We want to support you as you process the recent news regarding Larry Cleek, Mike Phelps, and Covenant Love Community School (CLCS).
Covenant Love Community School (CLCS) was a Christian school serving the Ithaca, Freeville, and Dryden area since 1970. It was replaced in 2023 by Willow Glen Christian School.
CLC Church initiates an independent investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by Larry Cleek, long-time CLCS teacher, CLC elder, and pastor.
The husband of a long-time CLCS teacher & administrator pleads guilty to sexually abusing their daughter.
GRACE releases their findings after eight months of investigation and interviews with 30 witnesses.
These are hard things to process. Take your time. Everyone is at a different place. We want to support you as best we can.
An unsent November 2023 letter to Larry Cleek from Reporting Victim 1.
An October 2024 letter to the CLC elders and community from Reporting Victim 2.
An October 2024 letter to the CLC elders and Willow Glen School leaders from RV1.
John Hinton was a beloved pastor who sexually abused children for decades before being caught. Now his wife (Clara) and son (Jimmy) work to educate others.
READ/WATCH:
LEARN MORE:
https://jimmyhinton.org/
"In a study of sexual abuse originating in Protestant churches, out of 328 male offenders, 34.9 percent had the title of pastor. We should not just worry about the creepy guy in the back. Successful predators can be in positions of respect in our churches."
RAINN is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. They have resources on how to:
If you think you or someone you love may be a survivor of abuse at CLCS, whether by Larry Cleek, Mike Phelps, or anyone else, you can request a free consultation with GRACE.
Call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 in the US, or live chat at chat.988lifeline.org
We are a diverse team of survivors and advocates. Not all team members are shown to protect the identity of survivors. If you would like to help, please contact us using the form below.
Katie, a 1995 graduate of Covenant Love Community School, comes from a family that was deeply involved in the church for decades. Inspired by her community roots, Katie has joined CLCS Advocates to support survivors of abuse, ensuring they feel heard, believed, and have access to trauma-informed, appropriate resources.
Jill is a former CLCS parent (2014-2020) and member of CLC and its church plant, The Rock, in Ithaca (1999-2005). In January 2024, Jill initiated a petition calling for an independent investigation into the abuse at CLC/CLCS. She continues to learn the importance of speaking up on behalf of others and has joined CLCS Advocates to support and walk with survivors, to listen and to help ensure that their voices are heard.
Andrea worked at Covenant Love Community School from 2007 until 2022 and, with her family, was a member of CLC Church for twenty years. Andrea lived through abuse during her own childhood and has joined CLCS Advocates to help support survivors, giving them a safe place to be heard with compassion and humility.
Ray is a former CLCS parent (1998-2009) and CLC church member (1989-2012). He joined CLCS Advocates to help ensure the voice of every survivor heard, their stories believed and lamented by those important to them, and the devastating harm they suffered and still endure fully acknowledged by the communities that failed to protect them. He is dedicated to encouraging individuals, institutions and leaders to take responsibility for own their failures and proactively exterminate the aspects of the culture that allowed abuse to flourish.
We are an independent team of survivors and advocates who would love to hear from you. Use the form to contact us or send an email to:
clcsadvocates@gmail.com
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