31 Mar Salvation Army Press Release
March 31, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Ellis Roberts – 843-277-6655
ellis@mcleod-lawgroup.com
Press Release Issued by McLeod Law Group on Behalf of Mother and Father Doe
CHARLESTON, SC – On March 20, 2017, McLeod Law Group filed a civil lawsuit in the matter of Jane Doe, a minor under the age of eleven years old, by her parents, Mother and Father Doe, vs. The Salvation Army; The Salvation Army Southern Territory, A Georgia Corporation; Thomas Louden; Mabel Shuler; Thomas Richmond; and Christopher Thornhill.
Following the filing, the Salvation Army, its officers, and employees issued a public statement which in part read as follows: “From the moment The Salvation Army heard the allegation, our first priority has been the care and well-being of those affected and their families,” and “Upon hearing the report, the Salvation Army corps officer immediately contacted law enforcement and encouraged the family to seek medical attention at the local hospital.”
While neither the McLeod Law Group nor the Peper Law Firm are in a position to comment on what could be disputed facts in the lawsuit, the family does have the right to issue this release through their attorneys and are doing so in an attempt to correct what Mother and Father Doe believe to be incorrect public statements.
Per Mother and Father Doe, these public statements by the Salvation Army were a slap in their face because they were incorrect, self-serving, misleading, and did a disservice to an innocent child. Mother and Father Doe were in hopes the Salvation Army would voluntarily retract these public comments. Because it has been over one week and the Salvation Army has not voluntarily retracted these public comments, Mother and Father Doe request the following:
Mother Doe:
“I am shocked and upset that The Salvation Army has failed to retract their news release of last week, especially since it contained so many incorrect statements. For one, contrary to their statement, I personally made the call to 911 to report what my daughter had told me on October 18, 2015. Further, it is not true that they immediately banned the employees that did this to my daughter. They only did so several days later, after my daughter expressed concern about other children being assaulted. Finally, they claim that, ‘our first priority has been the care and well-being of those affected and their families,’ but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Instead of helping us, they turned their back on us. They simply don’t care what happened to my daughter and refuse to be held accountable, which is why I filed a lawsuit on her behalf. Only when they are forced to be held accountable for their actions will justice be served. The Salvation Army should be ashamed of themselves, and immediately retract their statement.”
Father Doe:
“Once we reported that our daughter had been sexually assaulted for the last 5 years at The Salvation Army, I ran into Major Tom Richmond and told him he needed to call my wife. To this day, he has not reached out to her. Their statement says they encouraged us to do something, when in fact, they have never spoken to us. They should immediately retract their statement.”