Former Show-Me Christian Youth Home Residents Sue Over Alleged Forced Labor and Sexual Abuse

Three former residents of Show-Me Christian Youth Home in La Monte, Missouri, have filed federal lawsuits alleging they were subjected to forced manual labor and sexual abuse while children at the facility. The lawsuits were lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri by Jerrica Brianna Perriguey, Brianna Fultz, and Ashley Lemler. All three plaintiffs state they resided in the same household between 2007 and 2012, and they are represented by attorney Jarrett Johnson. A fourth former resident, Samantha Butler, has indicated plans to file a suit, while an attorney for a fifth former resident says a lawsuit will be filed once medical records are obtained.

The timing of these legal actions coincides with a multi-year effort by the home’s director to persuade state lawmakers to allow facilities like Show-Me to accept foster children without standard licensing from Missouri’s Children’s Division. This regulatory push has created a context in which the facility’s oversight mechanisms are now under intense legal and public scrutiny. The allegations center on the safety of minors and the governance of an organization serving vulnerable youth, raising questions about the adequacy of protections in place during the period of the plaintiffs’ residence.

Brianna Fultz, who arrived at the home in 2007 at age 12, alleges that a house father groomed and sexually abused her. She claims that Show-Me officials failed to take meaningful protective action after she reported the abuse to the home’s case manager, another staff member, and a therapist. Fultz further alleges she was required to perform hard physical labor, including stringing barbed-wire fencing and hauling hay bales and timber, and was awakened at 3 a.m. to run in the dark and cold under threats of food deprivation, isolation, or additional work. The same house father later pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree sexual abuse tied to a 2014 incident, according to the reporting.

Jerrica Brianna Perriguey, who came to the home in 2008 at age 14, alleges that residents underwent sexualized discipline and inspections of intimate body areas. She claims she was punished by being made to sleep under the kitchen table or on the laundry-room floor and that residents stripped of privileges were allowed only dry toast or peanut-butter sandwiches with milk or water. Perriguey also alleges that her disclosures to a therapist affiliated with Show-Me were revealed to staff rather than kept confidential.

Across the three lawsuits, former residents allege they were sexually touched, beaten while naked, surveilled in the shower, and punished for reporting abuse. Samantha Butler, who has not yet filed a suit but has spoken to reporters, says she carries long-term injuries from the abuse she alleges she experienced as a child. She stated that no child should be placed in the facility, and her attorney, Rebecca Randles, emphasized that children who report abuse should be listened to.

Show-Me Christian Youth Home denies the allegations. The organization has argued in court filings that the lawsuits violate the First Amendment. The legal dispute now focuses on the balance between religious freedom and the state’s duty to protect minors from harm. The case highlights the tension between the autonomy of religious institutions and the legal standards required for the safety of children in their care.

The pursuit of justice in these cases reflects a broader call for accountability and the protection of the vulnerable. As the legal proceedings continue, the focus remains on ensuring that the rights of children are upheld and that those in positions of trust are held responsible for their actions. The outcome of these lawsuits will have significant implications for the governance of similar institutions and the legal standards applied to the care of minors.

Source: Read the original report