Agape Baptist Academy was founded by James Clemensen. It originally opened in the state of Washington on an old air force base, but it moved due to problems with asbestos.[3] In 1996, the school moved to Cedar County, Missouri, and when they arrived in the local area, they held several small events such as a blood drives and other charitable events.[4] Serious allegations of the violent treatment and sexual abuse of students have been made.[3][4]InMay 2003, an F3 Tornado struck the school and the cafeteria building roof was ripped off.[5]
In January 2022, Agape's long-time physician, Dr. David Smock, was charged with 11 felonies relating to sex abuse crimes.[6]
In August 2022, Agape was indicted over the transportation of a youth who had an order of protection against his mother.[7] In October 2023, the mother of a former student filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Agape, Cedar County Sheriff James McCrary, and the teen escort company in federal court.[8]
^Salter, Jim (January 11, 2023). "Missouri boarding school under investigation will shut down". AP NEWS. Retrieved March 2, 2023. Agape Boarding School in Stockton has been the subject of state and location investigations and several lawsuits from former students. It will stop providing service effective Jan. 20, according to a statement from the school for boys.
^"Indictment: Boy forcibly taken to Missouri boarding school". AP NEWS. August 31, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2023. The mother of a California teenager conspired with a former Missouri boarding school dean on a plan that resulted in the boy being forced into a car, handcuffed for more than 24 hours and driven to a Missouri school for troubled youths, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
