New lawsuit says house dad at metro Christian ranch raped, abused 13-year-old boy

WSBTV.com News Staff
·4 min read
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Some metro parents are raising concerns about alleged child abuse at a Christian ranch for kids in crisis in Hall County.

A new lawsuit alleges a house parent at Eagle Ranch raped a child.

Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne spoke to that child’s parents who said they want the ranch held accountable. They say the child is 13 years old.

The mom of the alleged victim said while she and her husband had raised concerns about possible abuse to Eagle Ranch and had previously talked to law enforcement, after seeing other families talk about Eagle Ranch on Channel 2 Action News, they got the courage to take other steps and to speak out.

“What we have been through. No parent, no child, no human being should have to even imagine something like this happening,” the boy’s mother told Winne.

“He’s much worse off now than he was when he arrived at Eagle Ranch?” Winne asked the mother.

“Yeah. He’s not the same kid,” the mother said.

“He has spiraled so out of control,” the boy’s father said.

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The lawsuit suggests the victim is called Michael Doe to protect his identity.

The parents claim that not only did Eagle Ranch fail to protect their son after they sent him there to sort out emotional and behavioral issues, but one of its staff members sexually abused him.

The abuse allegedly happened in his bedroom, in other living areas of the house, on the porch, and elsewhere at Eagle Ranch.

“The lawsuit alleges that Eagle Ranch knew of problems with children being sexually abused, knew that their policies were inadequate to prevent that, and failed to take action,” attorney Mark Johnson said.

“When the details came out, I couldn’t do anything but cry and have a lot of anger, questions and disbelief,” the boy’s father said.

Winne has previously reported on three suits against the ranch involving allegations of sexual abuse of a child by another youth.

Now, this fourth suit involves specific allegations about a houseparent.

An Eagle Ranch statement said:

“We strongly deny the claims made in each lawsuit and believe the claims are meritless. The ranch intends to fully defend itself against these claims.”

“It’s devastating to me frankly the fact that there’s this many children that have experienced sexual abuse at a vulnerable moment,” attorney Nicole Bigman said.

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This new lawsuit against Eagle Ranch, Inc. and Eagle Ranch Foundation, Inc. suggests that between June 7, 2021, and Oct. 20, 2021, Michael Doe was sexually abused, sexually molested, and raped on multiple occasions by the house dad for the house at Eagle Ranch where Michael Doe lived.

In court papers, Eagle Ranch, Inc. and Eagle Ranch Foundation, Inc. deny the allegations and deny any alleged sexual misconduct committed by the person the suit identifies as a house dad.

“It was a nightmare that continued for weeks and months and it’s something the family’s still living with,” Johnson said.

Johnson told Winne that he represents the family along with Bigman and Brian Cornwell.

“Clearly there’s a pattern of failure of Eagle Ranch to properly protect the kids that are in their care,” Cornwell said.

The Eagle Ranch statement went on to say:

“The latest filing regards allegations involving a former Eagle Ranch staff member. Eagle Ranch was made aware of the allegations while this individual was still on staff. When first made, Eagle Ranch and the employee cooperated fully with the Hall County Sheriff’s Department investigation, which found no grounds to further pursue the allegations. This former employee later pursued another career opportunity.”

“I, of course, do not know what exactly the Hall County Sheriff’s Office had at the time of their investigation. I do stand by the allegations in our complaint and our investigation,” Bigman said.

The parents told Winne that they chose Eagle Ranch as a place to help their son, in part, because the ranch promoted a faith-based approach.

But now, the first page of their lawsuit prominently features a quote from the Book of Matthew: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones.”

“What have you turned to, to get through all this?” Winne asked the mother.

“Jesus,” she replied. “It is only my faith, our faith, and the hope that we have. Not in this world, not in the systems of this world, but in Christ and Christ alone, that we will get through this.”

“The strength comes from our faith in God,” the father said. “We hold strong on that.”

A sheriff’s office email said the Hall County Sheriff’s Office investigation is considered closed.

The Eagle Ranch statement continued to say:

“For nearly 40 years, Eagle Ranch has provided more than 2,000 children and families in crisis with counseling, training and support so that they can experience renewal through restored relationships. We strive to create a nurturing, structured home life in a peaceful and safe environment.”

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