Two years later in 2018, another group of 6 men in Oregon filed a lawsuit against Assemblies of God making nearly identical allegations. Both Clark and Gantt were criminally convicted of sexual assault crimes in 1988 for incidents that were not related to the Royal Rangers. They claimed the abuse occurred while they were participating in Royal Rangers’ activities and events. The first lawsuit was filed in 2016 by 3 plaintiffs who alleged that Assembly of God pastor Todd Scott Clark and Royal Ranger leader Ralph Wade Gantt sexually abused them in the 1980s. In August 2021, the Assemblies of God settled 2 separate lawsuits for an undisclosed amount with a group of Oregon men who participated in the Royal Rangers program as children. Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Against Royal Rangers The individual churches assume the obligation for screening mentors and supervising their activities with the underage children in the program. The stated mission of the Royal Rangers is to “evangelize, equip, and empower the next generation of Christlike men and lifelong servant leaders.” The Royal Rangers have chartered groups in several states, including Oregon, Pennsylvania, California, Idaho, and North Carolina.Īdult mentors who participate in the Royal Rangers program are church members or ministers. The Royal Rangers are affiliated with the Assemblies of God church. It’s sort of like a Christian boy-scout program. The Royal Rangers activity-based church ministry for boys of all ages. Settlement Amounts in Sex Abuse Lawsuits. This case marks a continuing trend in which various religious organizations have had to settle lawsuits for clergy sex abuse occurring in one of their youth programs. The amount of the settlement was not disclosed. The Assemblies of God recently settled a sexual assault lawsuit filed by a group of men who claimed that they were abused as children while participating in the Royal Rangers Christian youth program.
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