A girl has filed a $25 million federal lawsuit towards The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints alleging church management did not report allegations of intercourse abuse by her Ridgefield adoptive father.
The 24-year-old lady, whom the lawsuit refers to as Julie Doe, filed the criticism Feb. 10 in U.S. District Court docket in Oregon alleging negligence. She’s suing for $20 million in noneconomic damages and $5 million in financial damages, court docket information present.
“The abuse of a child or any other individual is inexcusable,” the church’s assertion mentioned. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes this, teaches this, and dedicates tremendous resources and efforts to prevent, report and address abuse. We have deep concern for all victims of abuse including the plaintiff.”
Based on the lawsuit, Doe was positioned within the foster house of Craig Ford and his spouse, the place the Fords’ two organic youngsters additionally lived. In 2014, the couple adopted Doe and, a 12 months later, they adopted one other teenage lady from foster care.
Doe mentioned Ford started sexually abusing her in 2015. She was 15 years outdated on the time, and Ford was 31. The household often attended the church close to Ridgefield on the time, the lawsuit states.
In spring 2016, the opposite adopted daughter got here into possession of greater than a dozen letters addressed to Doe containing sexual and romantic messages. The lady confirmed the letters to Ford’s spouse, and Ford’s spouse acknowledged the handwriting as Ford’s. She confronted Ford, and he admitted to writing the letters to Doe, in accordance with the lawsuit.
The confrontation grew to become an argument, and the lady referred to as the police. The Clark County Sheriff’s Workplace responded, and a deputy filed a report. However the lawsuit states Ford’s spouse didn’t inform deputies in regards to the letters.
Just a few weeks later, the Fords despatched Doe and the opposite youngsters to stick with family members in Montana. Whereas they had been away, Ford’s spouse searched Doe’s room and located a intercourse toy. When she confronted Ford about it, he admitted he purchased it for Doe, the swimsuit states.
Ford’s spouse reported his misconduct to a church bishop and the stake president and shared one of many letters. She additionally reportedly informed the church leaders she believed Ford was having a sexual relationship with Doe, in accordance with the lawsuit.
The swimsuit alleges the stake president didn’t report the abuse to police or intervene to guard Doe towards any additional abuse. The stake president didn’t advise Ford’s spouse to report the abuse, and he positioned blame for the abuse on Doe, the swimsuit states.
Just a few weeks later, church management discovered Ford had picked up Doe from Montana and brought her to Albany, Ore. Church leaders additionally discovered Ford and his spouse separated, in accordance with the lawsuit.
The swimsuit states that Ford and Doe started collaborating in church actions within the Albany space. Management visited Ford’s residence and noticed him and Doe throughout church actions. Doe expressed to church leaders she had a troublesome secret she needed to share, however she was having hassle telling them. Management additionally discovered Ford displayed raunchy photos of ladies and likened them to pictures of Doe.
The lawsuit states church leaders in Albany had been involved one thing was amiss between the 2.
Ford and Doe lived alone within the Albany space for months, throughout which era Ford sexually abused Doe on an virtually every day foundation, in accordance with the swimsuit.
The lawsuit says church management inserting the blame for the abuse on Doe led to Ford’s spouse blaming Doe for the abuse.
In fall 2016, whereas Ford and Doe had been residing in Albany, one in all Ford’s organic youngsters gave a notice to a classmate that mentioned, “I wish my teacher knew that we think my dad had sex with sister (redacted).” The classmate introduced the notice house to her mom, who contacted Vancouver police, in accordance with the swimsuit.
Vancouver police investigated, together with the state Division of Social and Well being Companies. Throughout an interview with DSHS, the church stake president acknowledged Ford’s spouse had notified him of the intercourse abuse, the lawsuit says.
In 2022, Ford pleaded responsible in Clark County Superior Court docket to 4 counts of third-degree rape of a kid and one rely of first-degree incest for abuse towards Doe in Washington. The 12 months prior, he pleaded responsible in Linn County Circuit Court docket in Oregon to 4 counts of first-degree rape and one rely of incest for abuse towards Doe there. In 2018, Ford was convicted in Clark County Superior Court docket of fourth-degree home violence assault for intercourse abuse towards the opposite adopted daughter, court docket information present.
Ford is serving a jail sentence at Snake River Correctional Establishment in Japanese Oregon. His earliest launch date is scheduled for December 2053, in accordance with an Oregon Division of Corrections database.
The lawsuit states that on account of the abuse, Doe suffers from trauma, humiliation, despair, suicidal ideation, mistrust of authority, panic assaults, insomnia and different psychological well being points.
The swimsuit alleges the church failed to coach leaders on find out how to correctly reply to suspected youngster abuse, examine reviews of abuse by Ford, disclose the reviews of sexual abuse to legislation enforcement, supply help to Doe to assist her address the abuse and implement the church’s insurance policies round responding to suspected youngster abuse.
“Based on both its historical knowledge of other incidents of child sexual abuse and the specific knowledge it had about Craig Ford, it was foreseeable that if (church leadership) did not adequately respond to the danger Ford posed toward (Doe), (Doe) … would be sexually abused by Craig Ford,” the swimsuit states.