Breaking News
February 19, 2024
Executive Directors comments on the sentencing hearing for Jim Zook.
On Thursday, February 15, 2024, in a Lancaster County courtroom, our former employee and brother in Christ, Jim Zook, was sentenced to 13-28 years in state prison for the sexual assault of 14 Villa residents. Staff and victims’ family members attended the sentencing hearing, presiding Judge Reinaker.
We are grateful to District Attorney Haverstick, Victim Advocate Stephanie Wisler, and Judge Reinaker for starting the process of justice and healing for the victims of these heinous crimes against some of our most vulnerable citizens, who need us to protect and care for them, not abuse and exploit them.
During the hearing, the District Attorney reviewed the charges against Mr. Zook and some of the details of the abuse. He emphasized that Mr. Zook, who was once a beloved, trusted, and respected team member, had abused his power and access to harm those who could not defend themselves. I spoke on their behalf at the victims' request, sharing their statements. Additionally, I provided an organizational statement and a letter from the ministry's founders. The ministry's these before the hearing. Several other victims' family members and ministry employees also sent statements for consideration. Mr. Zook read an apology statement to those present before the judge passed his sentence.
It was clear that he heard our voices loud and clear. Since he has presided over many cases of abuse - he fully understands that the impact on the ministry could be catastrophic and the damage to victims. He said, “It’s clear to me the deep and long-lasting consequences each victim will continue to suffer.”
Judge Reinaker hoped to console us by sharing that while it’s normal for people who worked with him to feel guilty for not seeing the signs of his abuse, the blame for this insidious behavior falls on Mr. Zook and those like him, for he was a masterful deceiver and groomer—grooming his peers to trust and like him and his victims to love and fear him.
Two critical decisions were made that exposed this darkness, stopped the abuse, and revealed 13 more victims. The first is the resident spoke up while visiting his parents for the weekend. He innocently shared with his mother what Mr. Zook and him did. This man’s mental and intellectual conditions made it necessary for his parents to spend time excavating the story to discern what their son was trying to share.
Second, once we knew charges would be filed, but before residents knew - we had to seek the truth - to give residents whom we love an opportunity to share their experiences as members of the Villa family. We sat with each resident and asked them questions in a safe and confidential space that would not lead to seeding or planting any ideas, and many of the conversations were led by me, witnessed, and documented by a member of our leadership team. This is how the 13 cases came to light. This was God leading us, not an agency suggesting or demanding it. It never came up from anyone outside of the organization. This needs to change, and hopefully, future advocacy and education can positively impact how our taxpayer dollars respond to crises of this nature.
Ultimately, it would be forensic interviews that specialize in interviewing children and individuals with special needs to gain the full story and lead to a charge being filed. Still, this man and his parents were the catalyst for all of this, and we are ever grateful to them. It was also the faithfulness of God who directed our steps on how to pursue the truth - to best serve and care for our residents. We praise him for his faithfulness to us.
It was hard seeing Jim Zook. My eyes met his gaze often while I shared the Victim Impact Statements. I searched for signs of repentance or remorse. For any emotion. Sadly, I didn’t see any. So our prayers continue - that he would come to repentance and allow God to transform him and become a true force for good in his life at the prison.
When we told the residents during dinner service that night that he was sentenced and immediately imprisoned, some cheered, some hung their heads, and others sighed in relief. I imagine they felt every emotion and will continue to. Some were angry at those who cheered. Some focused more on the loss, while others gave praise for their safety from him. No matter what they felt at any given moment, they were all deeply concerned about his wife, who had also been a big part of their life for 14 years. So, as usual, we commit to praying for everyone involved because there are no obvious winners in any of this, and God calls us to love. Sadness is present and heavy.
We are committed to ensuring this never happens again and are taking additional steps to strengthen our current program. You are always welcome to reach out and ask questions; we are more than willing to share our plan with you.
Our primary goal is to help our residents heal, prevent this from happening again, and pray that God will provide a way for Faith Friendship Villa to survive the financial losses caused by this crisis. We need help now. You can click on the donate button at the top of the page. Any amount will be greatly appreciated.
You can also let your elected officials know you support the residents and want the Villa THEIR HOME to stay open.
For more information click here.
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The worst possible message we could send to the victims and now survivors of these heinous acts is that exposing your abuser will heap punishment upon you. Our precious residents deserve better.
If you would like to learn more ways to help, please reach out at tammi@faithfriendship.org
In humility and faith,
Tammi Morris