Settlement Amount: $950,000
Abuse Type: Grooming and molestation during worthiness interviews
Background
Michael was 14 when his Mesa, AZ bishop began sexually abusing him during private “repentance” interviews about masturbation. The bishop, a charismatic father of four, used ecclesiastical authority to manipulate Michael into silence, claiming the encounters were “part of the Atonement process.” The abuse occurred weekly in the bishop’s office and sometimes in his home during “mentoring sessions.”
Lasting Damage
- Developed dissociative identity disorder as a coping mechanism
- Attempted suicide at age 16 (psychiatric hospitalization)
- Struggled with substance abuse and homelessness after coming out as gay
- Permanently estranged from his LDS family
Key Challenges
- No police report (stake president claimed it was a “spiritual matter”)
- Bishop remained in leadership for 3 more years
- Michael’s parents initially sided with the Church
Injurease’s Response
- Immediate Support: Connected Michael with an LGBTQ+-affirming therapist and addiction specialist.
- Legal Action:
- Subpoenaed help line records showing the bishop had prior complaints
- Found the bishop’s handwritten “repentance protocols” detailing the abuse
- Used Arizona’s 2020 lookback window to revive the expired case
- Community Building: Helped Michael connect with other male LDS abuse survivors.
Settlement Impact
The $950,000 settlement provided:
- Funds for Michael’s transitional housing and vocational training
- Lifetime therapy coverage
- Payment for gender-affirming care (unrelated to but delayed by the abuse)
Michael’s Words:
“Injurease understood how the Church’s shame culture enabled my abuse. They fought for me when my own family wouldn’t.”
