Case Information
Date of Filing: July 2nd, 2025
State: Maryland
Court: United States District Court for the District of Maryland
Case Number: Case 1:25-cv-02137-BAH
The complaint CH v. Jehovah’s Witnesses Governing Body et al. (Case No. 1:25-cv-02137-BAH) is a civil action filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. The plaintiff, identified as C.H., alleges that members and entities of the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization, including its Governing Body, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., and affiliated local congregations, engaged in or enabled sexual abuse, concealment, and institutional cover-ups.
The complaint asserts that the organization maintained policies that protected abusers, silenced victims, and obstructed law enforcement, creating a systemic pattern of negligence, fraud, and emotional harm. It seeks compensatory and punitive damages for child sexual abuse, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and civil conspiracy, among other claims. The filing also references a broader organizational effort to hide abuse allegations through secrecy protocols, internal judicial committees, and destruction of records.
In essence, the suit alleges a coordinated institutional scheme by Jehovah’s Witness leadership to suppress reports of child sexual abuse and shield perpetrators at the expense of victims’ safety and justice.
