New Hartford files nuisance suit against Word of Life Church

The Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY/December 10, 2015

By Patrick Lohmann

New Hartford, NY -- Saying neighbors are "extremely fearful" of the church on their block, the town of New Hartford filed a nuisance abatement suit against the Word of Life Christian Church on Thursday in hopes it can evict the church from the old schoolhouse in which it resides.

Court documents cite the town's power to file a permanent injunction against a property that is public nuisance, including one where criminal activity was committed or that "detrimentally affects the quiet and reasonable use and enjoyment of adjacent or neighboring property".

The church is the site of a brutal beating that occurred over the course of 12 hours, according to police and prosecutors. Church members beat 19-year-old Lucas Leonard, who eventually died, and 17-year-old Christopher Leonard, who was severely injured. A number of church members, including the boys' parents, are facing murder, assault and kidnapping charges in connection with the beatings.

Police said the church organized a "counseling session" to elicit "confessions" from the boys about as-of-yet unclear allegations. But even before the counseling session and the death, neighbors said they heard chanting into all hours of the night, dogs barking and sounds of construction. Neighbors immediately called the church a "cult" without having stepped foot inside it for many years.

The court documents seek to prohibit the church from "conducting any activities at the premises" on the 3300 block of Oneida Street in Chadwicks. The church sits alongside a Catholic church and across from homes.

The documents also seek to prohibit "occupancy" of the building by the church. In addition to having regular services, a number of church members lived in the three-story converted schoolhouse attached to the church. Several of the suspects in the beating were living in the church at the time of the beatings.

Hundreds of New Hartford residents signed a petition to evict the church and held demonstrations calling for the church to shut down following Leonard's death. The beatings drew nationwide attention and rocked the small town near Utica.

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