Remember Bishop Eddie Long, the Atlanta area pastor accused of molesting several young teen-aged males in his congregation? Well, a secret financial settlement is on the way.
When the charges against Bishop Long surfaced last summer, he didn’t totally deny them — but he didn’t totally admit to them either. Instead, he said “I feel like David, against Goliath,” exclaiming that he would fight, fight, fight the charges in a court of law so as to clear his good name. “I got five rocks” Long said, “and I haven’t thrown one yet!”
But instead of defending his honor in a court of law, Bishop Long concocted a plan to enter into mediation with all of his accusers to reach a secret financial settlement. And that he did.
Since February, attorneys for all sides have been involved in marathon mediation sessions, some lasting from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. the next morning. The incredibly wealthy Bishop Long has reportedly offered a financial settlement to each of the young male accusers, where all parties will leave the room under a gag order never to speak of the settlement or charges of molestation again. Long will avoid the courtroom, any admission of guilt, and a potentially embarrassing public trial, leaving him free to go back to his multi-million dollar business of pastoring a 10,000 member mega church and “mentoring” other young church boys.
The mediator in the case is former Fulton County Superior Court judge Gino Brogden. Sources say the deal is complete and only requires all sides to sign off on it. Each of the young men will go away handsomely paid, while Long will save face and count his blessings for dodging this very public bullet.
Am I the only one mad this is getting settled? This dude should be dragged in to court and embarrased after what he did to those boys. Now he gets to pay everybody off quietly and keep it pushing. Thats not justice though.