United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV has denied a motion from former-pastor-turned-registered sex offender Duane Youngblood to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed against him and 10 other unidentified individuals by Bishop T.D. Jakes, for alleging Jakes sexually assaulted him when he was a teenager some 40 years ago.
In an 18-page opinion and one-page order filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Stickman denied Youngblood’s special motion to dismiss Jake’s lawsuit pursuant to Pennsylvania’s Anti-SLAPP statute, arguing that it did not apply to Youngblood’s case.
The SLAPP acronym in Pennsylvania’s anti-SLAPP statute stands for Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. It was signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro last July, Bochetto & Lentz notes. The statute allows, among other things, a defendant in a defamation lawsuit to file an early motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that the defamation claim is frivolous.
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Stickman suggested that the arguments raised in Youngblood’s motion to dismiss Jakes’ lawsuit would have been more applicable under Federal Rules of Civil ProcedureRule 12(b)(6), which allows a defendant to move to dismiss a complaint if it doesn’t allege enough facts to support a plausible legal claim.
“The Court will dismiss Youngblood’s motion because it relies on statutory provisions that are not applicable in this litigation. The Court will not reframe Youngblood’s argument to fit within the Rule 12 (b)(6) or Rule 56 framework. If Youngblood wishes to file a motion to dismiss based on Rule 12(b)(6) or Rule 56, he may do so provided that his filing complies with all applicable Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,” Stickman wrote.
Jakes, 67, who founded The Potter’s House megachurch in Dallas, Texas, nearly 30 years ago, filed the defamation lawsuit against Youngblood, 58, last November, a day after suffering a heart attack while preaching. Youngblood claimed in interviews with internet personality Larry Reid on his “Larry Reid Live” show on Oct. 28 and Nov. 3, 2024, that Jakes assaulted him when he was about 18 or 19 years old. Jakes claims Youngblood engaged in “libel per se” and a civil conspiracy to commit defamatory acts.
“The underlying story in this case depicts a carefully planned effort by a convicted criminal, and those acting in concert with him, to rewrite history in order to deflect blame and accountability for his own reprehensible and criminal conduct and to publicly smear a renowned and eminently respected religious leader in a blatant and explicit attempt to extort him for millions of dollars,” lawyers for Jakes wrote in his 20-page lawsuit in which they detailed Youngblood’s history of abusing minors since at least 2002.
Stickman also denied a motion by Youngblood to file a counterclaim against Jakes as “moot” because he did not need the court’s permission to file the counterclaim. Youngblood’s motion to file a counterclaim against Jakes’ son, Jermaine Jakes, was also denied without prejudice. Youngblood alleges that Jermaine Jakes sent him a message on social media on Nov. 3, 2024, warning that “You might be in dangerous territory, Duane…just be careful.”
Youngblood’s attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, did not respond to a request for comment from The Christian Post on Stickman’s order Monday.
In his 167-page motion to dismiss Jakes’ defamation lawsuit filed in January, Youngblood included multiple affidavits supporting his sexual assault claim against Jakes, including one from his older brother, Pastor Richard Edwin Youngblood, who alleges that Jakes attempted to sexually assault him too.
Stickman, in his opinion, noted that Youngblood’s motion to dismiss is based entirely on the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act and there is no mention of Rule 12(b)(6).
“In his motion and supporting brief, Youngblood does not mention Rule 12(b)(6) — the governing rule at this stage of litigation. (Id.). Moreover, Youngblood’s motion is reliant on the summary judgement like standard of §§ 8340.15 and 8340.16. The Court will not reframe Youngblood’s motion as a Rule 12 (b)(6) motion,” Stickman wrote.
“Youngblood relies on sworn affidavits to allegedly corroborate his statements and support his arguments … The Court may not consider documents outside the pleadings under Rule 12(b)(6) (subject to certain exceptions which are not applicable here),” he added.
Stickman further stated that Youngblood’s arguments in his motion to dismiss Jakes’ lawsuit “are fundamentally incompatible with the Rule 12(b)(6) standard.”
“For example, Youngblood argues that Jakes has not presented admissible evidence to prove that Youngblood’s statements were false and made with malice…. Youngblood further contends that Jakes fails to establish by clear and convincing evidence that Youngblood acted with actual malice,” Stickman added in his opinion.
“Youngblood’s motion, based on the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act, fundamentally diverges from the Rule 12(b)(6) standard. At the motion to dismiss stage, Jakes does not have a burden to present admissible evidence,” he added. “Before discovery and trial, Jakes has no obligation to prove any of his claims by clear and convincing evidence. His burden at this stage is merely to allege sufficient facts that, if accepted as true, state a claim for relief plausible on its face.”
On Sunday, just two days after Stickman’s order, Jakes announced that he will hand over the reins of his megachurch to his daughter Sarah Jakes Roberts and son-in-law Touré Roberts.
“I cannot afford, especially after November, to risk something happening to me and you be sheep without a shepherd,” Jakes told his congregants.
“I cannot afford to let all the work of all the saints, living and dead, to hold this so tight so long that I wither away. So I’m suggesting to you, I’m recommending to you, that you receive Pastor Touré and Pastor Sarah,” he said to cheers and applause while noting that the move is a continuation of “legacy.”
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