ST. LOUIS 鈥 The president of ThriVe St. 亚洲无码, a taxpayer-supported pregnancy resource center, is ignoring calls for her ouster. Instead, Bridget VanMeans and ThriVe have filed a defamation lawsuit against a St. Charles County couple whose complaints about her leadership have prompted some longtime supporters, including area churches, to cut ties with the organization.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in St. Charles County Circuit Court, accuses Aaron and Tricia Leu of 鈥渃ausing severe and potentially irreparable damage to ThriVe, with false and defamatory charges of financial impropriety, mismanagement, fiduciary neglect, and unethical and abusive behavior.鈥 It seeks damages of at least $75,000.
In May, the Leus sent letters to ThriVe board members that outlined what they alleged were years of emotional and spiritual abuse by VanMeans, 60. The Leus accused VanMeans, who has led the anti-abortion Christian nonprofit since 2009, of traumatizing their family and encouraging the couple to separate and almost divorce.
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The 30-page lawsuit, however, challenges the Leus鈥 version of events and accuses them of spreading 鈥渓ies鈥 that 鈥渇ueled a smear campaign.鈥 That campaign, the lawsuit says, included 鈥渇ormer employees who had axes to grind with Ms. VanMeans鈥 and local church leaders who sought to 鈥渄efame and impugn鈥 VanMeans and force her termination.
The targets of the lawsuit, Tricia and Aaron Leu, insist they still support ThriVe鈥檚 mission, just not its leader.
Tricia, a former sex worker, was supported by the ThriVe during the birth of her first child in 2008, then became an ambassador for the organization, making appearances on its behalf in local media and other events. In 2011, she married Aaron Leu, and they settled in Lancaster, Ohio. The couple and their children returned to St. 亚洲无码 in 2021 at VanMeans鈥 invitation; and Aaron became a ThriVe employee. He resigned the following year.
The Leus, along with 17 other current and former employees, recently described to the Post-Dispatch what they called a hostile work environment at ThriVe, where they said VanMeans used intimidation and public humiliation to control employees. They described a workplace with high turnover and vacant positions. They alleged money was wasted on lavish gifts for donors and outings for upper management, an allegation disputed by ThriVe鈥檚 attorney, Michael Quinlan.
The Leus also shared in detail how after months of what they called grooming, VanMeans came to control every aspect of their personal lives, orchestrated them to separate and almost divorce, which left them and their five children traumatized.
The Leus and the other employees say they decided to share their stories publicly after they said ThriVe鈥檚 board of directors refused to investigate their allegations. They turned to their church pastors, several of whom have also asked ThriVe鈥檚 board to independently investigate VanMeans and grant current employees confidentiality. The board still refused, however, prompting six churches to announce they were dropping their support and funding for ThriVe.
But in their lawsuit, ThriVe and VanMeans allege that the Leus 鈥渕anipulated鈥 former and current ThriVe employees with 鈥渢heir fabricated tale.鈥 The lawsuit describes the other employees joining them as 鈥渄isgruntled.鈥
The lawsuit claims that Aaron Leu is retaliating against VanMeans for having the couple reported to child protective services 鈥渄ue to their child neglect and abuse.鈥 The abuse, the lawsuit alleges, includes denying medical care to their child with Down Syndrome, failing to properly homeschool their children and ignoring the sexual assault of one of their children by a family member.
Further, the lawsuit suggests Aaron Leu is blaming VanMeans for his family鈥檚 dysfunction, which the lawsuit claims is the result of his following of a 鈥淛ewish Roots鈥 religious sect which requires extreme dietary restrictions, refusing medical interventions and mandatory homeschooling.
The lawsuit paints Tricia Leu as desperate for VanMeans鈥 help in helping her separate from Aaron, and only getting back together with him because of money.
Because of the Leus鈥 story, the lawsuit claims, disgruntled employees and their pastors sought to remove VanMeans as president. This group went public, the lawsuit alleges, before giving VanMeans an opportunity to respond to their allegations, causing a drop in donors.
鈥淒efendants knowingly, intentionally and deliberately induced these supporters by malicious deceit, to break and abandon their support relationships with ThriVe,鈥 the lawsuit states.
Aaron and Tricia Leu on Wednesday told the Post-Dispatch the lawsuit鈥檚 claims about child abuse are false and the characterizations of their religious beliefs are exaggerated. The lawsuit includes much of the same hurtful ideas VanMeans used to try and paint Aaron as a bad father and husband, they say.
鈥淪he is attempting to continue the narrative that she was constantly trying to convince me of when I was in relationship with her,鈥 Tricia said. 鈥淪he attempted to portray me as a victim of my husband, being controlled and abused by him and not able to stand up for myself.鈥
The Rev. Wes Martin, pastor at Grace Church St. 亚洲无码, said the church鈥檚 pastoral team did not ask for VanMeans鈥 removal, but only an independent investigation, which the board refused to do. Martin also refutes the idea that the church鈥檚 actions were driven by the Leus鈥 story.
鈥淥ur appeal to the board to independently investigate was well beyond the Leus as the allegations against (VanMeans) were also from several of our church members,鈥 Martin said.
The public dispute appears to be affecting ThriVe鈥檚 operations. The staff has dropped to 38 from nearly 60, and the organization is struggling to keep all four of its St. 亚洲无码-area centers open, current employees say. ThriVe鈥檚 major annual fundraiser, originally planned for Oct. 5, was recently rescheduled for Nov. 26.
Meanwhile, a group of donors, employees, church leaders and former board members say they have been meeting in an effort to restore ThriVe鈥檚 reputation and ability to provide services.
The group sent a letter last week, anonymously signed by 27 of ThriVe鈥檚 remaining employees due to fear of retaliation, saying that ThriVe is in a 鈥渇inancial free-fall.鈥 The letter called for the immediate removal of VanMeans and an expansion of the board, which is down to only three members.
鈥淯nless immediate action is taken, ThriVe will no longer be able to serve the women, children, and families in our region, and ThriVe will close its doors for the last time,鈥 read the letter, a copy of which was provided to the Post-Dispatch.
鈥淢any of us feel that we will not be able to work here much longer under current conditions.鈥
The letter requested a response by Friday, but group members say they have received no response.
Two former ThriVe board members and longtime donors, Mark Keeven, 69, of O鈥橣allon, Missouri, and Bill Ziercher, 65, of Weldon Spring, are critical of the organization鈥檚 current leadership.
Keeven and Ziercher say Craig Weber, chairman of the ThriVe board, and the other board members have turned down repeated requests to meet to discuss concerns they鈥檝e heard themselves from employees.
鈥淗e has really abdicated his responsibility to really evaluate the organization, abdicated his responsibilities to fill out the board,鈥 Ziercher said about Weber.
Weber did not respond before deadline to the Post-Dispatch鈥檚 request for comment.
The former board members say the Leus鈥 allegations are not what has caused ThriVe鈥檚 current plight.
鈥淭he Leus鈥 situation is really symptomatic of the underlying issues鈥 of toxic leadership, Zierech said. 鈥淭he Leus being used the way they are being used is heinous.鈥