Grace Community Church of the Valley, the Sun Valley-based church tied to The Master’s University in Placerita Canyon, is being sued by a former member who claims the church threatened her, intentionally violated her privacy and inflicted emotional distress.
An attorney for Lorraine Zielinski filed the lawsuit July 3, claiming the church violated her rights under the Tom Bane Civil Rights Act, a civil code in California that forbids people from interfering with a person’s constitutional rights by force or threat of violence.
The lawsuit also alleges that the marriage counselors at Grace Community Church breached her confidentiality, portrayed her in a false light and made a public disclosure of private facts.
A representative for Grace Community Church reached by phone Thursday indicated that Pastor John MacArthur, the leader of the congregation, has been ill for some time and was not available. She declined to give her name or anyone else in the church’s leadership who might be able to comment on the matter, but she did say the lawsuit was still under review.
MacArthur also is the chancellor of TMU. Phone and email messages to TMU’s communications department were not returned Thursday.
Shounak Dharap, Zielinski’s attorney, was not available to speak as of this story’s publication.
The lawsuit
Zielinski alleged she started seeing the counselors for Grace Community Church in April 2022, regarding problems with her marriage.
“Over the course of the counseling, and at the urging of GCC’s counselors, (Zielinksi) disclosed sensitive personal, marital and confidential medical information,” believing the information would remain confidential, according to the complaint.
She said she described instances of domestic violence involving her husband at the time, as well as her fears about her living situation and concerns she had about her child.
“GCC counselors shared plaintiff’s confidential communications with plaintiff’s husband,” according to the complaint. “GCC counselors used the information shared by plaintiff to coach plaintiff’s husband on how to approach plaintiff to prevent her from pursuing a separation or divorce.”
In the complaint, Zielinski states that she continued to work with the counselors “even after it became apparent to plaintiff that GCC was ignoring legitimate concerns for her welfare and safety.”
She alleges she was continually pressured to stay in a relationship that was becoming increasingly worrisome for her.
“The perspective of GCC’s counselors was that plaintiff was at fault for the marital issues and that she should take steps to submit to her husband as the leader of the relationship,” according to the complaint, which also states her request for a new counselor was denied. “Plaintiff felt unable to have her legitimate concerns heard or considered.”
Eventually, one of the pastors suggested she resign from the church, according to the complaint: She sent a letter to the church saying that she was leaving on Dec. 3. She also then sought to separate from her husband.
However, according to her lawsuit, that’s when the threats began, and she was told she wasn’t allowed to leave and “ostracized from the fellowship,” a process spelled out in the church’s online teachings.
“Jesus’ use of these terms doesn’t mean that the church is to treat these people badly. It simply means that when a professing believer refuses to repent, the church is to treat him as if he were outside of the fellowship,” according to the church’s website.
Zielinski alleges her treatment went beyond keeping her from “the benefits of the Christian Assembly,” as the site states.
“The GCC pastor told plaintiff she was required to attend a meeting with GCC leadership to discuss her marriage, and if she did not attend, GCC would publicly share the private information she had shared during counseling with the entire GCC membership. The purpose of this meeting was to ensure she remained with her husband — even though GCC knew about plaintiff’s reports of physical abuse,” according to the lawsuit.
Zielinski’s suit states the church made good on its threat when she didn’t attend the meeting.
“GCC also misrepresented parts of these communications, painting plaintiff as a bad actor in the marriage and the party at fault for the marital dispute,” according to the lawsuit, which claims the information was sent to GCC membership with a directive to membership to pressure her to stop trying to separate from her husband. “GCC also omitted plaintiff’s husband’s desire to remarry and dissolve the marriage.”
Zielinski alleges the church’s conduct, “and the emotional distress and stress caused by the conduct — severely exacerbated plaintiff’s neurological condition, causing permanent physical harm.”
Through the church, TMU has been planning an aggressive expansion in Placerita Canyon which has been discussed for months by the city of Santa Clarita’s Development Review Committee.
The moves have been supported by the Santa Clarita City Council but caused consternation among Placerita Canyon residents who have complained that their equestrian lifestyle and special standards district are being threatened by the university’s expansion.
“The applicant, Grace Community Church Real Estate, is proposing to expand The Master’s University to include five buildings totaling approximately 112,293 square feet on a 10-acre site comprised of six parcels located at 22040 Placeritos Boulevard,” according to a March discussion of the city’s DRC. “The proposed development will be mixed-use for academic, administrative, athletic and spiritual purposes. The development also includes an athletic field. The project site is located within the Placerita Canyon Special Standard Districts. Three parcels are located within the Flood Zone, while four of the parcels are within the Very High Fire Zone.”
