Five women, represented by David Gibbs III, have sued the Institute in Basic Life Principles
Five women sue Bill Gothard’s ministry that has ties to the Duggars
The new lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in DuPage County Circuit Court in Illinois, where IBLP’s headquarters is located, charges that IBLP, its employees and directors “frequently received reports” of “sexual abuse, sexual harassment and inappropriate/unauthorized touching.” But, the lawsuit said, they never reported “these serious, potentially criminal allegations to law enforcement authorities or the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services” as required by state law. David Gibbs III, the attorney representing the women, said in an interview the women decided to litigate only after unsuccessful efforts to address the issues with the IBLP board of directors, who are also named in the lawsuit. Gibbs added that his clients did not want to sue, but that the board “rather stubbornly and in my opinion rather arrogantly basically challenged the girls to bring the case.” The board, he said, “is not operating in a spirit of transparency or openness,” and has not discussed the allegations with the victims.
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…..how Gibbs is taking cases against guys his dad has made a living defending, first against Doug Phillips and now against IBLP. To tell why would make a very interesting story, and I hope that it derives from good conscience. It would be also very interesting if he made some apologies for some of the guys he represented before. OK, yes, even crooks deserve representation, so I can’t judge him for that, but in the case he did some underhanded things, it would be appropriate.
(my bias: IBLP repulses me, so read anything I write if you like in that context. I try to be fair, but hey, that’s my bias)
Per my bias, I think that IBLP should take a hint from a lot of the guys who know Gothard and his theology well and just shut the place down. Some of the positions he takes are just bizarre.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
Joe, gotta put a bit of kibosh on my own suggestion. Since I’m suggesting shutting the place down because the theology is simply untenable, not just because Mr. Gothard got himself into a legal problem, it leaves the question of whether the trustees are qualified to decide who gets the assets (after some legal judgments are paid, most likely).
Try untangling that one without the miracle of repentance!
(BTW, my objections to Gothard go back really to his definition of grace-he does not use unmerited favor, but rather “the desire and power to do what God wants me to do.” Profoundly works-based definition, IMO)
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
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