The judge issued a protective order and sealed Paul Grenier’s upcoming deposition testimony until Trial.
We opposed the motion because the witness had pushed his story so persistently and emphatically for many years interjecting himself and his story into the public discussion many times. We believe the public has a right to know what he says (limited to the scope of the issues at hand in the lawsuit only) since he’s already given sworn declarations, made public statements and been very outspoken about his allegations. Despite our opinion on the issue, the judge granted the protective order after giving a thorough review of both arguments and we appreciate his care in fully reading and trying to understand our perspective and we accept his ruling.
Paul is scheduled to be deposed tomorrow in Irvine, California. The details of which will be sealed until Trial.
Here is a glimpse of the extensive email/documented history of Paul Grenier’s participation in the ongoing Bob Grenier controversy:
Paul Grenier reaches out in an attempt to tell his story to prolific church abuse blogger, Michael Newnham, in 2008….a year before the Topix.com forum and before any blogging or media coverage occurred about the Bob Grenier situation. Paul sent a follow up email a year later reaching out to Newnham to tell his story.
Paul introduced me to Michael Newnham of PhoenixPreacher.com and wanted me to speak to him and wanted me to send him information for the purpose of reporting the issues and exposing Pastor Bob Grenier in an effort to hold him accountable.
Paul continued to challenge me to step up and speak out. He called me out for not believing him about some of the church financial dealings, that were becoming confirmed by former staff and bookkeepers etc, all things Paul was telling me about over the years. I was being challenged to keep up the fight and expose Bob for his wrongdoings and I believe it is the right thing to do.
Paul actively blogged about his personal abuse as well as what he saw with regards how the church finances were dealt with at CCV over the years. He interviewed directly with Lew Griswold of the Fresno Bee multiple times over the years and gave his own story. This is one of the first times he spoke with the Fresno Bee.
After a police report was filed by me and Paul separately (but the police combined it into one report and interviewed another brother and an Aunt and Uncle), Paul requested a copy of the report. The police wouldn’t give it to him, so Paul went to court to compel its release to him.
Paul went to court, represented himself, argued in front of the judge and won. He got the police report, but the report left out much of the details given in the interviews and was “watered down”. I agreed with Paul, the worst details of the abuse I reported were left out as well.
Paul was upset about the lack of justice and accountability in regards to the abuses. I was, too. Bob and his church, Calvary Chapel and Calvary Chapel Visalia was stonewalling many efforts to get recourse and some sort of justice and accountability. We had approached Bob, Bob’s Elders, Bob’s Board at Calvary Chapel Visalia, other Calvary Chapel pastors, Roger Wing of CCOF, etc with no recourse. Paul decided to tell his story to Child Abuse Advocate/Attorney Kelly Clark who retained him as a client pro bono because Paul was believable to him. Due to civil statute of limitations issues in California, Mr. Clark’s office eventually dropped Paul as a client.
I heard the specific details of Paul’s molestation allegations in Kelly Clark’s conference room in Portland, Oregon for the first time. It made me very upset. I had to physically leave the room and take a walk outside to cool off.
Paul was frustrated that all avenues for recourse, justice, accountability for his abuser continued being closed off. I was as well. Paul decided he wanted to issue a public statement in an effort to expose Bob. I agreed to publish the statement Paul wrote, believing him to be credible at the time.
This is Paul’s public statement he authored and emailed to me and asked me to publish. He wanted his story told. The text was provided directly by Paul Grenier and authored by him…which can be verified forensically by metadata as well as in the email record from Google and Gmail. The attachments are shown in the screenshots of the emails above.
Blood son alleges sexual abuse by Pastor Bob Grenier Calvary Chapel Visalia
I was stressed out from running the blog and fighting the battle for myself and many others, including Paul. I shut the blog down for a short period of time and Paul was very upset about that and told me to turn the blog back on.
Paul continued to push his story of abuse and molestation. He blogged about it often. Here is one of many examples.
Bob and Gayle filed their lawsuit against me and Tim Taylor in late 2012 for speaking out about the abuse and corruption issues. I was talked into pursuing an Anti-SLAPP motion with California Anti-SLAPP Project out of Berkley, California. It costs a lot of money to defend in a defamation suit and I am funding my defense with my own money, while we discovered that Bob and Gayle are using church monies (it appears from their discovery documents and comments from their attorney). Paul Grenier volunteered a Declaration in our defense. He sent his Declarations directly to attorney Paul Clifford (Mr. Clifford is testifying to that fact and has provided email documentation of such).
Paul’s Declaration he authored and gave under oath is very detailed and articulate. Here is a link to a true copy of his Declaration as published on another Blog (a Blog that is not being sued): http://thewartburgwatch.com/tww2/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/P.-Grenier-Declaration-iso-SMTS-text.pdf
Paul continued to push his story of abuse and to reach out to others for help. He emailed Dee Parsons of The Wartburg Watch and copied Visalia Police Department Chief Mestas as well.
Paul later wrote a Press Release about his allegations against Bob.
Paul sends his press release out to “36” different media people.
Paul created a pseudonym to send out the press release he wrote that detailed his abuse allegations. He sent out his press release to media through that email address.
We lost the Anti-SLAPP motion on appeal. The Appellate Court ruled that the matters are “in the public’s interest” which raises the bar very high, the Plaintiffs have to prove “Actual Malice” which is very very rare and did not nearly happen in this case. They also ruled Bob was not a “Limited Purpose Public Figure” so he could continue his church-funded personal lawsuit. Everyone was stressed out from the ruling. Paul said he was approached by someone asking that if Bob would drop the suit, would Paul “recant” his story.
Paul explains his considering recanting further and reaffirms he is telling the truth about Bob molesting him, but is considering recanting to make Bob’s Calvary Chapel funded lawsuit go away.
Paul says Bob’s attorney, Nick Pritchett, was “backchanneling” with Paul’s attorney. I could not understand why Paul would consider recanting if his allegations were true. It made Paul upset that I questioned him.
We found out that the Plaintiffs were communicating with Paul, a key witness, after they had shunned him for 10 years.
Shortly after this we stopped hearing from Paul. We got news he was regularly communicating with the Plaintiffs and was reconnected with them. He sent a threatening email when I did not agree to cut a deal with Bob without Bob taking responsibility for abusing me.
We learned in Bob and Gayle’s depositions and from other sources and witnesses that the Plaintiffs purchased Paul gifts, financed items for him, “lent” him cash (Paul has a history of not repaying loans) and Paul was put back in Bob’s Will/Estate which is estimated to be One to Two Million dollars (with Life Insurance policies). Other sources say they may have helped Paul get into a new expensive apartment he cannot afford (in their opinion) not far from the beach in a very expensive part of Southern California. Paul issues a not-under-oath recant soon after.
These are not nearly all the evidence, documents or emails. We have an overwhelming amount. Paul’s Deposition is tomorrow, October 27, 2016. Paul’s motion for a protective order was approved by the judge, so whatever he says tomorrow will be kept confidential until Trial.
Personally, after reading Paul’s not-under-oath recants, I no longer know what to believe from him. He was so persistent and passionate and consistent with his original story for many years and got very angry when anyone questioned his truthfulness. He told reporters, bloggers, police detectives in Idaho and California (in official police investigations), Child Abuse Attorneys, newspaper reporters (Paul is quoted in the Fresno Bee saying Bob molested him) as well as scores of other people. He sent out press releases, he blogged, he spoke with Pastors like Dave Rolph about the abuse. Then he changes his story at the 11th hour before Trial after being approached by Plaintiffs…and money and items of value are involved.
I no longer support Paul. I don’t trust him any longer and I won’t champion his fight. He made some sort of deal and that’s his to live with. He’s lost all credibility, unfortunately, but it is his own doing. He’s lying then or he’s lying now. Only he and Bob know for sure, but I know what happened to me.
I still stand behind my abuse allegations and my reporting. I believed Paul at the time I reported. I believe the other sources who reported financial issues to me like former Bookkeepers and Administrators and other key personnel at Calvary Chapel Visalia. I personally witnessed the abuse perpetrated against my brother, Geoff. It was horrible. My abuse was horrible. It still haunts me today.