Sunday, June 15, 2025
48.0°F

Lawsuit claims BF church failed to report abuse

Jeff Selle Hagadone News Network | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 years, 4 months AGO
by Jeff Selle Hagadone News Network
| February 12, 2016 8:00 PM

COEUR d’ALENE — A lawsuit filed Wednesday claims a child was sexually abused by his father, while leaders of a Mennonite church in Bonners Ferry failed to protect the boy.

The lawsuit was filed late Wednesday by attorneys with the Coeur d'Alene firm of James, Vernon and Weeks. It states Clayton Peaster was 11 when the alleged molestation occurred. He is now 27.

The defendants named in the suit are Mt. View Mennonite Church, Inc., the National Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, and Clayton’s adoptive parents, David Peaster and his wife, Cynthia Peaster.

During a press conference held Thursday at the firm’s office, Clayton’s attorney, Craig Vernon, said the child was adopted by the Peasters who both belonged to Mt. View Mennonite Church. The Kansas-based Church of God in Christ Mennonite, commonly known as the Holdeman Mennonites, is the parent organization of Mt. View.

For the rest of the story, see the print edition of the Bonner County Daily Bee or subscribe to our e-edition.

MORE IMPORTED STORIES

Man sues church over alleged abuse
Bonners Ferry Herald | Updated 9 years, 3 months ago
Man sues Mennonite church over alleged abuse
Coeur d'Alene Press | Updated 9 years, 4 months ago
Mennonite Church faces new sex abuse suit
Bonners Ferry Herald | Updated 8 years, 7 months ago

ARTICLES BY JEFF SELLE HAGADONE NEWS NETWORK

January 9, 2015 8 a.m.

Tribes: Stop use of instant racing machines

COEUR d’ALENE —

April 4, 2014 9:59 a.m.

Internet down in three counties

COEUR d’ALENE — An Internet outage occurred for several hours on Tuesday after a fiber optic line was cut near Stateline.

February 21, 2016 6 a.m.

Cascadia Rising: How a massive quake would alter life here

It’s been building up pressure for 316 years, but scientists only discovered the earthquake potential of the Cascadia Subduction Zone roughly 30 years ago.