CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Trustees of a Virginia church are suing city officials they say defamed the organization when talking about allegations of abuse against employees.
The Virginian-Pilot reports a Chesapeake social worker last year determined abuse allegations at the Deep Creek United Methodist Church were founded. But the city attorney's office reversed that ruling weeks later, saying the allegation actually were unsubstantiated.
The lawsuit by trustees says enrollment in its childcare program was halved by the allegations and its congregation has shrunk. An attorney for church trustees says the lawsuit is the only way to repair the church's reputation.
