Bill Gothard resigned from the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) a few years ago amidst allegations from about 30 women that he took advantage of his position as religious and spiritual counselor and, to varying degrees, sexual violated them. He’s made some very strange and awkward attempts at public comebacks the past couple of years. A couple of months ago, five women came forward with a lawsuit against Gothard and the IBLP for these sexual assaults and their subsequent coverups. Yesterday, five more women added their names and filed a lawsuit against Bill Gothard.
Gothard, who urged Christians to shun things like short skirts and rock music, is accused of raping a woman. The same woman says she was raped by one of the ministry’s “biblical counselors.”
The lawsuit is part of a battle between dozens of women and the Institute in Basic Life Principles, which was until recently an influential homeschooling ministry, and its charismatic leader Gothard, who urged Christians to focus on their “biblical character” and have large families. Gothard has never been married.
For his part, Gothard, ever the cultish egomaniac, clearly wants back in and is a touch miffed that the IBLP isn’t returning his calls.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday, a copy of which lawyers provided to The Washington Post, includes an affidavit signed by Gothard saying IBLP’s board has not contacted him for information or for assistance and has not met with the women or their attorneys. Gothard said in the affidavit that the board is “handling the case unwisely as I have the information they need. This is a shameful waste of donors money.”
And this.
“During the past seven months, God has allowed me to publish six new books that contain a powerful new message that I want to get out to all of the alumni,” Gothard wrote, adding that over 2.5 million alumni have attended his seminars.
The IBLP has continued to make it clear that Bill Gothard is going to be hung out to dry as far as they’re concerned. The lawsuit claims that this is a financial scapegoat play on their part.
“Many of these allegations concern conduct that allegedly occurred as early as the 1990s, and, as claimed, primarily involved Mr. Gothard,” the statement says. “Since March 2014, Mr. Gothard is no longer associated with the Institute.”
The lawsuit alleges that IBLP is liquidating its assets of over $100 million and plans to sell off its holdings in Illinois, where most of the allegations took place, and move to Texas, which Gothard confirms in his affidavit.
This story will continue to get messier before it gets closer to being resolved. Hopefully justice and peace of mind will be found to all the innocent parties involved.