A second civil lawsuit was filed against two former Santa Maria residents and pastors on March 7, accusing them of sexual battery, harassment, assault, and gender violence.
The suit, which was filed in Santa Maria Superior Court anonymously by three women, also claims that Santa Maria’s Church for Life failed to appropriately investigate the women’s early complaints.
It’s the second civil lawsuit filed against Church for Life and its former pastors, Robert and Cindy Litzinger, in the past year—another was filed in July 2017 by a woman making similar allegations. That suit is still ongoing.
The most recent complaint describes a pattern of sexual and emotional abuse that plaintiffs claim was curated by Robert; aided by his wife; Cindy; and largely ignored by Church for Life for years. The plaintiffs—listed as Jane Doe 2, 3, and 4—all claim to have been young women who were isolated from their fathers while attending Church for Life. Robert, according to court documents, presented himself as a father figure to each of the plaintiffs.
Plaintiff Doe 2 alleges in court documents that Robert and Cindy invited her to live them after a month of attending Church for Life. When Doe 2 returned to Church for Life after college, Robert and Cindy allegedly became increasingly open about sex in discussions with the Church for Life leadership team.
When Doe 2 stepped down from the leadership team in a refusal to counsel young couples on their sex lives, she claims in court documents, Robert isolated her from the Church for Life community. He later welcomed Doe 2 back when she was pregnant, but allegedly began asking for pregnancy photos, touching her without consent, and sent unsolicited nude photos of himself and Cindy.
During this time, court documents state, Church for Life had a pastor from Montana come to Santa Maria to investigate the situation. When Doe 2 asked for copies of the report to support criminal charges against the couple, Church for Life refused to hand over the report and said no criminal activity took place, she claims in court documents.
Doe 3 was a 19-year-old intern at Church for Life when she lived with Robert and Cindy for about nine months, according to court documents. Doe 3 claims that while she lived with the couple, Robert would give her daily unwanted “Dad back rubs,” and demanded that she break up with her boyfriend or she’d be fired from her internship.
Doe 3 claims that Robert and Cindy frequently asked her about and talked about masturbation, left out photos of them having sex, and encouraged her to sleep in their room. Doe 3 also claims that she often woke up to Robert taking photos of her sleeping or rubbing her back at night until she began locking her door.
In April 2016, court documents allege that Doe 3 tried to stay with friends while Cindy was away in an effort to avoid being left alone with Robert. He allegedly found out and insisted she stay home and not “burden” other families.
Doe 4 began attending Church for Life in 2016, according to court documents, and she claims that Robert and Cindy immediately began inviting her to their house for lunches and “mom and dad snuggles.” Shortly after Doe 4 completed purity classes through the church, she alleges that Robert sent her a photo of Cindy flashing the camera with a text that read, “So … this is what you have to look forward to someday in a healthy, hot marriage [winking emoticon] just wanted to give you a peek of our lives after 21 years.”
Doe 4 allegedly reported the couple to Church for Life “elders,” rather than the church leadership team, partially resulting in the couple’s removal in June 2016.
The Litzingers are denying all charges in both lawsuits, according to defense attorney Paul Greco, who said he’ll be filing a response of pleading in the near future.
“They’ve moved out of the area, and the church needs to move on and should be allowed to grow and flourish,” Greco said, adding that the plaintiffs filed these lawsuits more than a year after the alleged incidents and the Litzingers left the church.
Church for Life could not be reached immediately for comment.
The parties involved in the most recent lawsuit will meet in court again on July 9 for a case management conference.
This article appears in Mar 29 – Apr 5, 2018.
