One of the first of many sexual abuse lawsuits expected under a new California law targets Modesto megachurch

NASHVILLE (TN)
Baptist News Global

Oct. 22, 2019

By Bob Allen

A survivor of childhood sexual abuse is suing a California church and her former youth pastor in one of the first of many lawsuits expected to be filed under a new law greatly extending the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims.

Tracy Epler of Los Osos, California, filed a lawsuit Oct. 17 seeking damages for sexual abuse she claims she endured while attending the high school youth group at First Baptist Church in Modesto in the mid-1970s.

The congregation, now called CrossPoint Community Church, recently settled a lawsuit with another woman claiming that a different youth pastor molested her for in the 1980s.

Two weeks ago Epler could not have filed the lawsuit, because she waited too long to disclose abuse that she says started when she was 17. That changed with the stroke of a pen Oct. 13, when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 218, giving victims of childhood sexual abuse either until age 40 or five years from discovery of the abuse to file civil lawsuits.

The previous limit had been 26, or within three years after a survivor discovers that psychological injury or illness experienced in adulthood was caused by abuse suffered in childhood. The bill also includes a three-year “lookback” window allowing victims of any age to bring claims that would otherwise be barred by statutes of limitation.

“This historic state law will make California safer for thousands of families,” said her attorney, Joseph C. George, “but only if victims, witnesses and whistleblowers in schools, camps, churches and day care centers do as Tracy’s doing — find the strength to pick up the phone and call a source of help, be it a therapist, the police, or an attorney.”

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.

One of the first of many sexual abuse lawsuits expected under a new California law targets Modesto megachurch

NASHVILLE (TN)
Baptist News Global

Oct. 22, 2019

By Bob Allen

A survivor of childhood sexual abuse is suing a California church and her former youth pastor in one of the first of many lawsuits expected to be filed under a new law greatly extending the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims.

Tracy Epler of Los Osos, California, filed a lawsuit Oct. 17 seeking damages for sexual abuse she claims she endured while attending the high school youth group at First Baptist Church in Modesto in the mid-1970s.

The congregation, now called CrossPoint Community Church, recently settled a lawsuit with another woman claiming that a different youth pastor molested her for in the 1980s.

Two weeks ago Epler could not have filed the lawsuit, because she waited too long to disclose abuse that she says started when she was 17. That changed with the stroke of a pen Oct. 13, when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 218, giving victims of childhood sexual abuse either until age 40 or five years from discovery of the abuse to file civil lawsuits.

The previous limit had been 26, or within three years after a survivor discovers that psychological injury or illness experienced in adulthood was caused by abuse suffered in childhood. The bill also includes a three-year “lookback” window allowing victims of any age to bring claims that would otherwise be barred by statutes of limitation.

“This historic state law will make California safer for thousands of families,” said her attorney, Joseph C. George, “but only if victims, witnesses and whistleblowers in schools, camps, churches and day care centers do as Tracy’s doing — find the strength to pick up the phone and call a source of help, be it a therapist, the police, or an attorney.”

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.