My story includes another cover up by [a leader] of a staff member's sexual misconduct with a same minor of the same sex. Within a couple months of my time at IHOP-KC, my roommate was arrested outside of my apartment. As the police officer closed the back door to the patrol car, he looked at me and said, "you should know what kind of people you have around here." An hour or two later [leader] came quickly into my apartment without knocking and asked if I had a car. After telling him I did, he asked me to take him to pick up another leader and drive them both to the police station. I did. There wasn't much said in the car, and when we arrived at the other leaders house he went inside for a couple minutes before they both came out and got in the car. I drove them to the police station and [leader] asked me to come in and try to talk to my roommate. I spoke to him through a phone, not glass like you see on tv shows, for a couple minutes. He told me he was wrestling with a student (male) and it got too rough so the parents called the police. At 22 years old, that didn't add up for me. [leader] later told me that my roommate was wrestling with a student and, upon becoming sexually aroused, went into the family's bathroom, relieved himself and that it was obvious to the family what had happened so they called the police with sexual assault allegations. Allegations/charges were dropped against my roommate and he was off the base within a couple of days and sent to an inner healing ministry. At the time, young and unexperienced, I took everything at face value. Now, twenty years later, a father, pastor, and with some life experience I don't even buy [leader's] recount of the event. The only explanation that makes sense is that the parents and/or student witnessed and experience sexual misconduct against a minor that lead them to call the police and have a young man arrested. Twenty years ago I viewed this as someone giving a young man a chance to changes his ways. While that may be true, and I hope he did, I also view this as a cover up to avoid sexual misconduct allegations against an adult and a same sex minor and the scandal that would follow.
- Student2004 - 2009