Longtime Trinity Pastor Bob Gray Awaits Trial
News4Jax [Jacksonville FL]
February 23, 2007
http://www.news4jax.com/news/11096596/detail.html
A Westside church whose longtime pastor faces sexual battery charges is no longer a bystander after one of the women claming to be a victim files a lawsuit claiming the institution was negligent.
The Rev. Robert Gray, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church for more nearly 40 years and founder of the church's Christian school, is awaiting trial on four counts of sexual battery of young children.
A woman who attended Trinity Christian Academy more than 20 years ago has filed the suit, claiming that church leaders knew of the sexual abuse, but covered it up.
The woman said she was 6-years-old in the first grade when Gray called her into his office and molested her.
Because she is protected as a potential victim of sexual abuse, she is listed as Jane Doe in the lawsuit filed in Duval County civil court, letting her lawyer speak for her.
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| Robert Gray appeared in person at his arraignment on a fourth sexual battery charge, then was allowed to remain free on bond |
"He told her not to tell anyone," attorney Adam Horowitz said of what Gray told client as a young girl. "They would say she was a bad girl and her father would lose his job and therefore hate her."
The lawsuit claims the church covered up information about Gray's actions with other children.
"There were persons in position of power and authority at Trinity who knew or should have known that Bob Gray was unfit to be around children, unsafe and had tendency to sexual abuse children," Horowitz said.
Horowitz said he has heard from other victims and expects more lawsuits to follow.
Church leaders said they could not comment about the lawsuit, which is common in cases of pending litigation, but the church's attorney said they conducted their own investigation into Gray's actions and found no evidence of a cover-up.
Gray, who retired from Trinity in 1992, is scheduled to stand trial later this year on the criminal charges. His lawyers told Channel 4's Jim Piggott on Friday that they had not read the civil lawsuit, so they could not comment.
The chuch has 20 days to reply to the lawsuit.
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