JEFFERSON CITY (MO)
Ministry Watch [Matthews NC]
September 10, 2024
By Kim Roberts
Federal lawsuit filed by 18-year-old claims she was physically, mentally, and sexually abused
The lawsuit is brought under the pseudonym Jane Doe DA, who is currently 18, against Stephanie and Boyd Householder and Circle of Hope, the Springfield News-Leader reported. It also names Jeff Ables, the pastor at Berean Baptist Church in Springfield as a defendant.
The boarding school for troubled girls closed in September 2020 after former students and even the daughter of the school’s founders reported an atmosphere of abuse. Stephanie Householder’s felony trial for child abuse and neglect is currently scheduled for October 28. Boyd Householder died in June from cardiac arrest, according to KSMU.
Jane Doe DA claims in the lawsuit that she was subjected to physical, mental, and sexual abuse in 2019 and 2020, starting when she was only 13 years old. She is seeking $75 million in damages.
The lawsuit contains allegations of sex trafficking, involuntarily servitude, and fraud. It claims Circle of Hope established a hierarchical system that allowed students to punish one another. Sometimes the students even had zip ties placed around their wrists and ankles, the lawsuit states.
Girls were required to buck hay, clear trees, drag brush, care for livestock, weed gardens, and scrub floors with toothbrushes. According to the lawsuit, the conditions were not appropriate, with inadequate water breaks in the summer and only light clothing to wear in the winter.
Another lawsuit against the leaders of Circle of Hope Girls Ranch and Boarding School alleging multiple instances of abuse was filed this week in federal court in Missouri, this time by the youngest person yet to take action.
The plaintiff claims that Boyd Householder shoved her face in animal manure while she was pulling weeds and shoved a dirty sock in her mouth before “waterboarding” her with a hose. She also claims he beat her with a leather strap and allowed his dogs to bite her in the face.
In addition to physical and mental abuse, Jane Doe DA claims Boyd Householder would frequently enter the shower area while the girls were bathing and that she suffered sexual abuse.
“She lived in fear for the entire time she was at Circle of Hope and suffers anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other psychological issues to this day,” the court documents state.
“What happens to victims when they’re sexually violated and emotionally abused and physically abused as children, our choices and our power are taken away from us. We feel helpless,” David Clohessy, a member of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said at an event at the federal courthouse on the day Jane Doe DA’s lawsuit was filed.
Robin Craycroft, a local mental health counselor, said Jane Doe DA’s willingness to take action is powerful. “I’ve worked with these people, for sometimes years, to get them to understand that they’re worthy—they’re worthy of love, they’re worthy of care, they’re worthy of being a human in this world and to be valuable,” Craycroft said at the event.
Ables, a former board director for Circle of Hope, is named in the lawsuit for failing to report the abuse even after the Householder’s daughter, Amanda, directly reported it to him in 2008.
Instead of reporting the alleged abuse to authorities, Ables is accused of telling the Householders about Amanda’s allegations for which she was punished.
Amanda Householder sued her parents in 2022, alleging they made her perform forced labor, beat her for their own sexual gratification, force-fed her until she vomited, and made her impose punishments on other students at the boarding school.
According to the lawsuit, Ables allegedly “hid children” at the church to prevent the Department of Family Services and Children’s Division from investigating complaints against Circle of Hope.
Ables has been the pastor at Berean Baptist Church since October 2000.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Why does MinistryWatch report on sex crimes? These stories are tough to read and sometimes even tougher to report, but we think they are vital to our mission to bring transparency, accountability, and credibility to the evangelical church. To read more about why and how we report these stories, read “Why MinistryWatch Reports On Sex Crimes.” You can find that story here.