MorningStar Sex Abuse Lawsuits: Court Hearing Set

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One of South Carolina’s highest-profile church sex abuse scandals will have another day in court next month.

Motions in two of the five lawsuits filed against Fort Mill, S.C.-based MorningStar Ministries will be heard in open court in York County come June. Next month’s roster includes hearings on motions filed by Morningstar attorneys seeking to dismiss lawsuits brought against the church by John Doe 4 and Jane Doe 5 — and a motion to proceed anonymously filed by attorneys representing Jane Doe 5.

Recent filings in these two cases have pulled back the curtain even further on what plaintiffs have alleged is a deeply entrenched culture of sexual misconduct, institutional negligence, spiritual manipulation and the conspiratorial silencing of victims at one of South Carolina’s largest congregations.

The history of MorningStar’s headquarters reads like a who’s who of scandal-scarred religious leaders. Throughout the 1980s, the property on which the ministry now sits was known as Heritage USA – a Christian theme park founded by James Bakker and Tammy Faye Bakker. The Bakkers’ PTL televangelism network had big plans for the development – until Bakker was indicted for diverting millions of dollars of the religious organization’s funds for personal use.

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In response to the Bakkers’ very public fall from grace in 1987, Reginald Wayne Miller – founder of Gloryland in Florence, S.C. (and father of embattled Myrtle Beach, S.C. pastor John-Paul Miller) – emerged in the national discussion and ambitiously hoped to take over the operation. But, Miller’s efforts were thwarted when James Bakker instead chose Jerry Falwell – a prominent Baptist preacher – as his successor. Despite raising millions to salvage the enterprise, Falwell was unable to right the sinking ship and eventually the land was sold to MorningStar in 2004.  

“The buildings are in considerable disrepair and it will be a long, hard, expensive job to restore them,” church founder Rick Joyner noted at the time. “However, worse than the condition of the buildings is the stigma and reproach that is on them. Our goal is to completely restore the buildings to better than new condition, along with their reputation. We believe this property, which was used to bring humiliation and reproach to the worldwide body of Christ, is called to become a testimony of God’s heart for redemption and restoration.”

“We want to be a ministry that does not compromise the biblical standards of integrity and morality in which we are called to walk,” Joyner added.

Despite these bold pronouncements, the ministry currently faces a total of five civil cases alleging the sexual abuse of minors participating in its programs – and a conspiracy among church leaders to cover up these alleged offenses. According to the plaintiffs in all five cases, throughout MorningStar’s presence in South Carolina, the organization’s leaders were aware that minors in their care “were being sexually assaulted and harassed.”

The reaction has always been the same, according to the court filings. Church leadership “concluded the victims were at least partially at fault for the harms done to them” and then “victims were advised not to report the crimes against them to police or anyone else.”

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YOUTH SPECIAL FORCES

John Doe 4 was a participant in MorningStar’s Youth Special Forces (YSF), a faith-based leadership program that used military iconography to appeal to teen and tween boys. The program was led by volunteer Erickson Lee – a U.S. Marine and North Carolina police officer who in 2024 pleaded guilty to multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor, first-degree assault and battery and dissemination of obscene material to a minor.

As a result of those charges, Lee is serving a nine-year prison sentence at an undisclosed facility in the S.C. Department of Corrections (SCDC) system.

According to prosecutors, Lee engaged in a pattern of grooming which began with supplying boys in the program with vapes, alcohol and pornography. After acclimating them to these prohibited items and behaviors, he would isolate them and sexually abuse them.

MorningStar leaders were accused of failing to prevent – and failing to report – Lee’s abuse. Defendants named in the lawsuits include Lee; Joyner; YSF volunteer Chase Portello (also a U.S. Marine and current deputy in Rowan County, N.C.); church leader David Yarnes; and the ministry’s former head of security, Douglas Lee (Erickson Lee’s father).

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One of the recent filings in the John Doe 4 case was Portello’s answer to the complaint – which accused him of shielding Erickson Lee and discouraging the minor boys from reporting the abuse they endured. In that response(.pdf), Portello issued a sweeping denial, asserting he had no knowledge of – or involvement in – the alleged abuse. The 20-page filing – submitted on April 22, 2025 – differed from a two-page answer Portello previously submitted in the John Doe 3 case, which was filed on December 6, 2025. In contrast to his earlier filing, Portello offered additional insight into his role as a volunteer with Youth Special Forces – and demanded information about the investigation into the violations committed by Erickson Lee.

“(Portello) craves reference to the criminal record, proceedings, indictments, and plea colloquy of Erickson Lee for an accounting of Mr. Lee’s actions,” the answer stated.

Portello further asserted that he is entitled to “contribution and indemnity” – or financial compensation and freedom from liability – from other potentially responsible parties. His legal team has asked the court to dismiss the complaint with prejudice or, alternatively, to enter judgment in his favor.

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MORNINGSTAR’S ECCLESIASTICAL DEFENSE

MorningStar’s attorneys are seeking dismissal of both lawsuits filed against the religious organization and its leaders – but not the complaints against Lee and Portello. They contend plaintiffs failed to meet legal thresholds for outrage — or intentional emotional distress — conspiracy and negligence. They also questioned whether the church could be held liable for the actions of a volunteer – or whether civil courts have authority over matters of “ecclesiastical” governance.

“Where a civil court is presented an issue which is a question of religious law or doctrine masquerading as a civil dispute… it must defer to the decisions of the proper church judicatories in so far as it concerns religious or doctrinal issues,” MorningStar attorneys argued.

However, attorneys for the plaintiffs argued that protecting children from sexual assault is not a matter of religious doctrine – and therefore cannot be shielded by constitutional immunity.

“During a YSF event in spring 2020, Erickson Lee served John Doe 4 alcohol and encouraged him to swim naked in the pool at the home where Erickson Lee resided,” according to the plaintiff’s memo in opposition.

“Between the years of 2021 to 2023, there were multiple YSF ‘meetings’ which included overnight stays during which Erickson Lee sexually abused John Doe 4,” the memo (.pdf) continued. “Erickson Lee’s misconduct allegedly continued unabated by defendants until January 2023 when he was asked to resign as YSF leader after sexually explicit messages with another YSF participant came to light. Even then, Erickson Lee and his assistant Chase Portello continued to harm his victims. They sent the boys threatening notes and text messages in an effort to keep the full scale of their misconduct from being discovered by police.”

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MORNINGSTAR’S PRIVATE SCHOOL

Two additional matters are scheduled for the June 13 hearing – both related to the lawsuit filed by Jane Doe 5. The plaintiff in that case is a former student of the Comenius School for Creative Leadership – a private school operated by MorningStar. Her complaint alleged five years of unchecked sexual harassment and assault by fellow students — abuse she claimed began when she was in seventh grade.

Portello and Erickson Lee were not named as defendants in this case. However, Comenius principal Sandra Woods is, along with MorningStar leaders Joyner, Yarnes, and Douglas Lee. Unlike the other four John Doe lawsuits that involved Youth Special Forces – a volunteer-run program – Woods was an employee of the ministry.

The case filings described a miserable situation. Jane Doe 5 alleged a series of sexual assaults and harassment by fellow students at school that went unaddressed by the school administration.

“Once during an art class, a classmate forcibly placed Jane Doe 5’s hand on his penis,” one filing (.pdf) noted. “Another classmate tried to forcibly kiss Jane Doe 5. On other occasions, Jane Doe 5 was subjected to lewd gestures by one male classmate and received unsolicited nude photographs from another. Jane Doe 5 was propositioned for sex by a classmate after that same classmate cornered her in the school’s hallway.”

Jane Doe 5 came to feel so unsafe at school that she had a female classmate accompany her to the restroom for fear of what might happen if she went alone.

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According to the complaint, when the harassment that plagued Jane Doe 5 was reported to the school administration, Woods blamed the girl for failing to maintain her “purity,” discouraged reporting the incidents to law enforcement and made a subsequent meeting about the abuse “as traumatic and dismissive as possible” before ultimately ignoring the girl altogether.

Woods’ response as described in the plaintiff’s filing is alleged to have been consistent with Joyner’s example and his broader pattern of behavior – restoring abusers to ministry and giving predators a platform while accusing female victims of having a “Jezebel spirit” that incites the lust of their attackers.

Joyner’s alleged mishandling of decades of abuse is the subject of a petition signed by more than 600 individuals – most having current or former ties to MorningStar. Petitioners are calling for Joyner’s removal, an audit of the board, an audit of policies aimed at protecting children and an independent investigation into decades of alleged abuse.

“We believe it is this corrupt and toxic leadership culture that enabled various forms of abuse to take place, including a child predator being able to abuse children for years,” the petition noted.

In response, Joyner has called the petitioners wolves and flies whose purpose is only to provoke division and sow fear and paranoia within the church.

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VICTIM ANONYMITY

In a motion to dismiss submitted last month, attorneys for the defendants argued Jane Doe 5 did not follow proper procedure for filing her complaint anonymously. They asked the court to dismiss the case on procedural grounds without addressing the substance of the allegations — citing lack of jurisdiction.

“Because the Plaintiffs have not divulged their identity as required by Rule 10(a), SCRCP, or received the court’s permission to proceed anonymously, the court lacks jurisdiction over them,” the motion stated.

In response, Doe’s attorneys filed a motion seeking permission to proceed anonymously. In the filing (.pdf), they emphasized the need to protect Jane Doe 5’s privacy, avoid further trauma and encourage other victims to come forward. Their filing cited South Carolina law and Fourth Circuit precedent – both of which supported confidentiality in cases involving the sexual abuse of minors.

All three motions are scheduled for a hearing on June 13, 2025 before S.C. circuit court judge William McKinnon.

Count on FITSNews to continue tracking all relevant filings and hearings related to this case as it moves forward…

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Callie Lyons is a relentless investigative journalist, researcher, and author known for exposing hard truths with heart and precision. As a journalist for FITSNews, she dives into high-profile and murky cases—like that of Mica Francis Miller— with fearless resolve and a sharp eye for detail, whether it’s tracking white-collar crime, uncovering religious abuse, or examining the often-bizarre behavior of those who believe they’re above the law.

Callie made waves with her groundbreaking 2007 book Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal, the first to reveal the dangers of forever chemicals, a story that helped inspire the film Dark Waters and influenced global scientific dialogue. Her work has appeared in numerous documentaries, including Toxic Soup, National Geographic’s Parched: Toxic Waters, and more recently Citizen Sleuth, which examines the complexities of true crime podcasting.

Whether she’s navigating environmental disasters or the darker corners of society, Lyons operates with one guiding belief: “Truth never damages a cause that is just.”

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