GEORGIA
Baptist News
By Bob Allen
A Southern Baptist church in Georgia denied allegations of negligence in a lawsuit alleging child sexual abuse by a former church volunteer later named as youth pastor.
A civil lawsuit filed in Toombs County Superior Court alleges sexual abuse between 1996 and 2002 of youth at First Baptist Church of Vidalia.
Filed under Georgia’s new Hidden Predator Act, a law passed in 2015 opening a window of opportunity for victims to sue for injury that otherwise would be considered beyond the statute of limitations for litigation, the lawsuit alleges that church leaders were “grossly negligent in hiring, retaining and/or permitting” the alleged perpetrator to serve as a volunteer and youth pastor while “failing to put in place appropriate protocols” to protect children from sexual abuse.
The lawsuit names up to 50 “John Doe” leaders at First Baptist Church to be named upon learning their names in an amended complaint.
Attorney Barbara Marschalk released a statement on behalf of the church labeling allegations against the congregation as “completely unsubstantiated.”
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.