A family-owned Christian TV community has been engulfed in a really public and bitter scandal round allegations of intercourse abuse in opposition to one in all its workers, The Submit has discovered.
Former Daystar TV host Jonathan Lamb and his spouse Suzy say they reported a member of the family who labored alongside them for alleged sexual assault of their then-five-year-old daughter in 2021, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.
The corporate — one of many world’s largest Christian TV networks, which has roughly 100 channels and is run by Jonathan’s mother, CEO Joni Lamb — say they investigated the claims internally and located no proof of wrongdoing.
Additionally they level out the allegation, first reported by unbiased journalist Julie Roys, grew to become public solely days after Joni had fired Jonathan from the Bedford-based community earlier in November.
Joni additionally accused Jonathan in a public assertion of participating in a “failed energy battle” to achieve management of the corporate after being “extraordinarily dissatisfied” she was chosen as successor by her husband, Marcus, earlier than he died in 2021.
Jonathan and Suzy, his former co-host on the present “The Inexperienced Room,” first reported allegations of abuse in opposition to their daughter to Colleyville Police in Texas in 2020.
In line with the division, the case was closed that very same yr however subsequently re-opened this February when “extra particulars from the identical incident have been reported to the division.”
A spokesperson for Colleyville Police instructed The Submit they couldn’t launch additional data as it’s an open investigation. No costs in opposition to anybody have been introduced right now.
Jonathan and Suzy declare after their preliminary grievance was made, one other alleged incident involving their daughter occurred, however once they instructed Joni and Marcus, they dissuaded them from reporting it to the police.
“I trusted [Joni] on the time … nevertheless it was a cover-up to guard Daystar and [other family members],” Suzy claimed in an interview with The Submit.
Joni vehemently denies all allegations of a cover-up or dissuading her son and daughter-in-law from going to the police, saying they’re “utterly false”.
Suzy stopped working for Daystar in 2023.
That very same yr, Jonathan says he refused to signal a non-disclosure settlement (NDA) from the corporate, which is price about one billion {dollars}, employs about 300 workers and turns over roughly $100 million yearly, he instructed The Submit.
In line with Jonathan he was demoted from vice chairman to supervisor and positioned on a private enchancment plan and went from being an on-screen persona to working the corporate café.
“They have been putting me on this place as a type of punishment for not agreeing to their calls for of signing the NDA,” Lamb instructed the Dallas Morning Information.
Daystar identified an NDA is an business commonplace doc they require all staff to signal. NDAs don’t cease or intervene with any particular person reporting against the law to authorities.
Jonathan was then fired in November for not assembly the phrases of his enchancment plan, together with “insubordination” and “failure to indicate management,” amongst different causes cited in an announcement Daystar despatched to The Submit.
In her assertion, Joni added: “As a mom and grandmother, this case saddens me deeply, and it grieves my coronary heart, as a result of I really like my household. I really like all of my youngsters and grandchildren.
“I really like the work we’ve executed collectively for thus a few years. I had hoped we may have resolved this case in personal, however now he has given me no selection besides to talk out.”
Each Jonathan and Suzy have made quite a few allegations in opposition to Daystar on their social media channels since final week.
“The explanation we’re going public is as a result of we waited for a really very long time for (Joni) to do the precise factor. It was minimized and pushed away,” Suzy instructed The Submit.
She additionally mentioned she and her husband have troves of proof to assist their claims.
Daystar have mentioned even after the alleged incidents came about, each Jonathan and Suzy continued to fraternize with and preserve a relationship with the particular person they accused of molesting their daughter.
The couple instructed Julie Roys that they had been on one trip the place the particular person in query was current in 2022, however mentioned they felt pressured by Joni to take action.
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