Lawsuit Accusing Bishop Eddie Long of Coercing Young Men Reported Resolved as He Denies Allegations

Bishop Eddie Long, pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, denied allegations in a lawsuit that he coerced three young men from the congregation into sexual relationships, according to a September 23, 2010, report from NPR. The report, titled “Gay Sex Scandal Lands Black Church Under Scrutiny,” describes allegations of deception, manipulation and sexual coercion against Long. It identifies New Birth as a 25,000-member megachurch in Lithonia, Georgia, just outside Atlanta. Host Michel Martin spoke with Michael Dash, professor of Ministry and Context at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, and with Jonathan Walton, a social ethicist and assistant professor at Harvard Divinity School.

A separate CBS News report gave a different account of the lawsuit’s scope. It said four young men filed a sexual misconduct lawsuit against Long, and that they claimed he abused his spiritual authority and used cars, jewelry and cash to lure them into trysts when they were 17 and 18. The number of plaintiffs differs between the two reports, and the sources do not explain the difference.

The CBS report also said that local and state authorities did not investigate any possible crime, because Georgia’s age of consent is 16. Two of the young men said Long targeted them after they enrolled in the church’s LongFellows Youth Academy. Protecting the vulnerable is the concern at the center of these claims (Proverbs 31:8-9).

According to the CBS report, Long said in court documents that he often encouraged members to call him “daddy,” and that he considered the term a sign of respect. The report presents this as Long’s own explanation and does not state how the plaintiffs characterized the term.

CBS also reported that plaintiffs’ attorney B.J. Bernstein said the lawsuit against Bishop Long had been resolved. New Birth attorney Barbara Marschalk said she anticipated the complaint would be dismissed by Friday. The trial had been set to begin later that year if no settlement was reached. The available reports do not describe the terms of any settlement.