Bishop Eddie Long, the infamous mega church pastor who is accused of grooming young men in the church for sex, may end up going to court yet, according to the Christian Post. The four young men who have filed sexual abuse suits against Bishop Eddie Long apparently could not reach an agreement with Long during the out-of-court mediation.
This means that the details of this case will most likely be made public with a court trial, which is something Long would not want. Bishop Long has been in negotiations since February with these cases and still they have not been able to reach an agreement. If Long could reach an out-of-court agreement with the boys, then the details of the case would not be disclosed to the public. This is different if it goes to court.
Atlanta’s WSBTV Channel 2 reports that Judge Panos, who is overseeing this case, is looking for a trial date in August or September. The judge would not disclose what could not be resolved during the out-of-court settlement discussions between Long and the young men. Long continues to deny that he coerced the young teens to engage in sexual activities.
If Bishop Eddie Long has to go to trial he is taking a very big chance as far as his reputation goes. Right now he is denying the charges, but if it goes to court and the case is found for the plaintiff’s, Long could be asked to step down from his post at the New Birth Missionary Church by his 25,000 followers. Right now they are standing behind Long and the majority of his congregation believe Long is telling the truth. If the case shows otherwise, this could cause Long’s career in the church to come to an abrupt end. Long would benefit greatly from a settlement, rather than a court trial.
One of the alleged cases of sexual abuse listed in the court documents took place in Connecticut with one of the young teens. The court documents state that Long had taken one of the young men to Connecticut to attend a conference and they stayed in a hotel. Long had sexual relations with the teen at night in the Connecticut hotel.
Reference: Christian Post
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