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	Suburban Church and Former Pastor Named in Sex Abuse Suit Chicago Sun-Times April 23, 2008 http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/910687,church042308.article A west suburban fundamentalist congregation and a former youth pastor convicted of sexual abuse are named in a lawsuit for allegedly shielding sexually abusive church officials. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests announced Wednesday it is filing a lawsuit on behalf of a woman who was sexually abused between 1994 and 1999 by Edward D. Greene, former youth pastor of Marquette Manor Baptist Church of Downers Grove, according to a release from attorney Marc Pearlman. The suit names Greene, who pleaded guilty last month in DuPage County County Court and was sentenced to four years in prison. It also names Marquette Manor Baptist Church as a defendant. The suit claims that the victim confided in Greene that she had been sexually abused by her father, a former deacon of the church, but instead of reporting it to the police as required, Greene began to sexually abuse the girl, 14 at the time. The suit claims he abused her at least 50 times between 1994 and 1999, while promising the girl he was helping her. The abuse occurred across the Chicagoland area, and during church trips to Mexico, Canada, New York and Wisconsin. According to the suit, the girl found the abuse confusing because the conservative church taught that dancing, drinking and sexual activity were sinful acts. The suit also claims that two other church officials, former basketball coach John Puga and former deacon Howard Blattel have been charged with sexual assault in the last five years. It says Puga was charged with abusing a child between 2001 and 2002, and Blattel with sexually assaulting an 89-year-old woman in 2004. The suit claims the church has a history of shielding such sexual predators. The victim, Rachel Griffith, now 27, resides in South Carolina, where she is a married stay-at-home mom with two children, according to the release. She was to speak publicly for the first time at an 11 a.m. press conference along with her attorneys to announce the suit.
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