Claims, Counterclaims Spice Lawsuit over St. Louis County Church Counseling

By Jennifer Mann
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
May 3, 2012

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/claims-counter-claims-spice-lawsuit-over-church-counseling/article_c5793c08-8f9e-57c3-ae5b-19f50a145c80.html

A lawsuit against a dissolved north St. Louis County church and its former pastor will proceed toward trial, but only on the claims of a husband who says his marriage counseling sessions were corrupted when the pastor started angling for an affair with his wife.

The pastor, Bill Little, has filed his own claims, of defamation and libel, and through his lawyer denied wrongdoing.

Cumulatively, filings in St. Louis County Circuit Court shed light on a fiery conflict that in 2010 did what prior allegations of misconduct against Little had not: forced him to retire after more than 50 years as pastor of the Christ Memorial Baptist Church of Cool Valley. The church then closed.

Darrell and Rhonda Pitt, of the St. Louis area, claim that in the 1980s Little used his position as a pastor and licensed psychologist to exploit their marriage and that church leaders allowed it to happen.

The plaintiffs say that Little, a one-time radio personality who claims a stint as Cardinals team psychologist, was "a known womanizer" who "knew the ethical, moral, psychological and medical risks of becoming sexually involved with a patient, parishioner, employee and spouse of a patient."

The couple started joint marriage counseling sessions with Little in 1983, and the suit says the affair took place three years later, when Rhonda Pitt, in her 30s, was Little's secretary and receiving periodic solo therapy sessions he recommended.

Rhonda Pitt revealed the affair to her husband in 2010 on advice of another counselor.

Their attorney, Ken Chackes, said the lawsuit is "primarily to let other people know about Reverend Little's continuing misconduct and to follow up on the attempt they made within the church to report his misconduct and obtain help for other victims."

Little's attorney, Aaron Staebell, declined comment except to say, "The Pitts' lawsuit is baseless and without merit and we look forward to having our day in court."

This week, Judge Steven Goldman dismissed all of Rhonda Pitt's claims, after the church and Little argued that the statute of limitations for allegations of sexual misconduct had expired. Goldman allowed the husband's claims — ranging from negligence to breach of fiduciary duty — to stand, along with allegations that Little defamed Rhonda Pitt from the church pulpit.

The judge also permitted the couple to seek church documents to determine what church leaders knew.

Little, in a counter-claim, says the Pitts damaged his reputation by falsely telling congregants that he had raped Rhonda Pitt. He also claims emotional damage from letters Darrell Pitt sent him in 2010 that were filled with fiery, religious rhetoric such as "You broke her heart! Be prepared! Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord!"

The Pitts' lawyer has acknowledged the letters but says they were referencing punishment in a religious context. Chackes also denied Little's claims that Darrell Pitt threatened to kill him.

The church says in court filings that its leaders did not know of the affair. Its attorney, Cynthia Holmes, told a reporter, "It's unfortunate this couple would drag in their friends and try to go after money that was given to Christian monasteries and missions." The church unsuccessfully argued Monday to be released from the case.

In 1996, the State Committee of Psychologists suspended Little's license for one year, with five years of probation. It cited the case of an unnamed woman who went to Little for joint marriage counseling in 1973, then a decade later, for therapy relative to childhood sexual abuse and incest. Little had no formal training relative to incest, according to the board, and started using "pressure point" therapy that involved inappropriate physical conduct.

The board also cited his sexual relationship with Sandra Saake, who went to him for grief counseling in 1994 after a car crash killed her husband. Saake sued Little in a case settled out of court. At the time, Little was program director for the Cancer Support Center, in Cool Valley, which was forced to dissolve in 2004 for failing to file with the state.

Little, according to his lawyer, voluntarily gave up his license in 2006.