STOCKTON (MO)
SNAP - Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests [Chicago IL]
January 16, 2025
Judge rules against Christian board school
Lawsuit is “unprecedented” says attorney
Sheriff’s department staffers are also named as defendants
The 23 page decision was issued by U. S. District Judge Doug Harpool earlier this month.
Several employees of the facility and the sheriff’s department either committed, suspected or knew about Jason’s abuse but ignored or concealed it, according to the suit.
“This brave mother, whose precious son was severely abused, will now be able to keep exposing the horrific crimes and cover ups that these purported ‘caregivers’ perpetrated on a very vulnerable boy,” said attorney Rebecca Randles of Kansas City. “She has suffered and continues to suffer immeasurably but hopes that through her lawsuit, she can prevent other kids from being so deeply hurt at these kinds of controversial, independent and largely invisible facilities for ‘troubled teens.’”
“My son’s voice was silenced in life, but will not be silenced in death. There must be accountability of first the offenders, then the so-called Christian boarding schools operating under deceit and guise, and – equally importantly – the law enforcement and governmental agencies tasked with protecting vulnerable children,” said Britt. “It is past time for the bell of justice to toll, not only for Jason but for every one of these injured children who carry lifelong scars.”
“Facilities like Agape are a magnet for predators and sadists. And Missouri has become a magnet for these dangerous facilities,” said David Clohessy of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, who has spoken with and advocated for a number of Christian boarding school abuse victims. “Kids in these ‘schools’ will only become safer when every single person who saw, suffered or suspected abuses of any kind speak up, first to law enforcement officials and then to other independent sources of help.”
The individuals named as defendants are Cedar County Sheriff James “Jim Bob” McCrary, Julio Sandoval of Safe, Sound and Secure Young Ministries (a transport company) and former school staffers Brent Jackson, Jon Wilke, David Wilson, Robert Graves, Julio Sandoval and Scott Dumar. Graves is also a Cedar County Deputy Sheriff and Dumar was also on the school’s board.
McCrary has been dismissed as a defendant for now but will be named again when the suit is refilled, Randles said.
CONTACT: David Clohessy, SNAP Missouri (davidgclohessy@gmail.com, 314-566-9790), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Director (msakoda@snapnetwork.org, 925-708-6175), Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Interim Executive Director (sdougherty@snapnetwork.org, 814-341-8386)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for more than 35 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)