State Education Official Denies Accusations in Civil Suit

By Jessica Bock
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
December 7, 2012

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/state-education-official-denies-accusations-in-civil-suit/article_380ca8b5-18bb-5d00-8493-1ec3b1499dad.html

Rev. Stan Archie

The president-elect of the Missouri State Board of Education is defending himself against a civil lawsuit that accuses him of an inappropriate sexual relationship years ago with a former assistant and member of his Kansas City church.

The Rev. Stan Archie, who has been on the state board since 2006 and currently serves as vice president, is senior pastor at Christian Fellowship Baptist Church.

The woman, whom a judge allowed to hide her identity and proceed as “Jane Doe” in court documents, filed the lawsuit in January in Jackson County Circuit Court. The suit says Archie abused his position in the church to take advantage of the woman, who was vulnerable and depressed, and begin a sexual relationship as he gave her counseling, according to court documents. It also names his church in the suit, saying officials failed to protect her and others at the church by hiding previous reports of impropriety.

Archie, who is married with three children, said the woman was terminated from the church position several years ago. Michael McCausland, his attorney, said both Archie and the church deny the allegations and are fighting the suit. Both the church and an “independent organization” investigated the claims and found no wrongdoing by Archie, McCausland said. He declined to say who the outside investigator was. The suit is an “obvious attempt to extort money” from Archie and the church, he said.

For emotional distress, loss of earnings and others problems stemming from the abuse, the woman is seeking punitive damages, according to the suit.

A spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which works with the State Board, said Archie made Commissioner Chris Nicastro and others aware of the suit.

Archie founded Christian Fellowship Baptist Church in 1989.

David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, which also advocates for victims of other religious leaders, said it’s crucial that ministers maintain professional boundaries. Whether it’s with adults or kids, ministers have considerable power over people they help or pretend to help, even more than doctors or therapists, he said.

Contact: jbock@post-dispatch.com