Lawsuit Alleges Laurie’s Church Covered Up Sexual Misconduct, Paid $4 Million to Staff Member

Senior pastor Greg Laurie did not disclose the reasons for the sudden departures of two top leaders at his Riverside, California, church in the early 2020s. Jeff Lasseigne and Brad Ormonde, who had overseen the church’s in-person pastoral ministry, left without explanation. The absence of these leaders was not acknowledged to the 15,000 attendees at Harvest Christian Fellowship’s Sunday services. Online bios, teaching videos, and Facebook profiles of Lasseigne and Ormonde were quietly removed, leaving staff and volunteers to speculate in hushed tones.

When questions arose, church leaders reportedly scolded staff for gossiping and warned volunteers against discussing the matter. The hushed-up stories eventually surfaced in a 201-page federal court filing in an ongoing lawsuit against Laurie and Harvest. The March 6 filing consolidated 23 lawsuits from survivors of alleged childhood sexual abuse by another former Harvest pastor, Paul Havsgaard. These survivors, who grew up in church-funded homes in Romania, accuse Laurie and Harvest of covering up years of sexual abuse.

McAllister Olivarius, the law firm representing the plaintiffs, claims that Lasseigne and Ormonde both engaged in sexual misconduct with women who worked on staff. The lawsuit alleges that when church leaders became aware of the misconduct, they covered it up, demonstrating a pattern of strategic concealment. The filing states that the church reportedly paid Lasseigne $4 million in exchange for a nondisclosure agreement.

The lawsuit claims that Harvest Riverside followed the same pattern with three different pastors. The church allegedly provided no explanation to employees or congregants and did not disclose to donors that their charitable contributions were being used to cover up misconduct. Harvest and its lawyers did not respond to requests for comment.

Six former Harvest employees told TRR that the claims about the scandal and cover-up are true and widely known within the church. One former volunteer, who attended the church for years, described the church’s approach as a de facto policy: “Do not tell anyone.” Former staff and volunteers spoke to TRR on the condition of anonymity, fearing retaliation from Harvest, including being blacklisted from ministry positions at other churches or pressured to remain silent by current employers.

The allegations highlight the need for transparency and accountability in Christian organizations, especially those serving minors. As Proverbs 31:8-9 reminds us, we are called to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. In light of these claims, the church community is urged to seek justice, mercy, and truth in accordance with God’s Word.

Source: Read the original report