http://s2smagazine.com/stories/2011/10/bishop-eddie-long-wants-refund
Since a few of Eddie Long’s accusers have seemingly decided to violate the terms of their settlement and speak about what really happened between them and their church leader, the pastor is looking to get some of that money back.
The men who initially agreed to keep silent might be rethinking that and questioning whether or not peace of mind is more important than having little pieces of green paper.
Attorneys representing Eddie’s church informed three of the five young men who are accused of breaking their confidentiality agreement that Eddie is seeking to recover funds from the May settlement.
The 58-year-old bishop—though he has continually denied the allegations that he coerced the young men into sexual relationships—previously released a statement regarding the settlement and explaining why he didn’t fight the allegations in court.
According to him, the agreement was made “to bring closure to this matter and to allow us to move forward with the plans God has for this ministry.”
The bishop’s accusers beg to differ.
“I’m going to tell the world — money does not buy you happiness. When you sleep at night, the problems are still there. The money stuff, who cares about the number?” said Spencer LeGrande in August.
“I feel like burning the money.”
A letter sent last week by Atlanta law firm Drew Eckl & Farnham is outlining a “demand for arbitration,” according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
All three — Spencer, Jamal Parris and Centino Kemp — have announced their plans to write a book, with Spencer and Jamal saying they’re even going to collab on a tell-all book revealing the details of their relationships with Long.
Atlanta litigator, Hayden Pace, said that Eddie’s letter could simply be a threat, but the state’s courts take violations of confidentiality agreements seriously. Spencer and Jamal broke their silence by speaking with the media, acknowledging that they were aware of the risk.
No legal documents have been filed yet, but the AJC suspects the total of the settlement to come to at least $1.5 million.