CChurches and religious organizations are supposed to be places of sanctuary and safety, especially for children. Families place an immense amount of trust in these institutions and their staff. When that trust is horrifically violated by a staff member who commits acts of sexual abuse, the devastation is profound.

The recent arrest of a prominent staff member at an Orange County church on child sex abuse allegations, as reported by KTLA, is a tragic and disturbing example of this ultimate betrayal. While the individual perpetrator will face the full force of the criminal justice system, the civil justice system provides a separate and critical path for victims and their families to seek justice and hold the entire institution accountable.

Institutional Liability: A Church’s Duty to Protect

A civil lawsuit in these cases is not just against the abuser; it is often against the church or religious organization that employed them. The legal theory is that the institution has a fundamental duty to protect the children in its care. A personal injury lawsuit can be filed against the church for:

• Negligent Hiring: Did the church conduct a thorough and proper background check on the staff member before hiring them? If a proper check would have revealed a history of dangerous behavior, the church can be held liable for hiring them in the first place.
• Negligent Supervision: Did the church have clear and enforced safety policies in place to protect children? This includes rules like never allowing a staff member to be alone with a single child, mandating open-door policies, and providing proper training on identifying and reporting signs of abuse. A failure to supervise staff is a form of negligence.
• Failure to Act or Cover-Up: This is one of the most serious breaches of duty. If church leadership received a complaint or a warning about a staff member’s inappropriate behavior and failed to immediately report it to law enforcement and take action, they are complicit in the abuse. Actively concealing allegations to protect the church’s reputation is a grievous offense.

Holding an institution accountable through a civil lawsuit is one of the most powerful ways to force systemic change and protect other children from suffering the same fate.

If you or a loved one has been a victim of abuse by a person in a position of trust, you have powerful legal rights. Contact Manoukian Law for a free and confidential consultation.