit
According to the lawsuit, the "abuse continued for a period of years and occurred on a near-daily basis."Â . Sounds phony to me. most churches only have people there sundays and wednesdays and one week of bible camp. Daily basis? and how about when she turn 18? Does she not have the capabilities of reason?
@32jim2Â I agree..
The other thing that bothers me is victims of this usually want the actual perpetrator to pay. They want justice! A trial, prison etc... They aren't after a big fat check.. She is suing the church! That means the guy that actually committed the crime (and I don't believe it in this case) wouldn't even pay a price- only the church would pay.
I'm just not buying what she & her attorney are selling.Â
@cwpholder the statute of limitations on a criminal trial are short.
She waited too long...She  is probably not telling the truth.  Just money hungry.
I would say that she had better have some pretty irrefutable proof in this case.  Otherwise the answer is NOT Guilty.
"I ain't sayin' she a gold digga..." Kanye West
Don't call me for jury duty on this one I don't know if I could see her side without being a little biased, because it took her too long to come foward.
GUILTY!  pay up. churches are cesspools of slime and sin.  FACT !  got pope?
People of KATU/ Portland: whirledworld claims they are an expert in working with victims of abuse and therefore their opinion is superior If this person does such wonders, why will they refuse to list their clinics name, contact info to help prevent all these potential suicides they claim could happen?Â
@Lisa One person = "they"? That little "college" didn't teach you much, did it?
 Further, everyone knows to call 911 in the event of potential suicide.
 But of course, you didn't even learn something as simple as that in your "college" did you?
As for your yowling ...people don't care. I don't care. Enjoy your trolling all by yourself because I am now getting bored and going to do something more even fun than smack you around.
this god seems weak and powerless, this god cant even control his followers from spreading evil in its own church.Â
what kind of "god" gets off on bad publicity? a false prophet possibly?
Not really surprised, but there's a large crowd on this comment section who automatically take a news story and believe it as fact. How dare anyone question the "victims" story? Shame on the people with common sense and logic questioning the massive amount 13 years later!Â
This non-sense of calling it "victim blaming" by asking questions, seeking both sides, engaging in due process seriously needs to stop. I'm royally fe'd up with the -- generally feminist -- crowd who thinks we need nothing more than believe the words of a woman to convict someone. Sorry, so long as I'm around, I will fight for due process and question the amount of these lawsuits so many years later.Â
(Have at me PC Crowd :0)
@Lisa What is your label for the men who are coming forward as many as four to five decades later disclosing the abuse they suffered at the hands of catholic priests? I suppose they are just making it up.I don't think there should be a statue of limitations when it comes to child sexual abuse.
lawsuit lottery?
@noneofyourbizzness Not at all saying men/ women are making it up. There's nothing wrong with seeking civil justice if it happened. But I do question the amount of these law suits. And I'm bringing up how there is a large cohort of society who automatically believes a news story without hearing the other side. That royally scars me. We disagree on some areas of this. That's normal.Â
@noneofyourbizzness You're clearly welcome to your opinions. And I appreciate how you've not engaged in elementary name calling for disagreeing with me on some areas like another person on this board. I can honestly see how such an experience could be detrimental to someone. And yes, someone would want to seek every darn dime they could. But there are some of us who think these massive amounts are outrageous. We'll agree to disagree on this one.Â
@Lisa @noneofyourbizzness Pardon my bluntness but if I was anally sodomized as a young man by a priest,pastor,youth minister,I would be all about revenge and the only way to even remotely being satisfied that I got my revenge would be to sue the minister and the organization for tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars.To me,child rape is one of the most vile henious acts that a adult can do to a child.Or course,I'm not privy to all the facts of this case,but if it is determined that if she was in fact sexually abused,IMO no amount of money will ever serve as justice,but I certainly would be all about getting even and making someone pay.Especially the extremely,obscenely wealthy Catholic Church.BTW you can call me a feminist if you wan't.Even though I'm a man :)
@Lisa This has nothing to do with feminism...it has to do with sexual violence. As I have posted; I have worked with many victims of sexual violence and that includes MALES so I know more about where this woman who is very likely a genuine victim is coming from and what she has had to go through to even get this far...WAAAY more than you or may people on here know. YOU are hugely clueless about so many aspects of these kids of cases that I cannot even begin to count the ways. You obviously think that the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts did nothing wrong at all to all those MALES who were raped and sexually assaulted, right? So how is making that point part of a feminist conspiracy? You cannot have it both ways.
@whirledworld You're mining what I didn't say to make it seem like what I did say.Â
@whirledworld Kiddo, you claim you work with those who've been abused and have better knowledge than those on this board. Yet you cannot even offer the name of your resource center as a "resource" to those in need.  Further, out of all the names you manage to pull out, you some how use Phyllis Schlafly. Not too many really know who this lady is other than those involved in the feminist organizations. Phyllis has been exposing the fake facts and bad stats for years. She is easily one of the most hated women by feminist. The fact you cannot name your resource center and someone knew exactly who this lady was/ referred me as her easily makes one guess you are indeed just a feminist upset that some are asking questions and not automatically siding with a news story.Â
@whirledworldI bet everyone looking at this will see your response and say, "she's right. So profound offering a yawn."Â
@Lisa @whirledworld {...yawn...}
She will win. Anything like that is handy to our current government to weaken those, they opposed them. Churches, guns, businesses, you name it. Too bad, this aggresion  fulled so many.
The heart of Lutherans statewide goes out to the young woman claiming to be victimized by a volunteer youth supervisor at one of our congregations some 15 years ago. Our church supports Oregon State legislation that allows individuals time to come to grips with personal abuse and seek appropriate reparations. Sexual predators can be found in many public institutions. Sadly, churches are not exempt despite our best efforts. No institution likes to be seen in the news in a negative light. However, for the sake of those victimized by sexual predators we welcome pubic scrutiny around such matters.
While the particulars of this case are not yet known, nor the guilt of those accused of impropriety, it is the practice of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, our congregations, schools and camps, to deal with such situations in a forthright and honest manner. Our first concern is always the health and well being of possible victims, and the safety of those inside or outside of the church who might be at risk.
Dave Brauer-Rieke, bishop
Oregon Synod - ELCA
IMHO there should be a time limit on these types of lawsuits. Five years maybe ten tops.....
It sure seems after this long its more legal system lottery than righting a wrong
@kramr A time limit even if your own son or daughter was sodomized and raped by anyone regardless of their title and you found out about it 20 years after the fact?
@noneofyourbizzness @kramr  I would like to think I raised my kids that they would tell me about any kind of abuse..... And yes I've have several long talks with my kids that if anything inapropriate happens that they are to tell me regardless of what the perp said.Â
@kramr IMHO you're correct. These massive monetary amounts being asked for in cases so many years later need to have a limit. No one is trying to say if it happened, it should be covered up. But my goodness, $16M 13 years later!? My opinion on the malpractice suits doctors face is the same. My grandfather who was a doctor nearly lost everything, house, camp, practice thanks to some jerk who wanted to take him to the cleaners in the 80's. It's not right someone has the right to do that. Mistakes happen. This isn't utopia. Compensation I understand ... but legally being able to take away everything someone worked their butt off for?Â
@Lisa @kramr mistakes happen? Sometimes they do. But crimes happen. Outrageous negligence happens. Your grandfather? Post his name and the court reference to this. Post the name and court reference and death notice of your alleged pal who killed himself over being falsely accused. I think you are making up a lot of "for instances" because you seem to have one to conveniently fit every situation.
@whirledworld Yet you CANNOT even come up with the name/ resource clinic you work at since you have publicly stated you work with victims of abuse and therefore know more than anyone else on this thread. You're not naming your name, etc. You cannot even name an outlet where people can go in need . . . .
The issue is that the statute of limitation for sex crimes should not be limited (just likefor murder). If this were changed, that would make a HUGE difference. AS far as a lawsuit goes, a victim/survivor has every right to bring a civil lawsuit. Sex abuse and rape of minors is a lifetime sentence for the survivor. A LIFETIME. Think about it, really: You cannot erase something like that out of your life or "un-ring the bell".
@whirledworld  """""" If this were changed, that would make a HUGE difference"""""
How exactly? If its such a horrible thing why wait to file charges? what good comes from waiting?
Think about it..... what could possibly be a good reason for waiting more than ten years to go after some for sex abuse, cause assuming the sex abuse is real, I would think it would be easier to convict someone closer to the date(s) of the abuse than years down the road.
@whirledworldÂ
Yeah and at some point you have to say "screw the inner child" crap and take responsibility for your own life!  You can't keep crying over the past forever! Move up and move on!
We are all a culmination of ALL of our experiences, BOTH the good and bad! It makes us who we are. I went through some horrors as a child, my mom was bi-polar and I was abused by a couple of her "friends." BUT that has made me who I am and I happen to like myself just fine. I wouldn't change a thing.
Furthermore IF I did go after the two creeps from my past, I wouldn't want their wallet! Â I would want JUSTICE! I would want a trial and them to suffer in prison. There are plenty of rape crisis centers and resources for victims. Heck every church on the planet would offer her free counseling! Â
@cwpholder there actually AREN'T many resources for rape victims around. Even in the metro area, many cannot even get therapy to deal with the outfall for more than a few weeks, if that. Rural areas and backwoods areas across the country? No way. Not every church offers free counseling and certainly not any trauma-based counseling to survivors. IHaving bad counseling does more damage than no counseling, I can assure you. Not even a chance to get a rape exam very easily in may places in the country.
 People do have to take responsibility for their own lives, and yet some people have PTSD a lot longer than others and no one can tell another how to heal because everyone is different. Your experience does not equal anyone else's. Every survivor handles their healing differently, and they have the right to that. I am certain we don't know even the half of this story anyway. And as for a criminal trial...those unfortunately have too short a statute of limitations so often a criminal trial is the only way to hold anyone accountable, and I for one am all about holding guilty parties accountable. India has been the way it has been because NO ONE held ANYONE accountable when it came to rape. Things are changing, but not fast enough.
Who's the bigger dirtbag, this woman, her lawyer, or our system? The answer..
all of the above.
@Tellitlikeitizz YOU ARE...for trashing a female child sex abuse survivor. Pathetic. What if it was your daughter??
@whirledworld @TellitlikeitizzÂ
Just wake up, please.
@whirledworld Here is your quote: As I have posted; I have worked with many victims of sexual violence and that includes MALES so I know more about where this woman who is very likely a genuine victim is coming from and what she has had to go through to even get this far...WAAAY more than you or may people on here know."Â
Why will you not name the clinic/ resource center you work at?Â
@Lisa @whirledworld Again with the mirror...
@whirledworld Because I'm neither a Republican or Democrat ... . Why are there some who just throw out names on a comment board and think they've made some prolific point?Â
@Lisa ahhh , I see: sociopathic.
I'm neither an R or D. It's the same "S" different party.Â
@faith @whirledworld @Tellitlikeitizz Put down the Kool-Aide of Rush.
@Tellitlikeitizz Notice she didn't just say, "You're trashing a child sex abuse survivor," she added FEMALE in there. It instantly becomes way worse than! Interesting how I saw a video on CNN this morning of a 21-year-old-male stripped and whipped What I found incredibly interesting when folks remarked about it, no one used the line, "Violence against MEN" to embellish the attack. Feminist and women's groups love to say "violence against WOMEN" because it makes it sound way worse.Â
@noneofyourbizzness You're 100% Correct. It's too bad straight men have nearly 0 resources. For some reason, when people bring this up ... the feminist attack it as "men trying to take away resources for women." Firstly, men don't even HAVE any resources. Forgive me, but when I see these marches regarding "Violence Against Women" as being open to both genders, I simply do not see it. Firstly, the name itself is not welcoming. Secondly, the vast majority of women and men there holding up signs wanting to blame men for everything/ kill/ castrate them doesn't seem like a good environment where a male of DV/ Abuse would be willing to open up. The fact that men have been the ones forced to die in war and put themselves last when the ship is sinking seems to have instilled in us that the needs of women are more important then men. More so, we simply see abuse of men as "business as usual." I find that sad.Â
@Lisa @noneofyourbizzness I know the gay community does a good job as far as providing help for males who have suffered from a wide array of abuses.It's too bad that there aren't that many resources for heterosexual male victims.I'm sure the abuse is more widespread than we realize with heterosexual males.
@noneofyourbizzness Absolutely correct. Yet where are the resources for males of DV/ Abuse?Â
@Lisa @Tellitlikeitizz Actually violence against men sounds just as bad as violence against women.Chrildren regardless of sex is even worse.
@whirledworld I didn't claim that I was experienced working with victims of sexual assault as you did. You state you have worked with such people are concerned for them, especially not committing suicide. It's very simple: Offer your clinics name where these folks can seek help.Â
If you are planning to kill yourself you should call 911 now.
@Lisa @whirledworld Why don't YOU post your name, address, phone number , social security number, bank account number and your photo for all of us if you are so eager to engage in such behavior?
@Lisa @whirledworld  Google doesn't work for you? What a silly demand. LOL
@whirledworld Again: MS. "I am an expert." POST the name of your clinic and your contact name to help those who are suffering and could be on the verge of committing suicide.Â
@whirledworld Why don't you post the name of your organization with telephone number and name since you're such a professional in this area. If you're so willing to be on the front-lines, make your group public on here.Â
What do you know about ANY sex abuse survivors?? A big nothing? That is what I thought.
@Lisa @Tellitlikeitizz Sure...as you wish!!...to hell with you : ) : ) : )
@Lisa @Tellitlikeitizz Because it IS a female ya goose. If it was a male, I would post as such. You are in a tizzy about nothing.
@Tellitlikeitizz Additionally, she apparently knows this claim is rock solid true. So those of you asking questions, to hell with you :0)