Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa Settles $12M Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

Lawsuit alleged church knew of leader’s history of violence and failed to protect a single mother who worked at the church.

A sexual abuse survivor has reached a $12 million settlement with Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa after alleging that one of the church’s former leaders raped her 12 times, according to her attorneys.

In 2024, Felicia Zandi filed a civil lawsuit against the church; its senior pastor, Brian Brodersen; Jacob Harman, whom she accused of raping her; and others.

Photo by Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa / Google Photos

Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa is the original Calvary Chapel, where pastor Chuck Smith began the Calvary Chapel movement.

In the most recent complaint filed before the settlement, Zandi alleged that Calvary Chapel “refused” to protect its employees from Harman, who allegedly had a “long history of violent misconduct” known to the church’s senior pastor and board member, Brian Brodersen.

Zandi, a single mother who attended the church, alleged that Harman “brutally battered and raped” her on multiple occasions.

Zandi learned during an earlier defamation trial that Calvary Chapel and Brodersen allegedly knew about and concealed Harman’s history of violence. Zandi testified in a lawsuit Harman filed against former church members who had called him a rapist, claiming that Harman had forced her to have sexual intercourse multiple times between February 2016 and June 2017.

She testified that Harman brutally assaulted her in March 2017 while driving her home. Others later observed bruises, what appeared to be a broken wrist, and patches of missing hair.

The court did not determine the nature of Harman and Zandi’s relationship but found Zandi credible as a witness and described Harman’s actions as “indefensible.”

According to her attorneys, the federal judge’s assessment of her credibility gave Zandi the courage to sue Calvary Chapel and its leaders.

Harman has not been criminally charged or convicted of rape or similar charges.

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Before joining Calvary Chapel, Harman had been charged with assault with a deadly weapon in Nevada, Zandi’s attorneys told The Roys Report. The following year, he became a wrestling coach in a leadership role at the church. Within a few years, Harman was ordained as a pastor.

The lawsuit alleges that in 2014, Harman’s then-wife told Brodersen during a private conversation about his “sexual violence” and “severe addiction to alcohol.” However, Brodersen allegedly took no action to investigate the claims made by Harman’s then-wife.

According to the lawsuit, the church commissioned Harman as a missionary and paid him a monthly stipend for his missionary work and his role as wrestling coach. Harman also started Team Thunder, a private wrestling program that Calvary Chapel allegedly presented as a church ministry and mission.

Zandi’s lawsuit alleges that the church received numerous complaints about Harman’s volatility in the spring of 2016. Some described him as a “ticking time bomb” and “mentally unstable.” Instead of addressing these complaints and warnings, she claimed the church swept them under the rug.

Calvary’s executive pastor, Roger Wing, acknowledged that “the Calvary Church Board, and specifically Brian Brodersen, knew about Harman’s abuse for many years and failed to properly address it,” the lawsuit claimed.

The high school superintendent, Jason Huffman, also knew about Harman’s alleged history of violence, according to the lawsuit. Huffman said at various times that Harman had made choices that disqualified him from leadership, was emotionally unstable, manipulated people — especially single mothers — and had been accused of grabbing a student by the neck.

Zandi enrolled her children in schools associated with Calvary Chapel, and in 2015, they became involved with Team Thunder.

In January 2016, Zandi started working at Maranatha Christian Academy on the church campus, and in February, she began volunteering with Team Thunder.

Zandi claimed that Harman began sexually assaulting her in February 2016. According to the lawsuit, he would isolate her by assigning her tasks related to the wrestling program and then assault her.

Zandi said she resisted Harman and told him to stop, but he overpowered her.

According to the lawsuit, Zandi was afraid to report the assaults because she depended on her employment at the school and the free tuition her children received. She also claimed that Harman told her he had Brodersen “in his back pocket” and would use that influence to get her fired if she reported him, and that he threatened to “ruin her reputation.”

Zandi alleged that Harman used his position as an ordained pastor and church leader to manipulate her spiritually and persuade her to forgive him.

In July 2017, Zandi said she filed a complaint against Harman with the church, detailing his sexual abuse of her. She claimed that she met with Michael Mugavero, a church board member, who not only “intimated that he wanted to preserve Harman’s ability to continue his Team Thunder operation,” but also failed to disclose to her that others had complained about Harman’s abuse.

The lawsuit alleged that church leaders leaked Zandi’s complaint to Harman rather than keeping it confidential. Harman allegedly responded by sending her threatening text messages.

Not long after reporting the alleged abuse to the church, Zandi also filed police reports about Harman. Around the same time, other Calvary families came forward to church leadership about Harman’s physical assaults of their children, including biting them, throwing them across the floor, and lying on top of them until they couldn’t breathe.

Despite these reports, the lawsuit claimed that neither Mugavero nor other church board members filed reports, as required of mandated reporters under California law. Instead, Calvary Chapel allegedly helped Harman leave the country for three months to avoid a police investigation.

When Calvary Chapel began to address Harman’s abusive conduct, the lawsuit claimed its primary concerns were “preserving its own image and reputation; limiting any impact on Harman and Team Thunder; and protecting Brodersen and Calvary Church from any potential liability.”

Around 2017, Calvary Chapel finally “severed ties” with Harman, but the church allegedly never offered support to Zandi. Instead, she said she faced backlash from pastors and congregants and eventually decided to move to an undisclosed location away from Harman and Calvary Chapel.

In response to an inquiry by MinistryWatch, Calvary Chapel sent the following statement:

When concerns about an employee’s conduct were brought to our attention in 2017, we launched an investigation that concluded with the individual being permanently removed from the organization and revoking his ordination as a minister. The individual’s behavior, including those violations addressed in a recently resolved lawsuit, was deemed unacceptable and a breach of our code of conduct. We are grateful to have reached a resolution that reflects our commitment to caring for those affected by harmful behavior. With this painful chapter of our church’s history behind us, we remain fully focused on being more conformed into the image of Jesus and seeing God at work in our lives, our church community, and our city.

During a broadcast with Julie Roys about the settlement, Zandi’s attorneys emphasized the importance of establishing clear channels for people to report wrongdoing within churches. One attorney also warned against churches reflexively reacting negatively to people who come forward with allegations instead of taking their claims seriously.

“You have to have structures in place to make sure that the flock is protected,” attorney David Sugden said.

“If there is one thing she [the survivor] wants to come out of this, it’s for victims to know that they’re not alone,” attorney Grady Howe said in the same broadcast. “You have an avenue to come forward. These churches can be held accountable.”

MAIN PHOTO: Photo by Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa / Google Photos

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Social Media: “These churches can be held accountable.” A survivor who alleged repeated sexual assaults by a former Calvary Chapel leader has reached a $12 million settlement with Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. Her attorneys say they hope other victims will know they are not alone.