Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Freethinker

Home
Nonreligious
Staff at Baptist couple’s Missouri school charged with abuse

Staff at Baptist couple’s Missouri school charged with abuse

Last updated on: October 1, 2021 at 8:53 pm by Barry Duke

Staff at Baptist couple’s Missouri school charged with abuse 2021-10-01T20:53:25+02:00 Barry Duke

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Images via YouTube and Agapé Boarding School

Agapé Boarding School, set up in 1990 by Baptists James and Kathy Clemensen, above, to show “Christian love and care to rebellious boys at all times“, proved a living hell for many youngsters, and this week five staff members were charged with abusing pupils.

However, at least one victim has slammed the decision to charge only five abusers, saying that they make up only a fraction of staff who meted out cruelty to pupils.

Said Brett Harper, of Oregon, who attended Agapé from 1999 to 2003, and has pushed for three years for an investigation into abuse at the school:

It’s unacceptable. It’s one third of the people who should be charged and he lowered the charges. Nobody would call that justice.

Images via Facebook and Wiki CC

The case has also created a major rift between Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither, above left, who brought the charges, and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, right.

Schmitt recommended prosecuting 22 employees with 65 counts on behalf of 36 victims, including felonies for abuse of a child and tampering with a victim, and misdemeanors for endangering the welfare of a child and failure to report child abuse.

After Gaither said last week that he planned to charge far fewer employees than recommended, Schmitt asked Governor Mike Parson to remove his office from the investigation because he didn’t believe Gaither intended to “seek justice” for all the victims.

In a letter sent this week to Parson, Schmitt’s office recapped seven months of back-and-forth between state and local authorities over prosecuting defendants linked to Agapé. He wrote:

Mr. Gaither’s decision to pursue a relatively small number of minor felony offenses reveals that he has no real need of the expertise and resources of the Attorney General’s Office. Gaither has indicated that he does not intend to seek justice for all of the 36 children who were allegedly victimized by 22 members of the Agape Boarding School staff.

While Schmitt’s office recommended charges of high-level child abuse that carried possible 15-year prison sentences, Gaither’s intent is to file Class E felony assault charges that are punishable by a maximum of four years behind bars.

A Missouri law passed in 1982 exempted religious residential care facilities from state licensure requirements. After the allegations of abuse at Agape arose last year, the Legislature passed a law that gave the state greater oversight of unlicensed residential care facilities for children.

Two of those charged are former students who became Agapé employees: medical director, Scott L Dumar, and Seth Duncan, the son-in-law of David Smock, a Stockton doctor who for years has provided medical care for Agapé students. The others charged are Christopher R McElroy, Everett L Graves and Trent E Hartman.

An investigation into the school began after The Star reported on the abuse allegations last year. Since then, former students testified at legislative hearings that they tried to report the abuse at Agapé and the now-closed Circle of Hope Girls Ranch for years, but that Cedar County authorities and other officials did not respond to the complaints.

Fox 4 screenshot

Circle of Hope Girls Ranch near Humansville was closed last year after authorities removed about 25 students amid an investigation into abuse and neglect allegations. Its owners, Boyd and Stephanie Householder, above, were charged with 102 counts of abusing girls in their care. The charges included statutory rape, sodomy and physical abuse.

The couple were released from jail in July for health reasons. Boyd Householder was affected by Covid-19 and his wife “has a serious blood clot disorder that might cause her to lose her foot.” They remain under house arrest until their trial.

Agapé website says:

If your son is out of control, expelled or falling behind in school, we will help get him back on track! Unlike typical boarding schools and military schools, we only work with boys who are struggling, so we strictly maintain discipline and security, while showing Christian love and care for the boys at all times. Agapé teaches and reinforces proper behavior, responsibility, and strong goals in life; turning uncaring, self-centered boys into responsible and mature young men.

Meanwhile, Brett Harper has created a petition calling on the authorities to shut down Agapé, saying that:

This school physically, mentally, verbally abuses children daily. They are brainwashed. They aren’t allowed contact with the outside world and they keep them sheltered from things like newspapers or TV.

They do not allow religious freedom or LGBTQ. They are bigots, homophobic, hateful towards other religions besides the Independent Fundamental Baptists brand of Christianity. They frequently remind students you do not have any rights as a child and treat you like property.

More than 2,000 people have so far signed the petition.

• Please report any typos/errors to [email protected]

If you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee – and boy, do I get through a LOT of coffee keeping this site active – please click the link below.

I’d love a cup of coffee

News

Abuse

Agapé Boarding School

James and Kathy Clemensen

Missouri

Previous Post

September 30, 2021

Evangelicals furious over Church in Wales' vote to bless gay couples

Next Post

October 2, 2021 Islamic charity rebuked for 'inflaming tensions' at UK school

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Archive My Atheism News Opinion Reviews Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 March 2007 April 2006 February 2006

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which prophet was commanded to buy a field during a siege?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Obadiah Jeremiah Isaiah Habakkuk

Books by This Author Books by The Freethinker

See All Titles »