LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — This week, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders called for the resignation of Arkansas Board of Corrections member Alonza Jiles after he was named a member in a lawsuit of alleged sexual abuse at The Lord's Ranch, a now defunct youth facility.
Gov. Sanders urged for Jiles' resignation on Thursday, calling the allegations against him "concerning" and stating that she believes Jiles is a distraction to the Board of Corrections.
“The accusations against Alonza Jiles are concerning and a distraction from his work and the work of the Board of Corrections," Gov. Sanders said. "I am calling on Mr. Jiles to resign from his post and allow our state to fully focus on improving community safety and ending the revolving door in our prisons.”
According to court documents, Jiles and other former employees are being accused of knowing about abuse that was taking place by Emmett Presley, a lead counselor at The Lord's Ranch — the lawsuit alleges that the former employees knew about the abuse but refused to step in and prevent it.
The lawsuit indicates that Jiles is being accused of knowing about abuse that Presley was committing at the facility, and that Jiles himself is not being accused of abuse.
Following the governor's call for his resignation, Jiles addressed the public and pushed back against claims that he knew of abuse that was taking place at The Lord's Ranch.
“I have been asked repeatedly by the media and politicians to comment on the lawsuits involving the Lord’s Ranch in which I am named as a defendant," Jiles said in a statement. "The allegations against me are false. I was not aware of, nor did I participate in any child abuse. I did not preside over a wedding of any minor at the Lord’s Ranch. I have kept silent about this on the advice of counsel and because these lawsuits are pending."
The governor's call for Jiles to resign comes after an initial lawsuit was filed in Nov. 2023 detailing accusations of sexual abuse by Presley at The Lord's Ranch.
Presley oversaw the psychological treatment provided to the children who were there, which he reportedly used to "prey upon countless patients."
The initial lawsuit named The Lord's Ranch, related entities, Emmett Presley, former executive director Ted Suhl, and other former staff members, including Board of Corrections member Alonza Jiles.
In the time since, a second lawsuit was filed in Jan. of 2024, where eight men alleged that they were "repeatedly subjected to horrific sexual, psychological, and physical abuse" while they were children at the Christian-based religious camp.
Following the filing of the second lawsuit, the total number of victims at The Lord's Ranch is now at 16.
The legal team representing the victims named in the lawsuit backed Gov. Sanders' call for Jiles' resignation, saying that they "fully support [Gov. Sanders'] insistence."
"Jiles is named as a defendant in our multiple civil complaints on behalf of multiple survivors of sexual abuse, which detail Jiles' knowledge of repeated incidents of sexual abuse of teenagers by counselor Emmett Presley and his cover-up of this abuse," said Stephan D. Blandin of Gillispie Law Firm. "[Jiles] fully ignored his responsibility as both a staff member of this residential youth facility and as a decent human being."
Blandin goes on to state that he believes "Jiles knowledge of repeated incidents" makes him unfit to serve a role in public service.
"We are dedicated to holding [Jiles] accountable for his actions and strongly believe Alonza Jiles has no role in public service,” Blandin said.
There are five federal civil lawsuits involving 52 former campers, all listed as either John or Jane Doe. This comes after Arkansas legislators recently expanded the window for sexual abuse claims to be reported.