- Oct 17, 2011
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Southwest Missouri boarding school faces 19 lawsuits alleging abuse
The most recent suits include students who attended the school as recently as April 2022 alleging that they experienced physical and emotional abuse while at Agape Boarding School.
In 2021, Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither charged five former Agape employees with 13 low-level "Class E" felonies, which are punishable by no more than four years in prison, according to previous News-Leader reporting.
In March 2022, longtime physician for Agape Boarding School, Dr. David Smock, pleaded not guilty to 12 felony child sex crime charges in Cedar County.
From another story that has naughty words
“At Agapé, we lovingly, patiently, and biblically teach your child the importance of submission to authority and the joys of being an obedient law-abiding citizen,” a soft-spoken voiceover actor says while images of smiling teenagers flash across the screen. “Mom and Dad, we want to support you in your effort to rescue your son from himself.”
But former students interviewed by The Daily Beast say the school was far from heavenly. Instead, they encountered a climate more like Lord of the Flies, where staff were given free rein to restrain and beat students, and where some kids were emotionally and sexually abused. They claim Agapé has functioned like a “cult” and “Christian torture compound” for decades, allowing adults to manhandle teenagers and withhold food, water, and proper clothing—apparently without most parents ever knowing.
Such accusations led to the arrest of the school’s ex-doctor, David Smock, who faces child molestation charges related to two alleged victims. He has pleaded not guilty. At a March hearing, one 16-year-old testified that Smock began abusing him when he was 13 and grooming him when he was 9 or 10, according to The Kansas City Star, which has extensively investigated claims against Agapé.
The most recent suits include students who attended the school as recently as April 2022 alleging that they experienced physical and emotional abuse while at Agape Boarding School.
In 2021, Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither charged five former Agape employees with 13 low-level "Class E" felonies, which are punishable by no more than four years in prison, according to previous News-Leader reporting.
In March 2022, longtime physician for Agape Boarding School, Dr. David Smock, pleaded not guilty to 12 felony child sex crime charges in Cedar County.
From another story that has naughty words
“At Agapé, we lovingly, patiently, and biblically teach your child the importance of submission to authority and the joys of being an obedient law-abiding citizen,” a soft-spoken voiceover actor says while images of smiling teenagers flash across the screen. “Mom and Dad, we want to support you in your effort to rescue your son from himself.”
But former students interviewed by The Daily Beast say the school was far from heavenly. Instead, they encountered a climate more like Lord of the Flies, where staff were given free rein to restrain and beat students, and where some kids were emotionally and sexually abused. They claim Agapé has functioned like a “cult” and “Christian torture compound” for decades, allowing adults to manhandle teenagers and withhold food, water, and proper clothing—apparently without most parents ever knowing.
Such accusations led to the arrest of the school’s ex-doctor, David Smock, who faces child molestation charges related to two alleged victims. He has pleaded not guilty. At a March hearing, one 16-year-old testified that Smock began abusing him when he was 13 and grooming him when he was 9 or 10, according to The Kansas City Star, which has extensively investigated claims against Agapé.
