LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A second lawsuit has been filed against The Lord's Ranch, a now defunct youth facility, regarding sexual abuse allegations against the lead counselor.
This lawsuit, filed on Jan. 9, is on behalf of eight men who allege they were "repeatedly subjected to horrific sexual, psychological, and physical abuse" while they were children at the Christian-based religious camp. That brings the total amount of victims to at least 16.
The first lawsuit, which was filed, in Nov. 2023 described the counselor as "one of the most notorious child abusers at the facility." Both lawsuits are filed against The Lord's Ranch, related entities, and former executive director Ted Suhl as well as other former staff members.
The counselor accused of the abuse oversaw the psychological treatment provided to the children who were there, which he reportedly used to "prey upon countless patients."
The camp, also known as Trinity Behavioral Health, operated from 1976 until closing in 2016 due to Suhl being convicted of bribery and fraud. Suhl's sentence was later commuted by President Donald Trump with strong support from Mike Huckabee.
Among the eight men who filed the new lawsuit, five are from Illinois, one from Indiana, one from Wisconsin, and one from Washington D.C.
"The legal team applauds Arkansas lawmakers for taking child sexual abuse seriously and recently opening a window to make civil litigation and accountability possible for childhood sexual abuse," said a press release from Romanucci & Blandin and Gillispie Law Firm.
Martin D. Gould, a partner at Romanucci & Blandin, said the 16 victims have detailed "eerily similar patterns" of grooming and abuse over many years from the counselor.
"Our legal team deeply respects the bravery of these clients, for their willingness to raise awareness and begin to expose the ugly truth regarding what they say happened at the Lord’s Ranch,” he said.
The lawyers further allege that Suhl family was aware and "possessed an overwhelming amount of actual knowledge" regarding the abuse committed on the children at the facility.
The civil complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Eastern Division. All legal claims regarding this lawsuit must be filed by January 2024.