Leading church youth curriculum provider, Orange, has hired a law firm to investigate “complaints related to the situation” between its founder Reggie Joiner and former CEO Kristen Ivy, according to an email obtained by The Roys Report (TRR). 

In an email sent yesterday to Orange staff, Mikael Clear, interim president of Orange, announced that, as of May 24, Orange has engaged Castañeda + Heidelman LLP (C+H) to conduct a third-party investigation.

Clear added that C+H is a firm “made up of former federal prosecutors and seasoned attorneys.” And he claimed C+H’s staff are “experts at conducting thorough, objective, trauma-informed, forensic investigations to ensure everyone who needs to be heard has the opportunity to share.”

The announcement comes weeks after Ivy accused Joiner of “clergy sexual abuse” in an email to two Orange board members, as first reported by TRR.

According to Ivy, Joiner “repeatedly abused his power and used it to gain access to vulnerable, often very young women, slowly crossing boundaries, isolating them, and eventually coercing them into agreeing to the abuse.” Ivy also stated that she was “not the only one.”

Ivy’s characterization of her relationship with Joiner contradicted the ministry’s past statement, which said Joiner and Ivy had engaged in an “inappropriate relationship.”

In her two-page email, Ivy admitted that her views had changed since first disclosing the relationship to Orange board members. Ivy said she had spoken to “professional counsel” and “experts in abuse” who helped her realize her own “compounded trauma from many years of emotional and psychological abuse.”

She added: “I also realize that Orange can never truly be free of what has been lurking in the shadows if we continue to leave unnamed what has happened here . . . The very nature of these relationships is to confuse a victim into believing what is happening is consensual.” 

Ivy labeled what happened between her and Joiner “clergy sexual abuse”—which is a crime in the District of Columbia and 13 states, but not in Georgia, where Ivy and Joiner live.

TRR reached out to Joiner for comment about Ivy’s allegations and the ministry’s launch of a third-party investigation, but he did not respond.

Also, on May 24, Orange responded to a prior inquiry from TRR regarding plans for an independent investigation.

At that time, Orange told TRR that it had hired a third-party to investigate. However, Orange did not name the firm conducting the investigation and wrote, “Out of respect for the privacy of those affected and to ensure the investigation is unimpeded, we cannot share any additional information.”

After receiving the email Orange sent to staff yesterday, TRR reached out to Orange, asking if it would make the results of C+H’s investigation public.

An Orange spokesperson replied: “Findings will be shared with our staff and those affected.”

Will investigation be ‘discreet (and) internal’ or ‘independent’? 

The law firm C+H, which has offices in Chicago, San Diego, and Dallas, advertises on its homepage that it caters to “sophisticated faith-based and humanitarian non-profits.” 

Its Investigations page states that C+H conducts “discreet internal” and “sensitive investigations.” Another area of the firm’s website claims its approach is “both thorough and objective in order to ensure an independent and evidence-based inquiry.”

The email from Clear provides contact details for firm partner, attorney Juan Castañeda, as the investigation’s point of contact.

Castañeda’s bio notes past investigations of sexual misconduct, some conducted “on behalf of female students” and others “for megachurches” or other clients. In a LinkedIn post in February, Castañeda spoke of his “investigations for faith based universities, NGOs, churches, humanitarian organizations as well as missionary groups.” 

Two years ago, when Texas megachurch pastor Matt Chandler admitted to an “inappropriate online relationship,” his church hired C+H to conduct an investigation. After taking a three-month leave of absence, Chandler returned to the pulpit.

In a statement to TRR, an Orange spokesperson said, “The private, internal email you obtained without permission speaks for itself. We are confident in C+H’s ability to conduct an objective forensic, trauma-informed investigation with appropriate sensitivity while ensuring everyone who needs to be heard has that opportunity.” 

In a widely shared article about sex abuse investigations, attorney Boz Tchividjian urged abuse survivors to exercise caution about a law firm engaged to conduct an “independent” probe. Tchividjian noted that law firms have a fiduciary responsibility to their clients, so their investigations are often not truly independent.

One marker of an independent process is a ministry publicly releasing the final report, he noted.

Correcting the record 

Ivy sent her email to Orange board members early on April 23, the opening day of the Orange Conference, which several thousand people attended in Atlanta. 

Ivy stated, with capitalization for emphasis: “I REQUEST that whatever statement you make tonight at the conference opening closes the door of misunderstanding and mischaracterization that ‘inappropriate relationship’ implies.” 

That evening, Orange Board Chairman Joel Manby addressed the packed GAS South Arena in Atlanta, without making any mention of alleged abuse or revising Orange’s past public statement about Joiner. 

Orange board member, Jennifer Barnes, claimed in an email to TRR that the Orange board had nonetheless “honored” Ivy’s request. 

In his email yesterday, Clear indicated that C+H’s investigation would also “identify areas for improvement going forward as an organization.” 

He added: “The Board is committed to ensuring the thoroughness and integrity of this investigation and we might not have any updates to share for some time.”

Freelance journalist Josh Shepherd writes on faith, culture, and public policy for several media outlets. He and his family live in the Washington, D.C. area.