PRESS RELEASE: Justice Law Collaborative and Childers, Schlueter & Smith File Lawsuit in Georgia Citing Covert Human Trafficking
Lawsuit details a veiled human trafficking and sophisticated forced labor operation disguised as religious ministry
BOSTON, Mass. and ATLANTA (April 16, 2025) – Civil rights law firms Justice Law Collaborative (JLC) and Childers, Schlueter & Smith, LLC (CSS) filed a lawsuit on Monday against Atlanta Dream Center Church Assemblies of God (“ADC”) and related entities, claiming that the diverse network of Georgia-based local ministries, churches, prominent nonprofits, and corporate catering conglomerates, operated a human trafficking and forced labor operation veiled as “volunteer ministry” and faith-based service. The various entities targeted and recruited devout and vulnerable teenagers and young adults from impoverished communities seeking to become missionaries and pastors with promises of spiritual education, college tuition, and room and board.
“Each named defendant in this case knowingly profited from their participation in a scheme of abuse and forced labor of vulnerable young people,” said Kim Dougherty, Justice Law Collaborative co-founder and lead attorney. “Our client, whose trust and labor were extorted, endured extensive physical, psychological, and sexual abuse and survived inhumane circumstances. The profound impact on her life cannot be overstated. To uncover such an extensive, co-mingled human trafficking operation should send shockwaves through our social conscience. Profiteers are leveraging faith and a human desire to care for others as a gateway to harm vulnerable young people. It’s time to end the practice of modern slavery.”
Filed in the United States District Court/Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, the complaint details how the “spiritual syndicate” exerted coercive control and false promises over impressionable youth to generate profit. Students recruited by ADC, including the Plaintiff (“Jane Doe K.D.”), were placed in highly dangerous living conditions inconsistent with the promotional materials provided by the organization. The plaintiff described sharing a tiny one-bedroom (7 ft x 7 ft) apartment located in a complex well known for high crime, violence, and deplorable, unlivable conditions with three other students. The bedroom contained two bunk beds, both with soiled mattresses, and the food provided was often expired, capitalized on by rodents, and riddled with maggots, mold, and parasites.
The horror did not end with the inhumane conditions. Plaintiff and other trafficked survivors were forced to work and perform excessive hours of hard laborious duties for free, serving as waiters, bartenders, and concession attendants at well-known, high-profile national sporting events, conferences, and conventions. They were forced to sleep in vans for only a few hours at a time, or in nearly condemned housing with dozens of other people. Adequate food, breaks, sufficient rest, or pay for their work was never provided.
Local Atlanta co-counsel, M. Brandon Smith of Childers, Schlueter & Smith, urges a response from Georgia’s General Assembly, stating, “Our lawsuit seeks accountability and immediate action to end this scheme of trafficking and abuse of children and young adults. But our efforts will not end there. Our team implores Georgia state legislators to join us to end the epidemic facing our communities.”
According to estimates from the Global Slavery Index, modern slavery affects more than 50 million individuals worldwide and has become one of the most pervasive crises of our time. The International Labour Organization (ILO) reported that forced labor alone generates $236 billion in illegal profits annually. In 2021, the National Human Trafficking Hotline reported 281 cases of human trafficking identified in Georgia, statistics that became the impetus for Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s recent decision to expand the state’s human trafficking unit.
The legal action, brought forth under the Trafficking and Victims Reauthorization Act, seeks to vindicate the rights of “Jane Doe K.D.,” who was coercively controlled by and suffered life-long injuries and trauma as a result of the Defendants’ false promotion, abuse, and misconduct while in their custody.
“Tragically, KD is not the only survivor of this predatory scheme,” added attorney Keith Smith of Justice Law Collaborative. “Her case exposes a disturbing and decades-long pattern of exploitation targeting vulnerable young people from around the country. We believe countless others have endured similar abuse and trafficking from these defendants and others like them. By holding these organizations accountable, we seek justice for 'KD' and all survivors of these horrific practices.”
About Childers, Schlueter & Smith
Childers, Schlueter & Smith, LLC is a personal injury law firm that has represented clients across the country and throughout Georgia. Cases worked on include product liability, dangerous devices, harmful pharmaceuticals, wrongful death, and other areas of personal injury. To learn more about the firm, visit [www.cssfirm.com][2].
About Justice Law Collaborative
Justice Law Collaborative (JLC) embodies the highest level of professional, trauma-informed legal expertise associated with social justice and advocacy. The firm, led by attorneys with extensive experience in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, wrongful death, medical malpractice, reproductive rights, sexual assault and abuse, and personal injury cases, has represented athletes abused by Olympic coach Larry Nassar, teenagers tormented by hostile, uncertified schools parading as therapy-based programs for troubled teens, and has represented consumers and patients harmed by corporate greed and negligence, specifically the pharmaceutical, reproductive medicine, and tobacco industries. Additionally, JLC is at the forefront of legislative reform, spearheading efforts to modify statutes of limitations and enact new laws to protect the innocent and to provide proper financial and judicial remedies to victims. The firm was ranked a 2025 Best Law Firm by Best Lawyers®, and firm partners have been named to Massachusetts Super Lawyer® and Best Lawyers® lists for multiple, consecutive years. More information about the firm and its far-reaching results can be found at: www.justicelawcollaborative.com.
NOTE: If you are a victim of or cross paths with an individual you believe is being trafficked or enslaved, call 1-888-373-7888. The Human Trafficking Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Online tips can also be submitted at humantraffickingonline.org.
Media contact: Wendy Agudelo (for Justice Law Collaborative); wendy@imageprofessors.com
News Articles:
Atlanta Journal Constitution (Rosie Manins; April 17, 2025)
Atlanta News First (April 17, 2025)