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	Men in Lawsuit against Megachurch Pastor Speak out Miami Herald August 25, 2011 http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/24/2373294/men-in-lawsuit-against-megachurch.html ATLANTA -- Two men who accused a metro Atlanta megachurch pastor of sexual misconduct in a lawsuit say they continue to struggle even after reaching an undisclosed settlement. The men spoke publicly about the case against Pastor Eddie Long and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in an interview in Miami with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and WSB-TV. It was the first time they spoke since the lawsuit was settled in May. "I thought I could cover the pain up," said Jamal Parris, now 24. "I thought I could move, start over and everything would go away," he said. "I was terribly wrong." The Journal-Constitution reports that Parris and another man, Spencer LeGrande, are living in Miami on proceeds of the lawsuit settlement. LeGrande, 23, said he's realized that money doesn't buy happiness, and that he also struggles to recover. "When you sleep at night, the problems are still there," he said. Long has denied the allegations that he abused the boys when they were teenagers attending his church. The case was never investigated criminally because Georgia's age of consent is 16, and the plaintiffs in the case were older than that when they say the abuse occurred. Church spokesman Art Franklin did not return a call seeking comment. The men say they plan to write a book, revealing details of the relationships they say they had with Long.
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