Police car.Photo: GettyOn Saturday, Jeff Church, 63, resigned from his artistic director position at Kansas City’s prominent Coterie Theatre after he was accused of sexual abuse spanning decades. His body was found later that day, with police confirming his death on Monday, Dec. 26.Church served as the artistic director at the Coterie Theatre — a children’s theater — for more than 30 years, and was a well-known fixture in the city’s arts community.But last week, various men began to come forward to allege that Church had sexually abused them. On Dec. 20, Dashawn Young, a former actor,posted a video on Facebookclaiming Church had sexually assaulted him at a pool party when he was 17.Young toldThe Pitchthat the alleged sexual assault traumatized him. “I tried to laugh it away, and asked him repeatedly to stop, but he kept laughing while saying ‘I don’t care what you want.’ This was The Great Jeff Church, who I’d looked up to since I was a kid,“Young told the outlet.On Dec. 22, KKFI 90.1’sMark Manning also posted on Facebookthat Church had sexually assaulted him 31 years ago, saying that recent news about Church’s alleged attacks “triggered [him] in a way I did not fully expect,” continuing, “I lost it. I became so emotional that I wondered if I could even do my radio show.“A number of anonymous sources who worked at the Coterie with Church also toldThe Pitchthat Church’s alleged abuse was rampant and widely known in the local theater scene. A union representing live theatrical performers alleged that Church used the official Coterie Theatre Instagram account to send explicit messages to people,perThe Pitch.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.In a statement posted to its Instagram account a few days ago, the Coterie Theatre said it was placing the artistic director on administrative leave in light of all the abuse allegations. “One of the key components of our mission is to use the arts as an essential force in promoting justice for all,” the statement reads.The Theatre later issued a new statement that Church had resigned.Local police discovered his body inside his Kansas City home on Saturday afternoon, according to multiple news reports, but Church’s cause of death has not yet been released.His social media accounts also appear to have been scrubbed.PEOPLE reached out to the Kansas City Police Department for comment, but did not immediately hear back.The investigation continues.
Police car.Photo: Getty
On Saturday, Jeff Church, 63, resigned from his artistic director position at Kansas City’s prominent Coterie Theatre after he was accused of sexual abuse spanning decades. His body was found later that day, with police confirming his death on Monday, Dec. 26.Church served as the artistic director at the Coterie Theatre — a children’s theater — for more than 30 years, and was a well-known fixture in the city’s arts community.But last week, various men began to come forward to allege that Church had sexually abused them. On Dec. 20, Dashawn Young, a former actor,posted a video on Facebookclaiming Church had sexually assaulted him at a pool party when he was 17.Young toldThe Pitchthat the alleged sexual assault traumatized him. “I tried to laugh it away, and asked him repeatedly to stop, but he kept laughing while saying ‘I don’t care what you want.’ This was The Great Jeff Church, who I’d looked up to since I was a kid,“Young told the outlet.On Dec. 22, KKFI 90.1’sMark Manning also posted on Facebookthat Church had sexually assaulted him 31 years ago, saying that recent news about Church’s alleged attacks “triggered [him] in a way I did not fully expect,” continuing, “I lost it. I became so emotional that I wondered if I could even do my radio show.“A number of anonymous sources who worked at the Coterie with Church also toldThe Pitchthat Church’s alleged abuse was rampant and widely known in the local theater scene. A union representing live theatrical performers alleged that Church used the official Coterie Theatre Instagram account to send explicit messages to people,perThe Pitch.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.In a statement posted to its Instagram account a few days ago, the Coterie Theatre said it was placing the artistic director on administrative leave in light of all the abuse allegations. “One of the key components of our mission is to use the arts as an essential force in promoting justice for all,” the statement reads.The Theatre later issued a new statement that Church had resigned.Local police discovered his body inside his Kansas City home on Saturday afternoon, according to multiple news reports, but Church’s cause of death has not yet been released.His social media accounts also appear to have been scrubbed.PEOPLE reached out to the Kansas City Police Department for comment, but did not immediately hear back.The investigation continues.
On Saturday, Jeff Church, 63, resigned from his artistic director position at Kansas City’s prominent Coterie Theatre after he was accused of sexual abuse spanning decades. His body was found later that day, with police confirming his death on Monday, Dec. 26.
Church served as the artistic director at the Coterie Theatre — a children’s theater — for more than 30 years, and was a well-known fixture in the city’s arts community.
But last week, various men began to come forward to allege that Church had sexually abused them. On Dec. 20, Dashawn Young, a former actor,posted a video on Facebookclaiming Church had sexually assaulted him at a pool party when he was 17.
Young toldThe Pitchthat the alleged sexual assault traumatized him. “I tried to laugh it away, and asked him repeatedly to stop, but he kept laughing while saying ‘I don’t care what you want.’ This was The Great Jeff Church, who I’d looked up to since I was a kid,“Young told the outlet.
On Dec. 22, KKFI 90.1’sMark Manning also posted on Facebookthat Church had sexually assaulted him 31 years ago, saying that recent news about Church’s alleged attacks “triggered [him] in a way I did not fully expect,” continuing, “I lost it. I became so emotional that I wondered if I could even do my radio show.”
A number of anonymous sources who worked at the Coterie with Church also toldThe Pitchthat Church’s alleged abuse was rampant and widely known in the local theater scene. A union representing live theatrical performers alleged that Church used the official Coterie Theatre Instagram account to send explicit messages to people,perThe Pitch.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
In a statement posted to its Instagram account a few days ago, the Coterie Theatre said it was placing the artistic director on administrative leave in light of all the abuse allegations. “One of the key components of our mission is to use the arts as an essential force in promoting justice for all,” the statement reads.
The Theatre later issued a new statement that Church had resigned.
Local police discovered his body inside his Kansas City home on Saturday afternoon, according to multiple news reports, but Church’s cause of death has not yet been released.
His social media accounts also appear to have been scrubbed.
PEOPLE reached out to the Kansas City Police Department for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
The investigation continues.
source: people.com
