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1094: Faith Academy

Faith Academy is a private Christian K-12 school in Mobile, Alabama. They use the Abeka curriculum which is notorious for its white nationalist approach to history and its promotion of creationism. This is the school where sexual predator Jonathan Sauers worked.

The age of consent in Alabama is sixteen so the Sauers was not charged with rape or sexual abuse. Instead the charge was for a teacher-student relationship when the student is less younger than nineteen.

After Sauer was arrested, the girl was told she could not play softball unless she signed a waiver agreeing to hold the school harmless in regard to the incident with Sauers. This was particularly damaging as she is a strong player who hoped to secure a sports scholarship.

Her father filed an injunction. He alleged the school is trying to force her to leave the school. The school’s lawyers deny it and threatened her attorneys, calling it a conspiracy theory.

Finally, they came to agreement that allows the girl to play softball without waiving her legal rights. However, she also isn’t allowed back on campus, having to finish the school year working from home.

He was the adult. She was still a child, but the school insists on punishing her. Certainly no student who is abused by a teacher in the future will feel safe coming forward and reporting it as she risks being forced into “digital learning.”

abama student victim of alleged sexual abuse - al.com (AL) - April 4, 2023 - page 1
April 4, 2023 | al.com (AL) | William Thornton; wthornton@al.com
The father of a Faith Academy student who is the alleged victim in a sexual abuse case has filed a restraining
order against the school, claiming she was prevented from playing on the school softball team.
A complaint was filed Monday in Mobile County Circuit Court against the school, arguing that she be
reinstated.
Former Faith Academy coach and science teacher Jonathan Sauers was arrested last month after a 16-yearold
girl told police and her parents about a sexual relationship, which she said was consensual.
According to court documents, Sauers agreed to be interrogated without a lawyer present and confessed to
having sexual intercourse and sexual contact with the student. He was arrested and released after posting
$40,000 bond.
According to the suit, the parents of a student member of the school softball team, who was a victim of
Sauers, were told she could not play unless they signed a "hold harmless agreement" related to the sexual
abuse case, which would not hold the school legally responsible.
According to the suit, the school student handbook does not require such agreements in situations of sexual
abuse by faculty involving students.
"No other member of the girls' softball team is being asked to sign such a document," the complaint states.
The student would be harmed by this agreement, the suit argues, as she has the chance to play in college.
© 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved.
al.com (AL)
April 4, 2023

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