In Ramirez v. World Mission Society, Church of God, (D NJ, April 1, 2024), plaintiff brought suit in a New Jersey federal district court against various defendants, including a church and its Pastor, for fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence. Plaintiff claims that she was pressured into joining defendant Church, in part through concealment of the identity of the Church's leader. She was further coerced into donating 10% of her income to the church based on misrepresentations that the donations would be used for charitable purposes rather than salaries. The Church indoctrinated its members so that they would work long hours at low pay. It alienated plaintiff from her family and friends, and told members they could not have children which led plaintiff to get an abortion and subsequently attempt suicide. The court dismissed many of the claims because elements were not adequately pleaded. Only a claim against the Church and its Pastor for intentional fraud based on false representations and a claim for negligence against the Church survived defendants' motion to dismiss.
