US EditionKelowna pastor publicly denies sexual abuse lawsuits
- Kelowna pastor Art Lucier, Kelowna Harvest Church, and Harvest Ministries International face two civil lawsuits filed on April 29 alleging sexual assault and grooming between 2001 and 2015 in British Columbia.
- The lawsuits stem from allegations by plaintiffs Ayla Thompson and Jasmine Hall, who were vulnerable youths in foster care when they say Lucier groomed and abused them at Kitimat Harvest Ministries, now Kelowna Harvest Fellowship.
- Lucier publicly denies the accusations as false and slanderous in statements posted on the church website and Facebook, while an Oversight Committee investigates emailed allegations related to his ministry role.
- The lawsuits seek general, punitive, lost earnings, and future healthcare damages, citing survivors' ongoing anxiety, suicidal ideation, and mistrust linked to the alleged abuse.
- The legal process is ongoing with no proven allegations, and Lucier and Harvest Ministries intend to pursue all legal remedies, including actions against defamatory statements.
21 Articles
21 Articles
NBC Dallas-Fort Worth
Christian organization long plagued by allegations of child sex abuse faces another lawsuit
A Florida-based Christian organization with a history of child sex abuse allegations against it has been hit with a lawsuit claiming one of its missionaries sexually assaulted a minor overseas 15 years ago. Ethnos360, a nonprofit formerly known as New Tribes Mission, sends missionaries and their families throughout the globe. In 2019, multiple women told NBC News that they had been sexually abused decades earlier by their “dorm dads” — mission…
Misconceptions About Child Sexual Abuse Lawsuits
With all cases of sexual abuse, there are many questions and misperceptions about what steps a survivor can take. It’s estimated that every nine minutes, there is a reported or substantiated claim made of child sexual abuse. Of those, only 33% of them end up being reported to police. Our firm, Jeff Anderson & Associates, seeks to empower survivors to not only take back their own story and their power, but also help protect kids in the future. As…
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