Bishop Eddie Long and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church are close to reaching an out-of-court settlement in a sexual misconduct case, the judge in the case said Friday.
Judge Johnny Panos said mediation between all the parties has been difficult, but that a settlement is close, perhaps even within a few days.
Four men -- Maurice Robinson, Jamal Parris, Anthony Flagg and Spencer LeGrande -- have sued Long, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and the LongFellows Youth Academy, alleging Long coerced them into having sexual relations. The four allege that Long took them on trips and gave them expensive gifts in turn for sexual favors.
“We don’t have anything to comment about the status of the cases,” Art Franklin, a spokesman for Long.
Long has denied the accusations.
B.J. Bernstein, the attorney for the plaintiffs, and the attorneys for Long and New Birth, could not be reached for comment.
Panos characterized the settlement as within "field goal range." If a settlement isn't reached, the case could go to trial this summer.
Panos met with reporters late Friday afternoon to squelch any misinformation, he said. He confirmed that marathon mediation sessions have been taking place, at least one lasting from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. the next morning. He said the sessions, which have been ongoing since early February, have taken place at several locations, including the DeKalb County courthouse.
The mediator in the case is Gino Brogdon, a former Fulton County Superior Court judge, according to Panos. Mediation is alternative to a trial, which can be costly and lengthy. Their outcomes are also uncertain going into proceedings.
At one point, when negotiations reached a stalemate, Panos intervened, calling a meeting to encourage the parties to push through their differences.
When asked if the timing of the settlement held any significance this Holy Week, Panos said resolution and redemption have come into play.
"All these people are Christian people and they need to resolve this," he said.
In later negotiations, "It's been benevolently intense," Panos said, likening the talks to a tennis match, "with a lot of back and forth." At times the parties have been frustrated, even within their own groups.
Panos said that he did not know what was still on the table in the negotiations, which both parties agreed to last fall, and he was not sure that the public will ever know more than what is already known about the case. In mediation, the terms of the settlement, which often include financial considerations, are nearly always kept confidential.
Earlier that day, Long took to the pulpit to address his Lithonia congregation during an early morning Good Friday service. Long spoke on the importance of prayer and emphasized that the Christian message is aimed at sinners.
"There's always somebody going to be yakking at you ... you don't have to answer to anybody but God," Long said. The resurrection "was not for perfect folk ... but for the least, those who thought they failed."
Concluding, Long said, "This ain't going to be no bad Friday for me, it's going to be a Good Friday."
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