New Birth Missionary Baptist Church
Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

Update: Pastor Eddie Long, Embroiled in Sex Scandal, Dies at 63

Jan. 15, 2017 - Eddie Long, the flamboyant megachurch pastor whose reputation was tarnished after former congregants accused him of sexual misconduct, has died at the age of 63 after battling cancer, according to NBC News [1.].

The sexual assault lawsuits were settled out of court back in 2011 for an undisclosed amount with Long never admitting any wrongdoing. Following the allegations, some New Birth congregation members changed their opinion of him, but many others continued to rally around the charismatic leader.

Eddie Long is survived by his wife, Vanessa Long, 4 children, and 3 grandchildren.

September 21, 2010 - Two Georgia men have filed a lawsuit against prominent Atlanta pastor Eddie Long, claiming that he coerced them into sex. According to the suits, Long used his position as spiritual authority and bishop to coerce young male members and employees of his New Birth Missionary Baptist Church into sex.

Plaintiff Anthony Flagg, 21, claims to have been taken by pastor Long on over a half-dozen overnight trips during the past several years.

According to the suit, "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."

Long accompanied the other plaintiff, 20-year-old Maurice Murray Robinson, to Auckland, New Zealand in October 2008 for his 18th birthday and allegedly engaged in oral sex with him.

Long spokesman Art Franklin said Tuesday that "we categorically deny the allegations."
"It is very unfortunate that someone has taken this course of action," he said. "Our law firm will be able to respond once attorneys have had an opportunity to review the lawsuit."

Ironically, Long has been a vocal crusader against homosexuality for years. A 2007 article in the Southern Poverty Law Center's magazine called him "one of the most virulently homophobic black leaders in the religiously based anti-gay movement."

The suits are seeking unspecified amounts of punitive damages from Long on various counts, ranging from negligence to breach of fiduciary duty.

Hundreds of Southern Baptist Church Ministers, Deacons Accused of Sexual Assault

February 11, 2019 - Nearly 400 Baptist Ministers, Deacons, and unpaid volunteers have faced allegations of sexual misconduct, and more than half have already been convicted, according to an investigation by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. The report also found that dozens of the church members who were accused of sex crimes were later allowed to return to their church.

Related Articles:

• Nationwide Methodist Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
• Southern Baptist Church Ministers Accused of Sexual Assault
• Nationwide Methodist Sexual Abuse Claim

See all related sexual misconduct lawsuits our attorneys covered so far.

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