New Lawsuit Filed
A former student has filed a civil lawsuit against the now-closed Agape Boarding School in Missouri, accusing staff members of forced child labor, physical abuse, and efforts to hide mistreatment from authorities. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Missouri’s Western U.S. District Court, alleges fraud and negligence by five former employees.
Background and Previous Settlements
More than a dozen former students have previously settled lawsuits alleging abuse at the southwest Missouri school. Agape Boarding School closed in 2023, marking the end of the last unlicensed Christian boarding school in Cedar County since September 2020. The former director, Bryan Clemensen, cited a lack of funding due to declining enrollment as the reason for the closure.
Criminal Charges and Advocacy
Several individuals affiliated with these schools face criminal charges. Advocates for victims of abuse at Missouri boarding schools have repeatedly urged the state’s attorney general to launch an investigation, collaborate with local prosecutors, and take steps to prevent further abuse. Despite these calls, the attorney general’s office has stated it does not have jurisdiction to prosecute criminal cases unless appointed as special prosecutor by the governor or a court.
Allegations in the Lawsuit
The latest lawsuit claims Agape Boarding School operated akin to a concentration camp or torture colony, masked under the guise of religion. The former student, identified as John Doe in court filings, is now 20 years old and describes severe punishments including forced workouts until vomiting and being made to stay in painful positions for hours. The lawsuit also details a restraint room below the cafeteria where students were taken and heard screaming for hours.
Concealment of Abuse
Doe alleges that staff members at Agape limited students’ phone use and monitored their letters to prevent parents from learning about the abusive conditions. The lawsuit asserts that the staff actively concealed these abuses from the Children’s Division. Doe, who first attended Agape at age 15, claims that staff brainwashed students to facilitate further abuse and withheld letters and care packages from parents, causing emotional distress and coercing silence.
