Eddie Long Settles Sexual Coercion Lawsuits with 4 Young Men

Surprise, surprise. Atlanta-based anti-gay mega-church pastor Eddie Long has apparently settled the four sexual coercion lawsuits filed against him and his church.

Long is accused of luring at least four young men into sexual relationships and using church funds to give them cash, gifts and cars. The cases have been settled and there will be no comment, attorneys for both sides tell the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Barbara Marschalk, who represents New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and LongFellows Youth Academy, said she anticipates " the lawsuits will be dismissed, with prejudice, by close of business tomorrow."

B.J. Bernstein, who represents the four men who sued Long, New Birth and LongFellows, also confirmed the lawsuits had been settled. Neither side would comment further and settlement terms were unknown.

According to Bernstein's office, neither she nor the plaintiffs would be available for an interview "on this matter, now or in the future. "

The four young men—Maurice Robinson, Jamal Parris, Anthony Flagg and Spencer LeGrande—filed sexual coercion lawsuits against Long and New Birth MBC last fall. The sexual relationships reportedly began when each of the plaintiffs were around 16 years old.

Read the complaints HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

When the embattled pastor spoke publicly for the first time after the cases were announced in September, Long vowed to "fight" the charges and have his day in court. Two months later, a DeKalb County judge ordered a February mediation session and a July trial date for the lawsuits.

Long is also among the most vocal critics of gay rights and same-sex marriage in the Black church. In December 2004, Long led a 25,000 person march against gay rights and marriage equality. Long has routinely railed against gays from the pulpit, although it's well-known in Atlanta's Black LGBT community that many Black gay men attend Long's anti-gay mega-church.

So much for Long and his five rocks. What's done in the dark will come to light—unless there is an iron-clad non-disclosure clause in a hefty financial settlement.

R20's complete EDDIE LONG coverage.

Comments

[Nathan James]

What happened to those five rocks Eddie Long said he hadn't thrown yet?

[Bernie B]

He would have been crazy to drag this to court. four young men claming all sorts of dirty deeds. It would have been quite ugly and a field day for the press and every chile in Lanta' ...lol

I wish more ministers of his like were exposed. The hypocrasy in the black community just needs to be exposed entirely.

I really wish more people in the "church" would open their eyes instead of their pocket books.

[Occam's Razor]

Not good. The plaintiffs should not have settled this. They needed better legal representation. This man should have been exposed.

Hopefully, they excluded from the settlement a tell-all book deal.

[Bama]

Indeed, Bernie

[Cedric]

I am trying my hardest to understand why they settled...it is HARD! But since I don't know their situation and what really went down I will settle with their decision. Now the church will have to pay up and they don't even know the real truth. NEXT!!

[Account Deleted]

"I wish more ministers of his like were exposed. The hypocrasy in the black community just needs to be exposed entirely."

I feel the same way too but look at the Catholic Church. Did the scandals stop attendance? Did it stop money being put into Mass? Did it the cause the Latino/Irish/Italian/etc... communities to question the teachings of said institution and what not in general? At the end of the day, they're exempted from criticism, whether we like or not. Faith is untouchable and not in a good way either.

People believe what they want to believe, I'm afraid is what it all comes to down to. People believe Eddie Long is innocent in all this, a good, moral, righteous person and this situation will probably be compared to the persecution Jesus Christ.

[JinCA]

I'm surprised they settled, I thought the whole point was to expose him and punish him and not to make money? I guess to an extent they get to do both but still I don't get why they settled.

That being said I know it's easy for me or anyone else not in their situation to say what they "should have done" but still it just seems kind of like selling out on the surface.

[Mad Professah]

They should take the money then write a "fictional" blog or book or article about exactly what happened when 4 young black men met a "Reverend Freddie Strong."

[Account Deleted]

The Boondocks should do a parody of this.

[Procrastination_Xtravaganza]

LOL @ Kevin Perez, lemme lobby Aaron McGruder now!

Eff it, I'm glad they settled, this "non-admission" tells anyone with an open mind almost as much as a public trial would have, and its much more lucrative.

Even if they aired out all the dirty details those blind Eddie Long followers would have still been willfully ignorant.

[Distant Lover]

@Kevin and Procrastination.
Aaron Macgruder might be in a ditch somewhere with Tyler Perry's handprints around his neck. LMAO
Getting back to the good ole booty-snatching Bishop. I saw this coming. Throw money at the problem, get them to sign confidentiality agreement, resume fleecing the flock. I realize the four young men probably want to move on and while money won't undo the damage, they can put it to good use and pay some bills. I guess the good ole Bishop will have to wait until he meets his Maker before he really gets what he deserves.

[Honut Sinti]

Turning! Revolution, complete.

[Eric]

That Pedophile should be in jail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Diva1961]

I'm glad the young men settled. I feel they have already won. Long's name is mud, his congregation has shrunken, his tithes have shrunken, he said he would fight this yet didn't, said he wouldn't pay out money since he felt he did nothing wrong yet is, ect. Sometimes (especially times like this) one's imagnation of what happened can be more damaging than the actual facts.

The young men don't need to have their names dragged through the mud again by religious zealots, nor made to feel on the witness stand that they were responsible for their molestation. A lot of times women don't follow through with rape cases because they feel are being raped again in the trial, by the system. The same goes with men and molestation. The shame and humiliation that goes on within the court setting is not always worth the opportunity to say in public that Long or whoever was guilty. The scars aren't always worth it. We, the public, wanted the young men to do it for us. Ultimately, the young men have to do what's best for them.

Long settling is better because he will be and has been judged in the court of public opinion ( a lot by what he was saying himself- stones, and such). The people who do not want to see Long as guilty won't no matter what. Those who are more objective will know the truth for themselves.

[Account Deleted]

Religion triumphs over common sense, I guess. Money talks too. I honestly believe this goes beyond a DADT-esque policy when it comes to sexuality (especially of the homo variety) but something deeper, disturbing, pathological and psychological.

This, this is flat out denial. I put these folks on par with the Tea Party and hardcore, right-wring Conservatives. They are divorced from reality and don't want anybody or anything to shatter their worldview.

[Bernie B]

@Kevin Perez ... u are so right. I mean, how you can NOT question MAN???? ... Ur taught not to question God or Jesus ... But a mere human MAN with lust, needs, wants, desires, coveting things, power who sweats, pi@@ and sh&Ts like the rest of the world... I am baffled by folks.

How could a grown, innocent man representing God and a huge parish who has all this faith in him and who the light of the heavens shine upon his glistening afro, not want to clear his good name in tne name of the LORD? Surely bigger battles went down in the bible.

People will believe it was the devil that did this or the white man or ill morals of the current time. No one will say this MAN had bad judgment, made terrible decisions and should have not taken YOUNG boys on overnights to other countries, slept in the same room, and bought them cars, jewelry and gifts (SIGH!!!!).

But he will be forgiven and ur right Kevin Perez, life goes on. And this will happen again someday, somewehere in the world.

I'm just mad because he likes Pee Pee and he's a liar ...LOL!!

[Blackki]

Damn! It may be long, but the truth will come out eventually. "For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open." This bible verse will haunt the "bishop" day and night.

[FREELEO]

Four people just purchased four first class tickets to Miami Sizzle. Congratulations Fellas! You deserve every cent.

[MRCHOCOLATE615]

@ FREELEO..That was SHADE on top of SHADE....LMAO!

[Tony Smith]

I'm a lawyer. Here are possible reasons why the plaintiffs settled:

1. It is unclear that a jury would have believed they were "coerced"

2. Long would have said that they were above the age of consent and that they agreed to have sex with him and were simply out to get money (hail mary defense).

3. They can go on with their lives.

4. They might have had things in their backgrounds that called their credibility into question.

You guys do not know much about the plaintiffs. So, there are a number of reasons why they might settle.

[Bubbalicious]

Tony, thanks for the legal perspective. Still, I think the answer is a lot simpler. The credibility of the 4 young men is minor. Here's the issue: All of the intimate details surronding the sexual relationships between Long and these boys would have come out (and I do believe with pictures). Long would have been EXPOSED, and that would crush his ministry. That is why they settled. Long had more to lose than those young men. Best believe that those young men had the upper hand in this settlement. There is no way Long would have survived a court case, even if he won it.

[Faison]

Tony (and JinCA, Cedric, etc):

If you are an attorney, then surely you would realize that the intent of the lawsuit WAS TO SETTLE. It was never to take it to trial.

You make some interesting points, but your assumption is that the DEFENDANT forced the PLAINTIFFS to settle. No.

As far as #1 or #2 are concerned, do you srsly visualize a married, anti-gay mega-preacher defending himself in court and claiming that the GAY SEX was consensual? I don't think so.

Re #4: Their "credibility" is much more significant than the pastor being sued. They can prove they he paid for their cars, homes, texted them 20 times a day, etc. If their credibility were poor, the defense would never have settled.

And do you really believe Eddie Long would allow himself to be deposed and his finances, phone records and computer records to be subpoeaned and become public domain?

JinCA, Cedric: The lawsuit pressured Eddie Long into a financial settlement. That's what lawsuits do. If his hypocrisy and dirty business is exposed, that's nice, but these were personal relationships. These young men (God bless them!) are not activists.

Long has been exposed. The real question should be, "Since Eddie Long has been exposed and settled sexual coercion lawsuits, why is his church standing behind him?"

[Faison]

One more thing:

Tony, if you really are a "lawyer", then you need a few refresher courses. The four young men won. Eddie Long lost. Their "credibility" and case was obviously far superior to Eddie Long's "credbility."

Lawsuits are designed to drain resources and time, and pressure the party at fault to settle. If there was a question of "credibility", the defense would welcome a trial.

Sorry, but I'm calling bs on the "lawyer." Especially a "lawyer" who would argue in court that his client, anti gay millionaire Bishop Eddie Long, had "consensual" gay sex with 17 year old boys. The "lawyer" obviously doesn't know what sexual "coercion" means. And I seriously doubt Eddie Long would agree to that defense, counselor.

Love the "out to get money" theory. Sounds very .... legal. Not.

[Account Deleted]

It's because they're sheep!

[DallasD]

Catholic priests catch plenty of flack for this type of behavior and rightfully so, but Protestant ministers actually surpass them and have become diverse in their endeavors by branching off into murder, bank robbery, prostitution, drug trafficking, arson, assault and more. Although no one will ever know the details of what may have transpired in open court, a settlement might be the best for all involved even though Long's reputation is now irreparably tarnished. Sadly, he is not the first nor will he be the last pulpiteer to be caught with his barbells down.