Ten women who formerly belonged to the Institute of Basic Life Principles, a fundamentalist organization with well-documented ties to the Duggar family, have filed a lawsuit against the group’s founder and former president, Bill Gothard, charging both “him and leaders in his ministry with sexual abuse, harassment and cover-up,” according to The Washington Post.
Five former members of the Institute of Basic Life Principles, a fundamentalist organization with well-documented ties to the Duggar family, have filed charges against both the organization and its board of directors, claiming they “enabled and covered up sexual abuse and harassment of interns, employees, and other participants in its programs,” according to The Washington Post.
For whatever reason, Bill Gothard, the 80-year-old life-long bachelor who founded the Duggars’ fundamentalist homeschool curriculum, decided that now would be a great time to put up his first Facebook post in almost two years. And since the post went live Wednesday evening, his page has been deleting allegation after allegation of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.
The Advanced Training Institute—the fundamentalist, sex-offender-led cult subscribed to by the Duggars—has a lot of questionable practices. But in addition to cancer-causing semen and horrible fashion advice, ATI has one extra-absurd bit of wisdom it would like to impart on your children: Your Cabbage Patch doll is filled with Satan’s demons.
On Wednesday night, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar went on Fox News to discuss the molestation of four of their daughters by their eldest son, Josh. During the interview, they made vague allusions to Josh’s “counseling” at some sort of “training center.” There’s a reason they never got into specifics: Josh’s counseling was bullshit.
Bill Gothard, the 80-year-old perpetual bachelor, alleged sexual abuser of at least 34 women, and founder of the Duggars’ warped fundamentalist homeschool cult, has some thoughts to share in the form of a fancy new website with a “new statement.” Or at least, he did for the few hours it was live. Now, the new site and statement have both mysteriously disappeared.
There’s a lot more to ATI—the insane fundamentalist homeschool program used by the Duggars and thousands of others—than just bad science. In addition to revelations about cancer-causing semen, you’ll also be getting a whole section of fashion tips. Because if there’s anything god hates (more than lust and sex and logic and just you in general), it’s hairstyles that don’t complement the shape of your face.
Why were evangelical reality star and conservative political activist Josh Duggar’s parents Jim Bob and Michelle so slow to act on the revelation that their eldest son had molested his younger sisters—and, ultimately, so lenient? Documents about sexual abuse from the cult-like homeschooling program the family follows—which focus on public image and lay heavy blame on the victims of assault—may help answer the question.
