What Was the Paul Crouch Scandal?
Paul Crouch allegedly had a homosexual affair with one of his employees at Trinity Broadcasting Network, the Christian-based broadcast television network that Crouch founded in 1973 with Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Crouch eventually reached an out-of-court settlement with the man, whose name is Enoch Lonnie Ford.
Crouch met Ford at a TBN-affiliated drug rehab center, where Ford went for treatment in 1991. Crouch subsequently hired Ford, who alleges he was fired unjustly circa 1998. During the ensuing settlement agreement, rumors about the relationship between Crouch and Ford swirled. Crouch repudiated the rumors, and court papers attest to his denial.
As part of the settlement, Ford agreed to never speak of his allegations against Crouch, an agreement he threatened to renege on in 2003. During the same year, Ford furnished Crouch with a manuscript he intended to publish in which he elucidated the aspects of their relationship.
The matter ended up in arbitration, at which time the arbitrator ruled that the publication of Ford’s manuscript constituted a breech of the secrecy agreement he made with Ford in 1998.
In 2000, author Sylvia Fleener accused Crouch of plagiarism. Fleener sued Crouch for $40 million, but the two settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
Crouch died in November 2013.
