Wapakoneta Daily News 04/27/00

Martindale out at The Way

By WILLIAM LANEY


The Rev. L. Craig Martindale has resigned as president of The Way International, effective April 20, amid allegations of a sex and abuse scandal.

The organization's board of trustees officially accepted his resignation and appointed new administrators at a recent meeting, according to a press release from The Way. The board deemed "these decisions as progressive for the overall Way International Ministry as well as personally for those trustee members so affected."

During the same meeting, the board elected vice president Rosalie Rivenbark as president and moved to have the Rev. Harve Platig, a ministry regional coordinator, serve as vice president. The Rev. John Reynolds will continue as secretary-treasurer.

Rico Magnelli, The Way public relations coordinator, said the ministry's followers have come to accept the administrative changes and are praying and trying to help the Martindales through the ordeal.

"You have to give it some time, but the response is very good and very supportive of the changes," Magnelli said this morning. "The Rev. L. Craig Martindale and his family will continue to be a vital part of The Way Ministry household. Rev. and Mrs. Martindale will serve in areas of responsibility as re-defined by the board of trustees."

Martindale decided to take a leave of absence from his teaching responsibilities earlier this April after a $2 million civil lawsuit was filed in Shelby County Common Pleas Court alleging sexual misconduct and abuse at the New Knoxville-based religious organization. The suit claims The Way is guilty of breach of contract, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress, fraud in a fiduciary capacity, defamation of character and civil conspiracy. 

The suit claims that Martindale coerced Mrs. Allen, a former member, to have sex with him. Martindale does not deny having a sexual relationship with the woman, but claimed the suit "grossly mischaracterizes the relationship I had with Mrs. Allen, which was mutually consensual."

The suit named Martindale, trustees Rosalie Rivenbark, John Reynolds, Donald Wierwille, Howard Allen, Ramona Bidon and up to 50 other unnamed members of The Way leaderships as defendants. The suit alleges The Way leadership engaged in a "pattern of corrupt activity" including theft, fraud, coercion, assault and rape.

The suit was filed by Cleveland attorney James Bruns and Sherman Oaks, Calif. attorney Lawrence Levy on behalf of The Allens.

The Allens contend the illegal activities occurred during and after their involvement with The Way, located at 5555 Wierwille Road, New Knoxville. The Allens were agents or employees of The Way between 1978 and 1981.

The suit claims Martindale "willfully and with malice" began a campaign to coerce Mrs. Allen into engaging in sexual activity with him. The suit also contends that Martindale, Bidon and others "eventually succeeded in sexually victimizing" Mrs. Allen between 1996 and March 1999.

The suit also claims The Way misused funds of the Allens and defrauded them of money and other things of value. The suit claims The Way leadership defamed the Allens through a "mark and avoid" label and encouraged other members to end their association with them.

Another count claims The Way defrauded the Allens "of money and other things of value, assaulted, tortured and defamed" as a result of a conspiracy.

In an earlier release, Magnelli said there is "no basis for the claims that have been made in the lawsuit," and efforts will be made to "aggressively defend these claims, and will vigorously pursue all legal remedies that we have."