SAN JOSE — A former Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints member claims he faced years of sexual abuse as a child and young adult from a church leader.
C.N. filed a complaint Jan. 5 in the Superior Court of California for the County of Santa Clara against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and Phil Stewart, alleging negligence and childhood sexual abuse.
The plaintiff was a member of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and belonged to the Lawrence Station Ward and Los Altos Stake, according to his complaint. He alleges that in the Fall of 2000, a second counselor to Bishop Stewart, "John Zoe," began asking him to assist him and work out of Zoe's home office and started escorting him alone to church services.
The plaintiff claims that was the beginning of Zoe's efforts to "groom" him for "his future sexual advances" and that the church leaders knew Zoe was spending repeated one-on-one time with him from eighth grade through high school. He claims during that time, Zoe "performed lewd and lascivious acts" on him and that once Zoe admitted to the abuse, the defendants failed to report the abuse to law enforcement or notify his parents.
The plaintiff seeks monetary relief, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. He is represented by B. Robert Allard and Mark Boskovich of Corsiglia McMahon & Allard LLP in San Jose.
Superior Court of California for the County of Santa Clara case number 21CV375894