A lawsuit
filed Wednesday claims a child was sexually abused by his father, while
leaders of a Mennonite church in Bonners Ferry failed to protect the
boy.
The lawsuit was
filed late Wednesday by attorneys with the Coeur d'Alene firm of James,
Vernon and Weeks. It states Clayton Peaster was 11 when the alleged
molestation occurred. He is now 27.
The defendants named in the suit are Mt. View
Mennonite Church, Inc., the National Church of God in Christ, Mennonite,
and Clayton’s adoptive parents, David Peaster and his wife, Cynthia
Peaster.
During a press conference held Thursday at the
firm’s office, Clayton’s attorney, Craig Vernon, said the child was
adopted by the Peasters who both belonged to Mt. View Mennonite Church.
The Kansas-based Church of God in Christ Mennonite, commonly known as
the Holdeman Mennonites, is the parent organization of Mt. View.
Vernon went over details of the suit, which
alleges that David Peaster sexually molested Clayton and an older boy
several times over a four-year period. The suit claims during that time,
Clayton told a deacon in the church that he was being molested.
,,,
Clayton’s attorney said they are not only suing for an amount to be
determined at trial, they are also suing the church for non-economic
damages. Vernon said they want the court to force the Holdeman
Mennonites national church to establish a policy requiring the church to
report all sexual abuse allegations to the police rather than trying to
deal with those crimes internally.
Man sues Mennonite church over alleged abuse - Coeur d'Alene Press: Local News
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