WBTV
September 24, 2010
http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13195127
[with link to the complaint]
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| Bishop Eddie Long is the minister of New Birth Charlotte which is located in Huntersville. |
A fourth young male associated with Bishop Eddie Long's megachurch says the prominent pastor coerced him into a sexual relationship.
Attorney B.J. Bernstein filed a lawsuit Friday on behalf of a former member of Long's satellite church, New Birth-Charlotte, which is in Huntersville.
Spencer LeGrande says he met Long in May of 2005. The suit says Long was preaching at a conference in Charlotte on forgiving absent fathers, and afterward LeGrande went up to Long and poured his heart out about his own absent father.
The attorney Bernstein alleges that Long exploited that and his position as pastor to eventually coerce LeGrande into a sexual relationship.
The suit says the sexual relationship started when LeGrande was 17 and lasted for four years.
The lawsuit says Long took LeGrande on multiple trips to Africa where the two would sleep in the same bed and engage in sexual acts.
The suit also says Long gave LeGrande money, sent him on private jet flights, and had him stay in luxury hotels.
The lawsuit says because of Long, LeGrande gave up his dream to play college basketball and moved to Atlanta to go to school instead. While LeGrande lived in Atlanta, the suit says he was given free places to live and continued his sexual relationship with LeGrande.
Bernstein says Bishop Long exploited his authority in a horrible way. She says Long even used scripture to tell the young men the sexual relationship was not making them gay.
The lawsuit goes on to say that Long later encouraged LeGrande to move from the Charlotte area to Atlanta, and the sexual misconduct continued until early 2009. (Click to read Spencer LeGrande's lawsuit.)
Long has not addressed LeGrande's lawsuit yet, but he has denied the accusations that came out earlier in the week. He has said he will address the accusations when he preaches on Sunday in Atlanta.
Earlier this week, we learned about three other men who filed similar lawsuits against Long.
They were 17- and 18-years-old when Long allegedly used his so-called "spiritual authority" over the teens to seduce them.
The lawsuits have sent shock waves not only through Long's congregations in Atlanta and Huntersville, but also through African-American faith community throughout the Charlotte area.
"I would just like to wait until everything comes out," said Randy Freeman of Charlotte. "I'll be praying for him."
"Who am I to judge," asked Arevia Nero. "God is good and I do believe that He has the final say in everything, and He will, you know, show us whether one way or the other, whether he [Long] did or didn't do it."
In the lawsuits filed in DeKalb County, Georgia on Tuesday, two young men claim Long seduced them into having a sexual relationship.
Long's satellite church in Huntersville is located off Highway 73 just east of Huntersville. His main church is in the Atlanta-area and has more than 25,000 members.
Anthony Flagg and Maurice Robinson allege that Long, his church and church employees gave them cash and lavish gifts which ranged from cars to college tuition. (Click here to read the legal complaints filed by Anthony Flagg and Maurice Robinson.)
According to the lawsuit, "defendant Long has a pattern and practice of singling out a select group of young male church members and using his authority as Bishop over them to ultimately bring them to a point of engaging in a sexual relationship."
"He's bought a Mustang car, he's given money, he is on the payroll of New Birth Baptist Church," said B.J. Bernstein, the attorney representing Anthony Flagg.
"He accompanied the bishop everywhere the bishop went," Bernstein continued. "Including sharing a bed in the same hotel room on that trip and many others."
"Long shared a bedroom and engaged in intimate sexual contact with plaintiff Flagg including kissing, massaging, masturbating of plaintiff Flagg by defendant Long and oral sexual contact," the suit says.
WBTV spoke to several members of Long's church in Huntersville earlier this week. Most didn't want to be on camera, but said they don't believe the accusations and want proof.
Tonya Gray, who recently started attending New Birth Charlotte had a similar reaction.
"It's very surprising to hear something like that," Gray said. "I feel like he's a very dynamic speaker and preacher and he's really touched a lot of people's lives."
Gray is not yet a member, but said the allegations would not keep her from joining.
"I also know that people lie too," she said. "You know, they find somebody that's doing well and there's always going to be you know. As the little saying goes there's haters everywhere so, you know. I'm not going to really make a decision until I know."
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs are seeking an unspecified amount of punitive damages on various counts including negligence.
Bishop Long became pastor of New Birth in Atlanta in 1987. It has over 25,000 members.
Long grew up in the Charlotte area and graduated from North Mecklenburg High School.
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