Bill Gothard: Male Plaintiffs Come Forward in Sexual Assault Case Against Duggars" Minister

Back in March of 2014, Institute for Basic Life Principles founder Bill Gothard resigned in disgrace amidst allegations that he had sexually abused dozens of young women, many of them former employees.

In October, five of those alleged victims filed a lawsuit against Gothard in an Illinois civil court.

To the surprise of many, Gothard has stood his ground and refused to settle out of court.

Even after 10 more victims came forward last month, Gothard continued to vaguely admit to some sort of impropriety, but maintained that he was not guilty of any criminal offense.

Earlier today, Radar Online delivered another crushing blow to the reputation of the man who’s best known as the former minister of the Duggar family, reporting that three young men have come forward claiming they were repeatedly sexually molested by Gothard beginning when they were as young as 13.

With the alleged victim total at 18, the plaintiff’s attorney and many in the media are comparing Gothard’s scandal to that of former TV legend Bill Cosby.

Both men admit to behaving inappropriately, but insist that they have not done anything that should necessitate the involvement of the law.

“I was very wrong in holding hands, giving hugs and touching their hair or feet,” Gothard said in a recent statement.

“I was also wrong in making statements that caused emotional turmoil and confusion. My guilty is compounded by my hypocrisy of requiring standards for others but not following them myself.”

Thus far, the Duggar family has refused to comment publicly on the matter.

View Slideshow: The 11 Biggest Duggar Family Scandals of 2015

Bill Gothard: 10 More Women Accuse Duggars" Minister of Sexual Assault

In October of 2015, Institute of Basic Life Principles Bill Gothard was sued by 5 women who claim they were sexually assaulted by the disgraced minister either while they were under his employ, or after they’d come to him seeking help.

Gothard – who is best known as the former reverend and “spiritual mentor” of the Duggar family – has drawn unfavorable comparisons to Bill Cosby, as he allegedly avoided criminal charges by using coercion tactics to prevent the women from pressing charges until the statute of limitations for such crimes had expired.

Also like Cosby, Gothard’s hubris got the better of him, as he recently attempted a “triumphant” return to public life after lying low for more than a year.

Needless to say, it didn’t go well.

Gothard was bombarded by sexual assault allegations after launching social media accounts that he quickly deleted.

Now, the New York Daily News that despite his attempt to retreat from the spotlight, Gothard is still attracting plenty of negative attention, as ten more accusers have come forward this week with claims that they were assaulted by Gothard.

The women have filed suit against Gothard, and court documents obtained by the Daily News contain shocking and graphic allegations about Gothard and other church officials forcing themselves on women and teenage girls.

View Slideshow: 21 Controversial Duggar Family Quotes

Gothard has declined to get into specifics, but the unmarried 81-year-old made the following statement when contacted by the Washington Post:

“Never in my life have I touched a girl sexually. I’m shocked to even hear that. That really is not true.”

In this latest suit, the alleged victims are seeking only $ 50,000 in damages – but Gothard’s legal woes might continue to get worse going forward.

“It would not surprise me if law enforcement got involved in this case,” says attorney David Gibbs III, whl is representing the 10 plaintiffs.

Gothard has refused to comment on the possiblity of facing criminal charges.

View Slideshow: The 11 Biggest Duggar Family Scandals of 2015

Bill Gothard: Duggar Church Founder Sued For Sexual Abuse

In March of 2014, Institute for Basic Life Principles founder Bill Gothard resigned in disgrace amidst allegations that he had sexually abused dozens of female employees. 

Last month, after more than a year away from the public eye, Gothard – who might be best known for his close relationship to the Duggar family – relaunched his website and social media accounts, and was immediately bombarded with accusations of sexual assault.

His alleged victims said it was their way of sending Gothard the message that his crimes have not been forgotten, and that they intend to see him in court.

Yesterday, five of those women – Gretchen Wilkinson, Charis Barker, Rachel Frost, Rachel Lees and a Jane Doe – made good on that promise by filing a lawsuit against Gothard in which they each seek $ 50,000 in damages.

Obviously, the suit could prove profoundly damaging for Gothard and his ministry, particularly since it may inspire more of his alleged victims (over 30 in total) to take legal action. 

It may also have a negative impact on the reputation of Gothard’s most famous followers – the Duggar family.

The 80-year-old pastor has been linked to the Duggars for decades and may be responsible for some of their most controversial beliefs and actions.

Gothard was involved in “counseling” Josh Duggar after the Michelle and Jim Bob’s eldest admitted to molesting his sisters.

In addition, his IBLP provided the Duggars with homeschooling curricula that teaches children that victims of sexual assault are partially to blame for their attackers’ actions. 

While the family is in no way directly linked to the allegations against Gothard, if a court finds that the minister used his power to “cover up sexual abuse and harassment” (as the suit alleges), the Duggars’ already-shrinking fan base may be reminded of the ways in which the 19 Kids and Counting clan did the same.

View Slideshow: 23 Biggest Duggar Family Scandals: How Low Can They Go?!